Going to the Dogs in Mexico City: EXPOCAN Internacional 2013

And now for something completely different!  There's only one reference to food in this article–see if you can find it.

This jolly wire-haired terrier is Thor, a mere boy of nine months.  Like many of the dogs in Mexico Cooks!' dog show photos, he was just visiting EXPOCAN Internacional 2013 to see the canine stars–but as you can see, he had his own moment on the alfombra roja (red carpet).  He certainly got my vote for Sr. Congeniality.

Several weeks ago, a friend from Jalisco emailed Mexico Cooks! to say that he would be in town for the 10-day edition of EXPOCAN Internacional 2013, the all-breed dog show taking place at Mexico City's World Trade Center. EXPOCAN Internacional is held annually under the auspices of the Federación Canofila Mexicana (Mexican Dog Fanciers' Federation).  It's been a very long time indeed since Mexico Cooks! has been to a dog show, and my beloved wife had never been–so we were going to the dogs for sure!

Meet Kendra, a 3-year-old Newfoundland dog.  Kendra was just hanging around at her breeder's booth the day we were at EXPOCAN.

When you think about a dog show, you might well think about the Westminster Kennel Club show, held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. It's televised every year and beamed into a lot of living rooms all over the world, so you get to see the sanitized version: no indecorous smells, no noise other than polite applause for the winners, no milling crowds, and certainly no indelicate piles of anything to step over.

From the comfort of their Florida Keys home, my wife Judy's son, Bradley Bennett, and his best buddy Rex are mesmerized by the canine goings-on as televised by the Westminster Kennel Club dog show.

The EXPOCAN assailed our senses from the moment we stepped through the World Trade Center's front door: lots–really lots!–of noise, lots of non-show dogs, and a huge number of show attendees.  Our friend was right there to great us, in his doggy element and eager to take us to see the dogs like his: American Staffordshire Bull Terriers, almost ready to head into the show ring for judging.

American Staffordshire Bull Terriers are judged in two classes, white and colored.  This all-white fellow looks tough, but he was a very sweet guy.

Our friend's bull terrier, Rafi (who stayed home and missed the show), is more colorful.  He's two and a half years old.  The breed, which originated in mid-19th century England, fought bulls and hunted rats in those early days.  Today, they are primarily companion dogs.

Four years old, Grizzly the Pomeranian would easily fit in a purse, or even a pocket.  His Mexican owners laughed when they told me his name was, "Grizzly, como el oso!" (Grizzly, like the bear!).  He looked more like a tiny powderpuff than a grizzly!

Judge Elaine Young, of Seattle, Washington, inspected this Xoloitzcuintli (pronounced shoh-loh-eets-QUEEN-tleh)–the dog most English-speakers know as the Mexican hairless.  Often called simply the Xolo, the breed comes in three sizes: toy, miniature, and standard, and two varieties (hairless and coated). There were examples of each size entered in the show, and many Xolos and their owners in the audience.  

A standard male Xoloitzcuintli: Chanok, age three.  

One of the world's oldest and rarest breeds, the Xolo can justly be called the first dog of the Americas. Archaeological evidence indicates that Xolos accompanied man on his first migrations across the Bering Straits. Their name is derived from the name of the Aztec Indian god Xolotl and Itzcuintli, the Aztec word for dog. With a reputation as a healer, the breed and its warm skin is often put to use in remote Mexican and Central American villages to ward off and cure ailments like rheumatism, asthma, toothache and insomnia. Xolos were also believed to safeguard the home from evil spirits and intruders.  (Courtesy American Kennel Club).  In addition, the ancient Maya used the Xolo for warmth and food.  Today, the dog is valued for protection and for companionship.

Everybody has to be groomed to a fare-thee-well before going into the show ring.  These wire-haired terriers are primped to within an inch of their lives.  

Who remembers The Thin Man movies from the 1940s? Those movies made the wire-haired terrier, Asta, a household word and brought the breed to prominence. Here he is with Nick and Nora Charles (William Powell and Myrna Loy), the human stars of the films.

Lucky, the English bulldog: he's just a big baby at 16 months old.  A mature English bulldog male will generally weigh in at a hefty 50 pounds.

Ribbons for the winners!  These were on the judges' table during the EXPOCAN Internacional 2013 American Staffordshire Bull Terrier judging.

We had quite an exciting time at EXPOCAN Internacional 2013.  It's always fun for us to do something totally out of the ordinary, and this definitely fit the definition!  

And by the way–did you find the reference to food?  This is, after all, Mexico Cooks!.

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