Over the weekend, many sports fans turned on the TV to watch their favorite athletes. They cheered for the Philadelphia Eagles, the Kansas City Chiefs . . . or dozens of cute, furry dogs.
Sunday’s biggest sporting event was the Super Bowl. That’s the National Football League championship. The Eagles beat the Chiefs 40 points to 22.
But the “Puppy Bowl” hosted shelter pups. Dogs roamed a carpet made to look like a football field. A pup scored a touchdown when it crossed either goal line with a toy in its mouth.
The show is really an excuse to watch puppies play. It’s also meant to encourage giving shelter animals homes.
Victoria Schade is the show’s lead trainer. She gets the dogs to look up when the “The Star-Spangled Banner” plays. She trains them to run through a tunnel to get to the field.
“If you’re seeing the puppy looking up at the camera, I’m typically right there with the treat,” she says. “It’s a lot of treats and funny noises. And that does the trick.”
This year’s three-hour television event included 142 rescue puppies. They came from 40 states, plus one from Nicaragua.
The Animal Planet show was filmed last fall. So most of the puppy players have already found homes. But the point is to show that animals just like the ones on the show are at any shelter.
The Westminster Kennel Club show also began this weekend. On Saturday, it showcased dog agility.
Competitors ranged from a Great Dane to a seven-pound papillon (pap-ee-yaw—which means “butterfly” in French). Can you guess why this little dog has that name? They navigated jumps, tunnels, and ramps. Handlers gave hand and voice signals. About 300 canines entered the contest.
One rescue dog competitor was an Australian cattle dog mix. He’s named Sawyer, but affectionately called Soy Sauce.
His owner, Dr. Amy Ondeyka, has a complicated work schedule. But she makes time for agility because Soy Sauce is a very energetic dog. He opens cabinets and causes mayhem when bored.
Westminster’s traditional, breed-by-breed judging happens Monday and Tuesday. That’s for purebreds only. But mixed-breed dogs can take part in agility and obedience competitions.
