[Michael Romanos]

I thought I'd share with members some aspects of the 2006 national dog show in New Zealand which is coming up on Sept 29 to Oct 1 and will be staged in Palmerston North at the Arena Manawatu - which is a large inddor and outdoor complex.

150 breeds will be represented in the conformation showing and Pembroke Corgis will be prominent. Here are all the breeds with 30 or more competing in the separate breed showing- Golden Retrievers 80, Labradors 56, Pointers 50, Siberian Huskies 39, Pembroke Corgis 38, Dalmations 38, Alaskan Malamutes 37, Bulldogs (English) 35, Whippets 36, Pugs 35, Samoyeds 32, Dobernmanns 31 and Papillions 30. There are a lot of Dachshunds but they are divided into six separate types.
There are only four Cardigan Corgis in the breed showing.
Taylor is in six events in agility and all these events will have around 100 competitors.
I'm particularily busy at the show - I will be attending the NZ Canine Heroes Awards presentations, having written the speech for the announcer, and then distributing media releases I have put together. I need to locate a stall holder who will be willing to sell copies of my book Amazing Dog Stories on my behalf. I will be signing copies of my book (with Taylor on hand) in one book shop at least within the main shopping centre of Palmerston North. And then there is the agility events Taylor and I are in, some socialising I need to do, and discussions with the editor of a new pet magazine. I hope to see Taylor's father, Clinton at the show and maybe a sister and brother.

Taylor is going to have to exist for more time than he and I would like either in the car ( which is an eight seater) or in his silly little wooden crate - that I got when Noah was a boy and could be the only one left standing/sitting in NZ. One of these days I'll get him a more modern and all-viewing crate.