The shutterbugs wouldn’t stop shooting Louis, the Miniature Poodle, as he walked around on two legs as part of his warm-up for the show. “Poodles are highly intelligent, and the sooner they start training, the faster they learn,” said his trainer, known as Munna in the dog circuit. “If I get a poodle at three months of age, he will be walking on his hind legs, rolling over, turning around, and performing many more tricks by six months,” he added before asking Louis to demonstrate these, much to the audience’s delight.

Looks can be deceiving, but names are chosen to reflect personalities. This French Bulldog appeared innocent as a lamb, but handler Supriyo Manna warned otherwise. “He behaves himself in public, but at home he’s a pocket-sized dynamite,” said Manna, who was escorting the dog from Belur. “It’s no wonder he has been named Peto, after the handmade bombs from the Naxal era!”

This dog left visitors guessing about both his breed and coat. “He is a Border Collie, and his coat is called blue merle. In the right light, the white patches on his coat appear bluish, so we also named him Blue,” smiled Diti Chakrabarti of CG Block. Border Collies are known for their intelligence, and blue merle is a highly soughtafter marbled combination. “We also have a Husky at home, but Blue, despite being barely five months old, is already trying to assert himself as the boss.”

This petite lady may have appeared as coy as a Dachshund, but one aggressive move towards her guardian unleashes her inner Rottweiler. “Lisa is a rescued dog. When my aunt got her, they claimed she was a Rottweiler, but we later discovered that unethical breeders had crossed a Rottweiler with a Dachshund,” said Hrik Banerjee. “I’m pleased that this show recognises mixed breeds. Pointed shows overlook them, yet these dogs are lovable and deserve recognition too.