Meet The Breeds Doesn’t Disappoint

By Amy Fernandez

Meet The Breeds has gained momentum year by year since its move to the Javits Center. I anticipated big crowds for this weekend’s s extravaganza. It is by far the most popular dog-related event in NYC.

This should give you an idea of its local popularity. Subway track maintenance is a routine aspect of weekend travel around here. Typically, an MTA guy is on the platform loudly announcing alternate choices for big ticket destinations…Grand Concourse, Times Square, etc. Today, his single announcement consisted of various routes to the dog show.  And that was way back in Queens.

Meet The Breeds shares space with presumably more prominent events this weekend, but nobody was lining up for the boat show on the main mezzanine when all those dogs were downstairs waiting to be petted. MTB 2024 kicked off at 9 AM and by 10 the place was packed. Not that there was anything special or new this year, it is simply a solid gold blueprint that works.

Purebred dogs provide an incredible menagerie of dazzling choices; there literally is a breed to suit every taste and lifestyle. The problem is the general public is continually surprised by this old news. For instance, I turned the corner of the Norbottenspets display (breeds are arranged alphabetically) and found a delightful side-by-side contrast of Peruvian Inca Orchids and Old English Sheepdogs. Needless to say the spectators didn’t know what to do, say, or pet first. Stunned and delighted sums it up.

Like last year, AKC did the displays. Every breed set-up featured similar backdrops, but many clubs obviously missed the creative opportunities of past years when AKC simply provided DIY display space. This year, many veteran participants added personal touches to highlight their breeds. For instance, the OES club was handing out trading cards featuring the dogs on display at the show. It hit the sweet spot for this kid-friendly event. The Lhasa club added Tibetan-themed features to their display that included the beloved Dalai Lama peeking out of the corner. Many clubs also used the opportunity to educate potential owners about the realities of their breeds.

As in years past, the central feature of the event is a rotating roster of demos, the ever-popular agility obstacle course presented by the Port Chester Obedience Training Club, the NYPD k9 teams, introductions to disc dog as well as a couple of educational presentations on canine nutrition and training.

Overall, this remains AKC’s most powerful tool to educate the public and attract new support to dog sports.

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Posted by Liz on Jan 29 2024. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.