Katzateer
02-14-2012, 09:56 AM
I was at the show yesterday and had a great time. Learned a few things that might help if any one decides to go next year.
I booked a room about 6 months ago and decided I wasn't happy with the price and the reviews I was getting about the hotel so decided to make it a day trip. Now I realize that was a mistake unless you are driving. taking the train I needed to leave NYC by 6:30 last night (got home at 9pm). There was one more train I could have taken but I don't like to take the last train of the night especially when traveling alone. Amtrak is normally on schedule but if not.......
I got to Penn station at 10am the show started at 8am but again taking the train that was the way it worked out. Madison Square Garden is in the same building as the train station so it was an easy walk to the show.
I was surprised a lot of people were just arriving. I skipped all the vendors and went straight to the benching area to check out the dogs. It was SO crowded in the area the dogs are groomed and crated. The show people were for the most part VERY friendly and let you pet the dogs unless they were being groomed forthe ring. The dogs LOVED the attention. You would think after being touched by hundreds of people they would not be as friendly but a lot of them would stick out their nose to you when walking by. I was in dog-loving heaven!
Some people were commenting on how crowded it was and that Martha Stewart was walking in the area with a lot of people surrounding her. I didn't see her.
When I went into the show area it was open seating. The ticket I had was for the night show as far as reserved seats.
Watching the judging was fun. A different area for the smaller breeds was also fun to go through and watch the tiny pups being shown ( I was standing next to the ring about 2feet from the dogs!). The people aren't as friendly with the toy breeds. Not much petting allowed and the owners didn't really want to talk to the non show people. But the dogs were adorable.
I booked a room about 6 months ago and decided I wasn't happy with the price and the reviews I was getting about the hotel so decided to make it a day trip. Now I realize that was a mistake unless you are driving. taking the train I needed to leave NYC by 6:30 last night (got home at 9pm). There was one more train I could have taken but I don't like to take the last train of the night especially when traveling alone. Amtrak is normally on schedule but if not.......
I got to Penn station at 10am the show started at 8am but again taking the train that was the way it worked out. Madison Square Garden is in the same building as the train station so it was an easy walk to the show.
I was surprised a lot of people were just arriving. I skipped all the vendors and went straight to the benching area to check out the dogs. It was SO crowded in the area the dogs are groomed and crated. The show people were for the most part VERY friendly and let you pet the dogs unless they were being groomed forthe ring. The dogs LOVED the attention. You would think after being touched by hundreds of people they would not be as friendly but a lot of them would stick out their nose to you when walking by. I was in dog-loving heaven!
Some people were commenting on how crowded it was and that Martha Stewart was walking in the area with a lot of people surrounding her. I didn't see her.
When I went into the show area it was open seating. The ticket I had was for the night show as far as reserved seats.
Watching the judging was fun. A different area for the smaller breeds was also fun to go through and watch the tiny pups being shown ( I was standing next to the ring about 2feet from the dogs!). The people aren't as friendly with the toy breeds. Not much petting allowed and the owners didn't really want to talk to the non show people. But the dogs were adorable.