It takes two days and a team of judges, other experts and enthusiasts to find the Best In Show. But 900 dogs and their owners, divided into 120 different breeds were put through their paces this weekend to find the top dogs.
Jim Arnett, president of the Kennel Club of Texarkana, looked at the four-footed contestants in a scene that has taken place in Texarkana for 51 years.
"It takes two days of shows to make it through all the dogs," said Arnett. "We organize these shows into rings, with the breeds assigned to them over the two days. Each breed has a winner. Then the seven groups each have a winner. From the group winners, we get our Best In Show."
Theresa Clark of Guthrie, Okla., came to Texarkana to show off her shipperke, Rhinestone Cowboy, a small black dog with a pointed snout and a woolly coat. Rhinestone Cowboy scored big on Saturday with a "Best In Breed" award as well as "Best Owner-Handler." Clark has been showing shipperkes for 15 years. She said the key to raising a champion is working with your dog.
"Train, take your dog to classes and keep the skills sharp," she said. "Cowboy loves the work and the attention." In fact, Rhinestone Cowboy seems to know when it is time to go to the show.
"He's in the vehicle and ready to go," she said.
Destin Loreli of Oklahoma City, Okla., has been participating in dog shows for years, but this the first time to bring her own dog to a show, in this case a small breed called a Japanese chin named Rock.
"I've been showing dogs since I was 14," she said. "This is my passion. I love it. You get a chance to meet people and enjoy a good cup off coffee."
She also recommends dog shows as an activity for young people.
"They have separate categories for young people to participate in these shows," she said. "They learn how to compete successfully. They learn discipline, poise in front of a crowd, and respect for officials and judges. They get to take pride in accomplishments."
Lissa Jacobson of Salina, Kan., was participating in the Kennel Club of Texarkana show for the first time. Jacobson said she looked forward to participating here, choosing this show from several taking place this weekend.
"I've never been to Texarkana and I looked forward to showing my dog to the judges here," she said, gesturing to Eli, her cardigan Welsh corgi. Eli's coat has more colors than a Pembroke corgi, the kind of corgi most people think of when they hear that breed's name.
"My mom and I breed corgis," she said. "Mom has been doing it for 24 years, and you could say I was born into the trade. I love doing shows and so does Eli," she said, describing her corgi as being highly sociable-enjoying meeting new people and other dogs equally.
"Corgis are herding dogs," she said. "They are great family dogs and love kids."
Texarkana's AKC Dog Show has been held during the summer in the past, but the extreme weather conditions Texarkana endures during that season has been rough on both the dogs and the handlers, so from this year going forward the Texarkana show will be held in February, when the cooler temperatures will have participants-both two- and four-legged, at their best.