The New York State Fairgrounds is hosting a dog show this weekend and over 150 different breeds of dogs are expected to be in attendance. One trainer is bringing a Saint Bernard to the competition who is a world-champion.
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CHARLOTTE REPORTER: THE NEW YORK STATE FAIRGROUNDS IS HOSTING THE SALT CITY CLUSTER SPRING DOG SHOW THIS WEEKEND IN SYRACUSE.
CHARLOTTE REPORTER: ALL DIFFERENT BREEDS OF DOGS COMPETE IN RALLY AND OBEDIENCE CLASSES.
CHARLOTTE REPORTER: TRIALS BEGAN AT EIGHT AM THIS MORNING TO KICK OFF THE WEEKEND TO JUDGE BREED, SPORTING, HOUND, AND TOY DOG CATEGORIES.
SOT OF WELCH: “EACH BREED HAS A STANDARD ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB EACH DOG AND EACH ONE OF THE MIDDLE OF THE RING IS A JUDGE THE WOMEN IN THE RED JACKET OVER THERE, AND SHE IS SELECTING THE DOG THAT MOST CLOSELY MEETS THE STANDARD FOR THAT PARTICULAR BREED IN HER OPINION”
STANDUP: “AT THE 2023 SALT CITY CLUSTER SPRING DOG SHOW, THERE WERE OVER 150 DIFFERENT BREEDS, BUT THERE WAS ONLY ONE SAINT BERNARD XEXROXES. HE WAS THE ONLY SAINT BERNARD IN THE WORKING-CLASS CATEGORY
DOUG FISHER SOT: “ACTUALLY, YEAH, I AM THE ONLY ONE HERE TODAY. THERE IS ONLY GOING TO BE ONE OR TWO THIS SATURDAY OR SUNDAY. THAT’S BECAUSE IT’S SYRACUSE, AND THERE IS NOT A LOT OF SAINT BERNARD BREEDS IN THIS AREA.
CHARLOTTE REPORTER: MEET THREE-YEAR-OLD SAINT BERNARD XEXROXES, NAMED AFTER THE KING OF PERSIA. DOUG FISHER HAS BEEN BREEDING SAINT BERNARDS FOR OVER 40 YEARS. HE HAS ELEVEN SAINT BERNARDS AND HAS RAISED MULTIPLE CHAMPIONS IN HIS KENNEL.
CHARLOTTE REPORTER: AT NATIONALS, WITH OVER 100 DOGS, XEROXES PLACED IN THE TOP FOUR.
SOT OF FISHER: “THERE IS A SELECT BREED, AND THEN THERE IS A SELECT DOG, AND THEN THEY GIVE THE AWARDS MERIT, AND I WAS THE FOURTH OUT OF ABOUT 100, SO THAT WAS A PRETTY NICE MOMENT. HUH?”
FISHER AND XEROXES ARE WORKING TOWARDS THE GRAND CHAMPIONSHIP.
CHARLOTTE REPORTER: DOGS WILL BE SHOWN THROUGHOUT THE WEEKEND AS MORE BRUSHING, SPRAYING, AND SLEEPING WILL BE NEEDED. CHARLOTTE STEINBERG NCC NEWS.
SYRACUSE, NY (NCC News)-The New York State Fairgrounds is hosting the Salt City Cluster Spring Dog Show this weekend. Over 150 different dog breeds are attending in hopes of winning best breed, working dog, or even non-sporting. The event kicked off on Thursday at 8 a.m. and is running through Sunday.
Doug Fisher, a Saint Bernard breeder and trainer for over 40 years, brought his three-year-old Saint Bernard Xexroxes. He wanted to name him something because of the size and strength of Saint Bernard. Fisher is the only one with a saint bernard entry for the working dog category and the only saint bernard trainer who attended the event Thursday.
“I actually am the only one today, and there are only going to be two this weekend,” Fisher said.
“Syracuse does not have a lot of saint bernard breeders in the area.”
Fisher currently has 11 Saint Bernards that he takes care of and trains. He cites dog training as his one true love.
Xexroxes went to the Saint Bernard nationals, and out of more than 100 dogs, he placed in the top four. Fisher believes in positive reinforcement and repetition of training. The Marion, New York native is confident that Xexroxes can advance into the farther rounds of the competition.
“Well, I am the only one here… he’s not going to growl or bite the judge”.
Fisher explained that judges will withhold the first-place ribbon from dogs if they growl or bite the judge. Dog shows are all about if the dog sets the standard that the American Kennel Club has placed.
Patricia Welch, the show chairman for the weekend, says it is all up to the standards the judge has. “Each breed has a standard according to the American Kennel, so each dog in each one of the people middle of the ring is a judge … and (they) are selecting the dog that most closely meets the standard for that particular breed in (their) opinion.
Welch was born into the dog show business and details that some of the requests at the show have been to turn on the heat and get more toilet paper. She says she deals with some interesting dog owners who are too confident about their dogs as they only bought them as a pet.
The event is free to anyone to attend, as the last day is this Sunday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.