The magazine of the art-form of the photo-essay “A free, really high quality photo-essay magazine. Fabulous!” Stephen Fry. British actor, writer and film & documentary maker

July 2015 back issue

by Karan Vaid

Winter in India is a busy time for professional breeders. Each week, thousands travel to compete in dog shows across India. The breeders spend great sums importing pedigree dogs, hiring professional handlers and flying these dogs to various dog shows. The average person may consider a dog show to be a glorified beauty pageant for dogs and a rather superfluous affair. Dig a little deeper and it becomes fairly evident that, like most sub-cultures, dog shows in India have a rich and long history; the first show was held in India in 1896 and flourished under the patronage of the British and subsequently the Indian Aristocracy which led to the modern dog shows in India under the Kennel Club of India. For participants today, it’s a highly competitive game with their reputation and aspirations on the line. There is usually no prize money to be had but breeding a placed dog can lead to big financial returns and many people aspire to be at the top of the dog show world in India.