Thousands gather as the National Dog Show opens in Oaks

The patter of pads and paws came to Oaks on Saturday as the National Dog Show arrived.

The annual event draws more than 1,500 of the nation's top dogs, representing more than 175 breeds, to compete under the lights of Montgomery County's Greater Philadelphia Expo Center.

Thousands of fans came to see man's best friend springing around in front of judges.

Between performances, the dogs were prepped and groomed in the high-energy bench area.

"Welcome to the craziness," said Lorena Clark, who traveled from Rhode Island with Josey Wales, a young English springer spaniel that earned a championship title in August.

Clark brushed Josey Wales' head while the dog sat in a sparkling show robe.

"He likes the pampering," she said. "He gets very upset if someone else is on his table."

On Saturday morning, sassy optimism abounded. And that was just the dogs.

In a nearby room, crowds watched dogs performing athletic feats, including flying tricks and leaping into a large pool.

Ten-year-old Morgan Kane guided a corgi named Jetta through a series of obstacles. She learned the ropes from her mother, Suzanne, whose Shetland sheepdog, Night, a master agility champion, competes just about every weekend.

In the agility drills, the handler must memorize the track. "If the dog makes a mistake," Suzanne Kane said, "it's probably the handler's fault."

In the main staging area, the theme among serious contenders for best in show was one often heard at sports competitions: survive and advance.

Dogs navigated increasingly competitive events, from best in breed to first in group. The whittling continued into the evening until winners in each group went nose to nose to determine the best-in-show winner.

The champions will be announced when the show is televised on Thanksgiving in front of millions.

It doesn't take much hounding to get viewers to tune in to NBC for the two-hour show. Westminster's dog show might be more famous, but organizers of the Philadelphia-area show say it brings far bigger ratings.

As the show unfolded, Ed Harris held tight to Seamus, Lord of the Dance, a 35-inch-tall fawn-colored great Dane in his second year as a champion show dog.

Seamus' handler, Barbara Waldkirch, wore a bright-purple suit - a lucky color on the dog show circuit, where winning ribbons are often purple.

Waldkirch, who travels in a 40-foot motor home, was handling several dogs throughout the day, including Ty, a male brindle great Dane.

Ty's owner, Avis Brech, 74, from the State College area, came with high hopes - and trust in Waldkirch.

Discerning judges can spot the pooches that didn't pay attention in charm school.

In addition to judging on obedience, agility, and composure, Waldkirch said, "you're looking at basically a beauty contest."

In front of crowds of onlookers, the dogs are put through visual inspections their human counterparts encounter only in the privacy of a doctor's office. The dogs don't care - or are too well-behaved to let on.

Just as in a beauty contest, there are tricks for hiding trouble spots. A dog's entourage must tote tack boxes with eyeliner, shine spray, and even chalk to whiten white fur.

Tahoe, an old English sheepdog, was fully fluffed with some help from Aqua Net. His groomer said maintaining the dog's coat was a full-time job.

Kaycee Heck of Reading said she was a good match for Sugar, her Belgian sheepdog. "She's not a morning person, and neither am I."

Sugar sat on the bench while Heck, who was also handling the dog, sprayed her black coat with a volumizing spray.

Heck wore a black dress and black-and-white polka-dot apron while grooming the dog but changed into a camel-colored suit for competition.

The handlers are not like the invisible chaperones who dote on stylish beauty queens. It's a partnership, and they must also present a confident persona to the judges.

The event is one of the few remaining "benched" shows in which dogs must stay on assigned benches between competitions.

Ben, a grand champion male English setter, sat serenely on a bench beside his enormous purple ribbon as a family with children gathered to admire him.

His owner, Don Graff of Belle Mead, N.J., said the dog was quite a performer in the ring.

"He really likes to compete," he said. "He dances."