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Bali's Dog’s day out

The Gianyar Dog Contest filled the Astina field in Gianyar, Bali, last Sunday, with barking, cages, chains, and dog droppings, as humans and dogs attended the annual event.

The dog contest, which was part of Gianyar city’s anniversary festival, resulted in the presence of around 163 dogs that hot day.

“In the agility contest alone we got 120 dogs taking part, and for the anatomy contest we got 80 dogs,” said Cok Agung from the Bali Agility Team (BAT).

The event involved four competitions: the eating contest where the dogs race to finish a bowl of food; the anatomy contest, which measures the physical condition as well as the breeding of the dog; the dog fashion show where dressed-up dogs compete for the title of most attractive dog; and the agility contest, which saw the dogs running through two laps of obstacles.

The competitions were open to a wide variety of dogs, including the Siberian Husky, Kintamani, Rottweiler, Doberman, Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever, German Shepherd and Pomeranian.

Other breeds such as the Pit bull, Chihuahua and Shih Tzu, were also found at the venue as they were brought out for a walk while their owners socialized.

Sakura, a 7 year-old white Kintamani dog, was a participant in the anatomy contest. “We usually enlist him in contests like this,” said owner Pardi.

The Kintamani breed is usually one of the highlights for dog contests in Bali because it is the local’s only native breed.

The combination of the breed’s compact size and wolf-like face slightly reminiscent of the Husky breed makes them a popular choice.

“They [Kintamani dogs] can even be trained to take part in agility contests,” said Cok Agung.

The Gianyar Dog Contest lasted until late afternoon after starting early in the morning. It is not the island’s only dog event as BAT regularly holds events in other places such as Jimbaran and Denpasar.

The contest has repeatedly picked “Healthy dog” as its theme in the wake of Bali's relatively recent rabies outbreak.

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10 green things to do in Bali (part 1)