The Great Dog Show Chaos
Seattle's second annual bench show ends in prize-winning confusion, a Newfoundland's identity crisis, and a Great Dane's dramatic escape.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The second annual bench show of the Seattle Kennel Club, the first ever held in the Pacific Northwest under the auspices of the American Kennel Club, opened yesterday in Market Hall. While attendance was not large, the entries were around 115, including various breeds like St. Bernards, mastiffs, setters, and terriers. A notable incident occurred when the Newfoundland puppies were called. When the owner was asked what class the dog belonged to, he replied, 'he is either a pointer or a setter, but looks like a setter.' The judge, Mr. Hall, simply smiled and put him in the retriever class. Later, another scene unfolded with the Great Dane dogs. Murat, having received second prize, slipped his harness as he left the ring and made for the door. The owner chased him, and both went down the street. The dog, having slipped his collar, was barred from further exhibition.
“The owner chased him, and both went down the street and did not return.”
While Seattle’s modern dog-show scene is a highly regulated affair, the 1893 show captures the city's early, ramshackle energy when the 'rules' were still being written on the fly. It is a reminder that Seattle’s long-standing obsession with dog culture and public gatherings has deep roots in the downtown market halls of the late 19th century.
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