Potlickers Perform & I Declare Truck Stop Best in Show
Yesterday, the Truck Stop on Ambergris Caye held their first Potlicker Dog show to showcase the special, unique awesomeness that makes a Belize potlicker the very best breed in any show.
Potlicker, if you are not aware, is the local dog blend. (Named since they were often served the families pot for licking clean as their evening meal. In the Bahamas, they are called “potcakes”)
They are a superior breed. For loyalty and street smarts. As Joanna, the MC of the Truck Stop dog show pointed out, they breed unhindered by somewhat perverted breeders who want to regulate with and when you can make babies. Potlickers breed for love. Love matches. Is it for humans to judge? To say that a pit bull-mix cannot love a chihuahua? Shame.
Potlicker offspring are all the sweeter for it.
Read: Dogs Make Everything Better: Some of My FAVORITE Dogs in Belize
(An aside: Jeff and I have long-established and extremely successful imaginary restaurant container at Truck Stop called “Potlicker Potstickers” that specializes in dumplings from around the world – from pierogis to ravioli to samosas to momo to potstickers. Think of the merch – dogs and dumplings!)
I…was a bit nervous about my first group event in…9…10 months? But the Truck Stop, as always, set everything up brilliantly. They have sanitizer everywhere. They have an employee reminding you to use it – and to have your mask on at all times when away from your table.
Stella, Azula (my granddaughter!), Livvy Love, Trouble Puppy, Max and Fred. Competing in the 5 categories.
Here’s Azula…she is Miss Violet (one of the two runts from Mocha’s dozen)
She got the white chest patch, slim build and her beautiful wheaten coloring from her mom but the rest is all dad. (Here’s dad, Bombita) You can see Mom in the link above.
Here’s Azula when she lived with us! (March of 2020 – she is still a puppy now!)
Back to the actual event…
1.Runway Walk
2. Tricks
3. Obstacle Course
4. Dog vs Dog mini-challenges
5. Temptation Alley
Thankfully I had a reservation – because all slots were full when I arrived. And my properly socially distanced area secure. (Remember, masks are the law in Belize as is social distancing AND 1/2 capacity at outdoor restaurants only)
Let’s begin!
Note: Just BEING at this event was a challenge for the dogs! Not only were there 50+ people surrounding them but there were the other contestants AND people eating food. Baskets of chicken wings (potlickers #1 food!) right in front of them. I was surprised they could focus at all. My dogs would not have excelled at this event…
I took about 150 pictures so…I’ll try to be brief…ok…brief-ish.
Brittney and Stella. Stella was awesome – her goal in this was to move minimally.
Why are we walking back and forth on a runway? It’s SOOOO much easier to sit.
Michelle and Max. Max was QUITE a dancer and ultimately won the Audience Choice Awards!
Lara and Fred working the runway.
Next up: Tricks
Shake, high fives, dancing, roll overs…Stella, again conserving energy, went right to lay down.
Azula in her sphinx position.
Livvy Love and her gigantic ears. SOOOO cute. (You can follow Livvy Love and her sister Lizzie Lu on Instagram…THE EARS!)
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Another favorite – Trouble Puppy. He arrived with a whole crew – his human brothers and sisters with Trouble Puppy signs. He also won major points on my score card for true potlicker motivation – his fam lured him about with chicken bones. Not fancy treats or carrot…CARROTS…Azula gets carrot treats! But potlickers fave. The chicken bone.
(not to be rude, but please don’t write me more messages about dogs and chicken bones…I know, I know)
Obstacle course. The event was not timed and Ben, co-owner of the Truck Stop/rodeo clown, did a spectacular job showing us all how the course worked.
I’m sure there’s no pee in that sand Ben!
The real contestants.
Stella was VERY treat motivated…moving a few inches for every treat. But she would NOT get on this obstacle. Would. Not.
Obstacle courses were clearly not “on breed” for the Belizean potlicker.
And then challenges. Fastest dog to sit, 30 seconds of kissing your owner, 30 seconds of tail wagging…
And then the very best, best best part. TEMPTATION!
The green carpet was lined with 10 enticement from pepperoni in a to-go container…rawhide bones…squeaky toys…a simple bowl of dog kibble and…the one only ONE dog of six resisted. The hot dog in a bun.
Azula, the only hot dog resistor, stopped at the bowl of dog food and ate the whole thing piece by piece.
Everyone else stopped and ate the hot dog (out of the bun) – even little Max.
Trouble puppy – ate the hot dog and…then went over to check out my ice cream and…LEFT HIS MARK ON MY BAG!
He is aptly named and won my vote for Audience Favorite. Classic.
I was totally not expecting that!
And then we waiting for the winners…and it was LIVVY LOVE!
As usual Truck Stop KILLS it. Making this very complicated event, made even more complicated COVID rules and laws, go off without a hitch. I can’t imagine the hours and hours spent arranging chairs, taking reservations, compiling music, building an obstacle course, wrangling dogs.
BRAVO TRUCK STOP! And to cuties Livvy Love and Max for your wins and to all the potlickers. You really ARE the best breed in the world.
Westminster Schmesminster.
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