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Nearly 800 collies are coming to La Crosse the week of March 16-22 for a national dog show.
It’s a big event for La Crosse, and a small part of a growing trend as the world of canine competition expands from the traditional purebred in a show ring to the family pet racing through an obstacle course.
And dog shows are only part of a larger trend — traveling with pets. One in five dog owners now take Fido along when they travel two or more nights, according to one recent survey.
“So many people have pets, and there’s so much interest in traveling with pets,” said Sharon Nerison of the La Crosse Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, who worked with collie show organizers to bring the event here.
The 800 collies coming next week are in addition to about 900 dogs of all breeds who come to La Crosse every August to compete in the Coulee Kennel Club’s all-breed dog shows and obedience and rally trials.
And those dog owners spend money: According to the American Kennel Club, the average AKC show participant drops $320 in a city over the course of a three-day show on everything from meals and lodging to accessories and veterinary services.
Len Kain, vice president of DogFriendly.com, said surveys of his company’s customers show dog owners spend an average of $400 a night when they travel with pets. They spend three weeks a year traveling with their pets, two-thirds of that staying in hotels or campgrounds.
Dog people are just like anyone else who travels, said Reed Pomeroy of West Salem, Wis., chairman of the Coulee Kennel Club’s annual show in August.
“The serious fanciers who do it as a hobby are just about like any other hobbyist who either loves NASCAR racing or antiques or whatever it happens to be,” Pomeroy said.
“They are out following those events, and they run into the same people every weekend, pretty much, whether it’s in Des Moines or Duluth.”
“More and more people are traveling with their pets,” said Leah Nelson, a spokeswoman for the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association. “With the economy, more and more people are taking weekend getaway trips, so they are bringing their dogs.”
Pet tourism is good for the local economy, said Laurie Haake, owner of the Family Dog Center, which attracts thousands of dogs and owners a year to La Crosse for smaller specialty shows and events. “They’re spending their dollars on the hotels, restaurants, gift shops. They love to shop. They like to eat.”
“It’s a nice piece of business,” said Dave Clements, executive director of the convention and visitors bureau, who estimates next week’s collie show will bring $300,000 to $400,000 into the local economy. “Everyone wins.”
Local dog fanciers would like to see more of those shows come to La Crosse, as each dog breed has a club, and each puts on a national show each year.
“I think it will happen more and more as people see what kind of facility La Crosse has to offer,” Pomeroy said. The climate-controlled La Crosse Center has plenty of space for events and grooming, making it “a self-seller once people see it,” he said.
That’s what happened when collie owners attended a past Coulee Kennel Club show. They convinced the Collie Club of America to hold its 2008 show here, said Pomeroy.
Even though the convention bureau didn’t actively seek out the collie show, Nerison said, they spent a lot of time with organizers to make it happen.
It helps that parking is free at La Crosse Center events, Pomeroy said, because parking fees in other cities can really add up.
But it’s not just one great venue that attracts dog shows. La Crosse also has the Family Dog Center in the Airport Industrial Park, where the Collie Club’s agility championships will be held March 18 and 19.
The business has an 11,800-square-foot indoor arena and special padded floor, plus other amenities necessary for holding dog events.
Dog clubs look at other criteria as well when choosing a venue for a national show.
“We have to look to see if it’s a dog-friendly community,” said Lynn Myers, a member of the show committee for the Collie Club of America. Red flags are anti-breeding laws and the way animal control handles runaways. “Sometimes that happens, and (if they) immediately euthanize or neuter, we can’t go into a community like that.”
“People at the La Crosse Center have been fabulous. I’ve found it to be a very event-friendly location,” Myers said in a phone interview from her central Illinois home. She also praised the cooperation of Family Dog Center and the Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Finding pet-friendly hotels can be another hurdle, Myers said. “Way less hotels are accommodating pets now.” But Coulee Kennel Club maintains a list of welcoming hotels.
“When we were talking with the Radisson, they said they can give us this block of rooms,” Myers said. “Their concern was not damage, except ‘How many rooms can I get cleaned in a hurry?’ There’s going to be more cleaning involved than if there are just people in the room, because of dog hair.”
Best Western Midway Hotel has embraced guests who travel with pets, said Kari Schaller, director of sales. “We ask every guest for the name of their dog,” she said. When they arrive, they find a doggie bag with treats, a toy and coupons for the hotel and other local pet-friendly businesses.
Myers said hotels are more willing to accept guests with show dogs because if they leave behind a mess, a club member will photograph the room, and the club may take disciplinary action against the offender.
“Every dog organization runs the risk of having those rogues who come in, and they don’t keep their dogs crated when they’re out of the room,” Myers said.
On its own, the Family Dog Center is attracting thousands of out-of-town visitors and their dogs to La Crosse — 200 and 300 at a time — for smaller competitions and events, said Haake.
“We bring people in from Canada and Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, and we’ve had a few from California and Texas,” said Haake, adding that 75 percent stay in area hotels.
Many of these aren’t purebred show dogs, but average bowsers whose owners are looking for activities they can do together or as a family.
“When people think of dog shows, they think of the conformation ring,” Haake said. “Some people really enjoy that and the obedience, but people are finding they can interact with their dogs in agility. It’s fun for everybody.”
According to AKC, agility is “the fastest-growing dog sport” in the U.S. and involves dogs running through a timed obstacle course.
Family Dog Center will host a North American Dog Agility Council event April 26 and 27, with more than 250 dogs participating.
Haake said agility’s popularity is peaking now, and the new hot thing is “canine freestyle” — more commonly known as “dancing with dogs.”
“We bring a lot of families. It’s not like you have to have the best-looking dog or the best breed. Most families think their dog is the best dog. When they travel, they like to take the dog with them, but now they can do some of the stuff they see on TV that used to be just the professionals and purebred dogs. It’s more or less a family event,” she said.
But while dog tourism has the potential to bring new dollars into the local economy, it’s also subject to what’s happening in the national economy.
Pomeroy said the economic slowdown and higher gas prices have taken a bite out of dog show attendance in recent years.
Reid Magney can be reached at (608) 791-8211 or rmagney@lacrossetribune.com.
If You Go
WHAT: Collie Club of America National Specialty Show: “Collies Under the Big Top”
WHEN AND WHERE: March 16 to 22
March 16-17 — Herding trials in Genoa City, Wis. (not Genoa).
March 18-19 — Agility competition at Family Dog Center, 2930 Airport Road. Trials start at 10:30 a.m.
March 18 and 8 a.m. March 19 and will last until about 5 p.m. both days.
March 20-21 — Obedience and rally competitions at La Crosse Center.
March 19-22 — Conformation show judging at the La Crosse Center, with “best of” events March 22. Judging starts by at least 8 a.m. each day. Saturday’s best of variety judging for rough collies starts at 10 a.m.
COST: All events are free and open to the public.
