Terrier
owners showcase talented, obedient pets
By Li-Wei Yang
Summer On-line Forty-Niner
 Enthusiasm
among more than 2,000 dogs and their owners
ran high as the participants in the Great
Western Terrier Association Group Shows
and Obedience meticulously prepared and
readied for the annual showcasing event
held last weekend at the George Allen Field.
At the numerous tents erected around the
field, dog owners and grooming personnel
were busy washing, blow-drying and brushing
so that their dog’s best appearances could
be unveiled to the judges.
“My dogs and I are just so excited about
this particular event and to see this many
beautiful dogs, I am very eager to know
the result at the end of the day,” said
Eddie Miller of Henderson, Nev., owner of
two American Staffordshire Terriers. “To
prepare for this event I have groomed my
dogs very well, and I have trained them
so that they have excellent stamina and
obedience.”
The group show was to showcase purebred
terrier of various breeds, and drew participants
from Europe, Asia and across the United
States. Judges from as far as Sweden and
Canada also took part in the contest. Despite
the partly cloudy weather, GWTA president
Jack Smith, owner of Cairn Terriers himself,
and the judge for the Cairn breed, said
the show is one of the best he has ever
attended.
“The GWTA Dog Shows went great this year.
The grounds were outstanding, the weather
for Terriers was perfect, and the dogs were
wonderful examples of their breed,” said
Smith. “Many of the dog shows enthusiasts
commented that this dog show was one of
the best they had ever attended … and I
had a wonderful time judging all these very
fine Cairn Terriers.”
Today, under the rules of the American Kennel
Club, every terrier breed — there are 25
of them — is represented at the GWTA dog
show. The GWTA serves as an umbrella organization
for the various terrier clubs located in
Southern California that represents different
terrier breeds. Besides conducting showcasing
events, the GWTA is also encouraging and
supporting health, rescue and educational
issues relating to dogs.
As for the two American Staffordshire Terriers
owned by Miller, they did not advance past
the first round. Still, Miller did not express
any feeling of disappointment.
“Obviously I had hoped to do better, but
the most important thing is that we had
fun doing it,” said Miller.
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