The Dog Daze

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76 – July, 2025

By Wayne Cavanaugh

Each winter in the north, the night skies are bright with Orion, the constellation shaped like a hunter with a bow and arrow. A good hunter needs a good dog so Canis Major, the constellation in the shape of a dog, dutifully hangs out with Orion. Canis Major takes the lead from Orion in summer. The big star in Canis Major is Sirius, also known as “The Dog Star.” It’s the brightest star in all of the night skies, as it should be.*

In July, The Dog Star shines bright to mark the beginning of the hottest days of the year. The Romans referred to this period as dies caniculares, or the “dog days.” This year, the “dog days” showed up a little early. The heat wave that arrived at the end of June was hot enough to melt tattoos into Rorschach tests. And hot enough to make outdoor shows unbearable for man and dog alike. How could you, Dog Star? I thought you were on our side!

So, what happens to outdoor dog shows when Sirius casts it’s blistering heat on the dogs and people of our sport? Not much it appears. Shows carry on. There was at least one exception; bravo to the Lake Shore Kennel Club in Crown Point, Indiana. They did the right thing and cancelled their Sunday show because of the extreme heat. It was inspiring to see that the club’s post announcing the cancellation had nearly 600 “likes.” I’m certain there were some folks somewhere who disagreed–and that is a shame for the sport and–most important–the dogs.

Extreme heat isn’t new to dog shows. But many would argue that the frequency and intensity has increased. For the sport, none of that matters; this is not a geopolitical issue because heat doesn’t care what you believe. In our sport, however, it’s an issue that we all need to address individually, collectively, and officially.

Click here to read the complete article
76 – July, 2025

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Posted by AnthonyA on Jul 6 2025. 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.