Who Let the Dogs Out?

Growing up with dogs as pets, I assumed all they did was bark, eat, sleep, chase cats and occasionally learn to do "tricks" like sit, stay or, in what would have been a miracle with any of our dogs, roll over on command.

Go to the Portland Expo Center anytime between January 17th and 21st during the Rose City Classic Dog Show and you'll see dogs everywhere, doing all kinds of amazing things you could never get your old Spot to to do. Going through tunnels, jumping over gates, following completely silent cues from their owners through a complex maze of instructions. Who knew that they made dogs like that?

And not just that, but you'll see breeds you never knew existed. Big, little, hairy, bald, Roman-nosed and some with hardly any nose at all. And some that look like they belong in a circus freak show. And that's just the owners (just kidding). You can even go "backstage" and take a peek at the primping, fluffing, buffing and clipping that makes these dogs the show-stopping (and judge-impressing) creatures that they are. If you're looking for a particular breed, it's also a great opportunity to talk with some of the top breeders on the West Coast and get the skinny.

Details: Rose City Classic Dog Show. Jan. 17-21; $8 per person, $15 per family, Seniors free. Download schedule here. Portland Expo Center, 2060 N Marine Dr.