The Weekend When NYC Goes to the Dogs
By Jen Smith, Roxy™ Therapy Dogs Volunteer
My alarm went off at 5 am. On a Saturday. Not atypical for anyone who is involved in dog sports. But this time was different. Instead of putting on muck boots to go traipse around a farm, I could have literally worn my pajamas. Because today, nobody was going to care about the humans at all. They were all there for the dogs.
Meet the AKC’s “Meet the Breeds”
Every year on the last weekend in January, tens of thousands of people descend on the Jacob Javits Center in New York City to attend the AKC’s Meet the Breeds (this year’s estimates were 40,000 over the two days). Dog lovers. Dog owners. The Press. People who are bored and think it’ll be fun to pet dogs. People who are looking for a dog for their family. People who want to entertain their kids for the day. People who want to let their kids pet dogs even though they don’t want or can’t have them. People who want social media photos and videos. They’re all there.
This 2-day event hosts 130 plus breeds, a demo ring featuring dog sports, K-9, and other canine activity demonstrations. There’s a store (with merchandise – no dogs are for sale at this event), food, vendors, and activities for the kids. I heard there’s even a bar. Picture a festival where the main attraction is dogs. And most of the AKC recognized breeds have a booth, staffed entirely by volunteers and their dogs, solely for the public to learn about whether a breed might be right for them. Or just pet a lot of dogs.
This year, the line for entry around 11 am on Saturday wrapped down the entire convention center lobby. Rumor has it that the ticket line was longer than the one for NYC Comic-Con. Think about that. These dogs have more fans than the superheroes!
Only Tolerant Dogs Need Apply
I cannot begin to express how tolerant the dogs that volunteer at this event are. It’s therapy dog work on steroids. For seven hours each day the booths are rows deep of people waiting to pet dogs and talk to us about our dogs. The noise and overstimulation are next level. It is exhausting. It can be overwhelming. People can be inappropriate with the dogs. The very well socialized and temperamented dogs that represent their breeds each year can get fried—even with enough dogs at each booth to rotate them out and give them all regular breaks. I personally would like to sit in a quiet room for at least 3 days after the event to decompress. So why do we do it?
Education is the Theme of the Day (with a Little Fun)
One of the top reason dogs are surrendered to shelters is time. According to a study done by frontiers in veterinary science, “Personal issues such as not enough time or too much unwanted responsibility for animal care, life changes such as a new baby, divorce, or legal challenges may result in dog relinquishment to shelters. The lack of time for the dog and owner personal issues are frequently reported among the top reasons for dog relinquishment to shelters.”
This event is a wonderful way to reach out to the public about our dogs. Our hope is that by meeting the dogs and asking questions, they make good choices for their family about what breed or mix of breeds is right for them. Or even that a dog isn’t right for them right now.
Making Matches
When I’m 5 hours into day one and so very tired of saying, “This is Penny. She’s 4 years old. She’s a Cardigan Welsh Corgi. She’s a therapy dog who visits schools and nursing homes. Do you have any questions about the breed?” I remind myself that this event can help reduce the number of human / dog mismatches that end up in rescue by honestly sharing what all these breeds are like to live with—from grooming and exercise needs to barking and shedding. Plus, we share further information to get them pointed to accurate information about our breeds.
The Fun Side of the Breeds
And the volunteer groups can have a lot of fun. The Husky booth featured a 10-quart bag of fur with a big note that said, “yes, they do shed.” The Leonbergers spin yarn out of their fur and promote their rescue with it. One year our Cardigan Welsh Corgi human group wore big fuzzy tails to share how our breed is the Corgi with the tail (which one of our volunteers brought again this year, wore it, and was still wearing it as she walked out the door of the convention center. But hey—it’s NY so it’s doubtful anyone even noticed.)
Like with Roxy Visits, Kids Adore this Event
From kids asking if they could pet our dogs before they did, and hearing parents share with their kids how to approach dogs and how to be gentle, to the big smiles and thanks for sharing our dogs and the information, despite the chaos, it was a lovely two days.
My sincerest hope is that anyone who came to the event loving a specific type of dog now understands a little more about the breed, what is involved in owning one, whether it is the right type of dog for them, and—if they are interested—where to get accurate information to do a bit more research.
And Now for a Nap
And as to Penny, our Roxy dog that was one of the great dogs who represented Cardigan Welsh Corgi’s at this event, she had a great time in NYC but is happy to be home on her sofa.
