Dogs, owners fight heat at Bangor exhibition

BANGOR – Despite Friday’s 90-degree weather and stifling humidity, dozens of purebred pooches spent much of the morning and afternoon jumping through hoops, crawling through tunnels, balancing on seesaws and other feats as part of this weekend’s American Kennel Club agility and obedience competitions at Bass Park.

When the canine stars of the three-day AKC-sanctioned event weren’t competing on the standard course, however, their human counterparts worked feverishly to keep them comfortable.

AKC-certified dogs, big and small, lolled under shade tents, enjoyed refreshing drinks of water and rehydrating canine power drinks (think “doggy Gatorade”) and had cool baths and hose showers. Some dogs even sported vests and neckerchiefs with linings containing absorbent crystals that swell up with water when soaked. The garments cool the dogs as the water they hold evaporates.

“The heat is a little overwhelming,” acknowledged Barbara Simons of the Ellsworth-based Coastal Crescent Kennel Club, which presented the competition with the help of the Eastern Maine Agility Club of the Greater Bangor area.

“For some dogs, it melts them down,” said Lisa Howard of Lewiston, here to compete with her Australian shepherd, Olivia. While the heat makes some dogs balk and refuse to perform, Howard said the sun seemed to have a calming effect on the usually high-strung Olivia.

“Everyone’s more tired than usual,” added Audrey Steinhorn of Saugerties, N.Y., who traveled to Bangor with her golden retriever, Sota. Steinhorn spent Friday giving Sota hourly baths – every half-hour while she competed – in an effort to beat the heat.

Throughout the contestants’ encampment on the horse-racing track at Bass Park, visitors could hear the hum of fans and drone of air-conditioned vans, cars and pickup trucks left running.

“For them, not for us,” quipped one of the dog owners in line at the concessions stand.

“Yeah, we stand out in the hot sun and the rain,” Simons said. Competing in weather such as Friday’s meant lugging around extra water, food, treats and bedding. The event drew dogs, owners and handlers from Maine, other New England states and New York. Simons said 40 to 50 dogs are expected to compete by the time the event winds down later Sunday – “if we last that long.”

Despite the mugginess, nearly 300 runs were slated, rain or shine, Simons said. Only thunder and lightning might delay them.

The Bangor event comes at the tail end of the Dog Days of Summer, the name assigned to the period from July 3 to Aug. 11, the most sultry period of summer. Named in early times by observers in countries bordering the Mediterranean, Dog Days include the 20 days before and after the conjunction of the Sun and Sirius, the Dog Star.

Though Friday marked almost two straight weeks of hot, steamy weather, the hot streak was expected to break today with the arrival of cool, dry air. The weekend’s competition is open to AKC-certified dogs of all breeds, large and small. Dogs compete in three classes – novice, open and excellent – which one show organizer compared to kindergarten, high school and college, respectively.