His eyes sparkled, his hair was perfect and his lips curled into a hint of a smile–it was a beautiful portrait. “We have been hoping to take a nice picture of him,” says Palatine’s Cathy Williams. “To keep when he’s gone.” Talk of his death didn’t seem to faze Cosmo.
The golden retriever was too busy sniffing my shoes.
I try to attend the International Kennel Dog Show at McCormick Place every year–I am fascinated by dog lovers. This is where the hard-core canine crazies congregate.
Dogs and their human handlers compete in beauty contests and obstacle-course races in the center of the convention hall. Most of the female handlers wear flesh-colored nylons and sensible shoes. On each of their hands, in blue ink, is stamped DOG.
Surrounding the competition areas are aisles of vendors intent on accessorizing your dog. There’s a creepy amount of dog jewelry from a shop called Gold Diggers. A few other booths sell feather boas. Ron Cota of St. Charles hawks dog hats and Pet Shades. “Dogs wear sunglasses for both protection and style,” he says. He’s right–the only thing dogs hate worse than last year’s fashion is exposing their eyes to harmful UV rays.
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In addition to the style items, there are aisles of doggie health products. Oxyfresh eliminates dog breath, which might be useful should your pooch dine on BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food). Jog-A-Dog is a treadmill for canines whose busy schedules prohibit them from chasing cars. And then there’s the product sure to result in a bloody dog or a critically injured owner–the leash that affixes to your bicycle.
I wasn’t surprised to find a dog-tombstone manufacturer across the aisle from the bike-leash vendor. Should your furry friend fall victim to your bicycle spokes, Pet Rox can offer it dignity in the afterlife that was absent at its time of passing. “And you don’t have to wait until your pet dies–it can be an effective training tool,” insists Pet Rox representative Lisa Troost, who recently designed a tombstone featuring a pork rind–the deceased’s favorite treat.
“There’s too much freedom in America,” murmurs one attendee as he strolls down the Dalmatian aisle. “These dogs live better than people in some countries.” Despite his fundamentalism, he’s correct. These animals are primped, polished and showered with affection.
So I began asking showgoers why Americans so love their dogs. Is it our shared inability to eat sensibly? Our fear of harmful UV rays? Or our love of novelty T-shirts? (Spotted: A dog wearing a T-shirt reading: I love cats. They taste like chicken.)
“People love their pets in the same way they love their kids,” says C.J. Titus of Lake View, Ark., owner of Polish lowland sheepdogs. “Dogs are an extension of who you are.”
I’d heard that explanation a few times already; it’s as worn-out as Polish lowland sheepdog jokes. I wanted to understand the man-dog relationship from the four-legged perspective. So I spoke with Carol Schultz: animal communicator.
“I help interpret feelings and emotions of animals,” the Plainfield resident says. “I can hear and feel animals’ thoughts. Guardians ask their animal companions questions and get a response in English.”
Schultz chatted with about 50 dogs at the show and what she heard was inspirational. “Most of the dogs expressed love for their guardians–how important that person is in their life,” she says. “Some animals expressed how competitive they felt at the dog show. Others expressed that they were just having fun.”
Like me.
I suppose I’ll have to keep going back to the International Kennel Dog Show each year in my quest to understand why we cherish pooches. If I see Cosmo next year, maybe I’ll introduce him to the animal communicator. I want to see what he thinks of his portrait.
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