Special to the Truffula Seed from intern extraordinaire Laura Zapp…
While my past weekend schedule was spread fairly thin with the Scene, I found myself in the most unlikely position on Saturday, sandwiched in between two professional dog show judges at the Fourth Annual Carolina First Charleston Dog Show in Marion Square. How I acquired such a prime spot has now fell into the category of fate, or a gentle journalistic shove in the direction of the main tent by staff writer Stratton Lawrence. 
Nonetheless, there I was, notebook in hand, ready to learn the tricks of the trade and scope out a possible future canine companion. As a lifelong cat-lover, I felt as if I was committing some form of treason of affection as I ooh-ed and ahh-ed at all the cute pooches parading around me. Yet weighing my priorities eased my mind as I justified that warm fuzzy feeling with the fact that I was there for educational and professional purposes.
The first person I stumbled upon was Debbie Bordeau, who then introduced me to the charming Edie DuBose, official and committee member for the Charleston Dog Show. Active in the establishment of the Charleston Dog Show, DuBose used her years of experience with the Camden Dog Show in South Carolina to help endorse such an official event here in Charleston, even bringing the same formats used in Camden in order to enhance success in Charleston. When the idea morphed from vision to reality, DuBose was there every step of the way. As I scanned the grounds of Marion Square, I quickly realized that Charleston was a gold mine of 
a location, from the public turnout to the local sponsorship. To no surprise, the dog-focused novelty shops such as Dolittles, Palmetto Paws, and Alpha Dog Omega Cat were out in full force, as well as Lowcountry Dog Magazine, Dog Art Dealer, just to name a few. In fact, this years turnout crossed species-lines with over thirty dog entries, forcing officials to breakdown classes even further.
After being cordially introduced to Di DuBose by Edie, I found myself following her into the main ring, much like a wayward child trailing after her working mother. Yet her genuine hospitality evened out my awkwardness as she introduced me to judge Annette Howe of the Charleston Kennel Club and fellow judge Ben Moise. I arrived in the center of the ring just in time to witness the sporting dogs, featuring the Carolina Breed, native to the Charleston area as well as the unbelievably adorable Mutt Class, by far the most enjoyable procession of the day. Howe and Moise were kind enough to educate me in the must-have characteristics for an award-winning dog: good teeth, bone structure, personality, and behavior.
As owners passed by with their pooches, the judges made critiques yet were quick to inform me that politics made very little impact in this otherwise official dog show. Although competition played an apparent part in Saturday’s
Charleston Dog Show, as it is allied with the AKS Westminster True Competition, there were no cut and dry standards for many of the classes, as this family friendly event truly focused more on the bonding between owner and pet than medals and accolades. — Laura Zapp
