The Baja Kennel Club doesn’t run its yearly dog show with the same solemnity or seriousness of purpose as the Westminster 
Kennel Club.
At the latter, it’s almost impossible to conceive of a trophy winning French poodle whose lineage does not extend back in time to at least the era of Louis XIV. At the Baja Kennel Club’s Los Barriles Dog Show, which this year returns to the Hotel Palmas de Cortez in the picturesque East Cape community of Los Barriles, awards are given in categories like Best Costume, Cutest Pair, and Dog that Looks Most Like its Owner.
The event is, suffice it to say, much more freewheeling and fun-spirited. Yes, exquisitely groomed pure breeds get their due, but so too do mutts – mixed breeds – and aesthetic categories are balanced by ones that prize agility, skill and obedience.
In addition to participating local pets, special celebrity appearances will be made by the high-flying Disc Dogs of Mexico, as well as the high caliber canines that comprise the Schutzhund Association of La Paz.
Face painting and face-in-the-hole photo booths will be on hand for the young and young at heart, while other vendors will showcase arts, crafts, jewelry and clothing. In fact, the Baja Kennel Club is proud to announce that its new branded t-shirts and hoodies are now available in both cotton and fleece.
Food and drinks will be provided at the Los Barriles Dog Show by local restaurants and cafes, including Joe’s Pizza, La Buena Vida tea bar, Uneeda Popcorn, and traditional Mexican comfort food specialist La Playa. Purina Dog Chow has also come aboard as a sponsor.
The event will take place Sunday, Feb. 26, from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Hotel Palmas de Cortez. The hotel is offering special rates for those traveling to the show starting at $110 U.S. per night. Dog show admission is 50 pesos for humans aged 10 and over, 40 pesos for each dog. Registration is only available on the day of the event. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/LosBarrilesDogShow/.
Photos courtesy of the Baja Kennel Club.
