At the pedigree dog show

These four-legged friends turn the trade fair into a catwalk

Joyce with her dog Luisa(Bild: Tschepp Markus)

At the weekend, proud pet owners presented their 3,000 or so pedigree dogs to a jury of experts at the Salzburg Exhibition Center. The four-legged friends were - unsurprisingly - enchanting.

Hillary takes up to three hours to be washed, blow-dried and styled. The crown of her head sits slightly askew, so the hair covers one eye and emphasizes the narrow face of the one-year-old. By the way, Hillary is not a human, but a dog. To be more precise: an Afghan greyhound.

Simone spent around three hours grooming Hillary(Bild: Tschepp Markus)

She is one of around 3,000 four-legged friends who are delighting dog lovers from all over the world at the Salzburg Exhibition Center this weekend. Whether from Germany, Hungary or even France - the city of Mozart is the hub of the world for animal lovers worldwide this weekend.

Making little men for the top marks(Bild: Tschepp Markus)

International judges rate the best dogs
"We've even won prizes in Switzerland. Now we're trying our luck in Salzburg," says Nora with her dog Candy. The start number already fits perfectly on Nora's jacket, now all Candy has to do is put on her glittering lead and off they go! The two run up and down side by side in front of many curious onlookers.

Nora with her dog Candy(Bild: Tschepp Markus)

Just like Candy, hundreds of other dogs are judged by international breed judges at the exhibition center. The four-legged friends are categorized according to breed, class and gender. They are judged according to the standards set for each breed.

A dachshund awaits its appearance(Bild: Tschepp Markus)

"I actually only wanted to watch the show with my dog. But now we're also taking part in the competition. It's not about winning a prize. It should just be fun," says Sabine. Of course, only watching is allowed. Visitors to the fair can bring their dogs along.

These trophies are up for grabs(Bild: Tschepp Markus)

Another focus of the show is dog sport. There will also be dancing. Namely in "Dogdance". Dogdancing is still a relatively young dog sport that is becoming increasingly popular in Austria. Competitions in this discipline are held either alone or in groups.