Dogs of all curls and patches and spots trotted through the Portland Expo Center Saturday for the Rose City Classic Dog Show.

More than 2,000 dogs representing some 170 breeds competed in everything from tricks to obedience to scent work, lively events in what’s billed as the largest dog show in the Pacific Northwest. Rose City Classic has been hosting shows since 1939.

The show continues Sunday, with the Portland Expo center open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. or when judging ends for the day. Individual and family tickets can be purchased online.

On Saturday, I ventured in to do some judging of my own, seeking some of the afternoon’s cutest dogs.

Here are my best-in-show picks:

1) A pair of legacy therapy pugs

Ina Dunlap has owned nine different pugs in her life, a fact advertised proudly in the cartoon dogs printed on her long-sleeve shirt and the pair of pooch photos swinging from her ears. Two-thirds of those pugs have worked as therapy dogs.

“I’ve been doing pet therapy in Eugene since 2002,” Dunlap said, two tiny black pugs wriggling in her lap. “It’s the best thing I get to do in my life.”

Wylie and Timmy, the antsy black pups, are the newest members of the Dunlap family.

At 2 years old, Wylie has already proven himself up to the task of therapy dog work. He’s brought a playful, comforting energy to kids and adults in hospitals and airports across Eugene, Dunlap said, though her favorite place to visit is a juvenile detention center.

On “pug Wednesday,” she said, her dogs watch movies with youth in custody while they take turns petting, playing and practicing tricks.

“Being able to let them touch the dogs and have a little bit of normalcy on days when they’ve made some bad decisions or haven’t had the right direction,” Dunlap said. “To me, that means the world.”

Timmy, at just over a year old, is still learning the trade, she said. But the dog show is a great place to train Timmy to focus on his therapy dog work as crowds of eager dog lovers look to snag a quick pet.

2) One retired show dog, one up-and-comer

Dogs of all sizes paraded the Portland Expo Center Saturday. But I was hard-pressed to find any larger than Keaton and Ziggy, two Akitas greeting passersby from their booth within the Meet-the-Breeds section.

While on all fours, the dogs easily reached my knees. When they stood up to nab a treat I was holding, we stood almost eye-to-eye. It’s rare at 5-foot-7 that I’m face-to-face with a giant dog.

A Japanese breed, Akita were traditionally used for a variety of tasks, said Kim Howell, including bear hunting, deer hunting and pulling fishing nets. They were even used by samurai for dogfighting, she said.

Keaton and Ziggy live a more pampered life.

Both dogs have competed before, but Ziggy, 6, is still learning the ropes, Howell said. This year, he’s working on his agility — specifically, his teeter, which requires him to walk up and down on a dog-sized seesaw.

Keaton, on the other hand — at 10 years old and 130 pounds — is a retired show dog.

“She just gets to hang out and be loved and adored at home, sleep all she wants and dig holes,” Howell said.

3) A Mexican spirit dog with its own Disney character

Three things pulled me toward Ginny Combs and her dog, Savvy.

First was the colorful sombrero perched atop Savvy’s head. I’d been on a mission all morning to talk to a dog in an outfit, so once the hat caught my eye, I instantly beelined in her direction.

(A plea to all pet owners: Sweaters are great, but more dogs should be wearing hats.)

The second eye-catching detail was a pun. Combs owns two dogs — Harry, named for Harrison Ford and not present Saturday, and Savvy — so the business cards she was handing out aptly read “When Harry Met Savvy…” in a paw-fect nod to the Rob Reiner romantic comedy.

Combs adopted 2-year-old Savvy in July, followed soon after by 4-year-old Harry.

“I left (Savvy) home alone once and she ripped up her kennel,” Combs said. “So, I talked to her breeder… and she said ‘I think she might need a friend.’”

Then, I realized why Savvy looked so familiar: She’s a Xoloitzcuintli, a Mexican breed of hairless dogs that features prominently in “Coco,” the 2017 animated Disney movie centered around Day of the Dead.

Xoloitzcuintli dogs are named for Xolotl, the Aztec god of fire and lightning. According to Aztec legend, the breed would act as a spirit guide, ushering souls along their journey to the afterlife.

“The legend is when you pass away, your Xolo will meet you and take you across to Mictlan, which is where you go when you die,” Combs said. “The Xolo is then asked if it wants to stay with that owner. …If the Xolo says it wants to go back, it’s cleaned in the river and gets white paws, which means that dog was sent straight from heaven.”

4) A collection of collies with A+ hair routines

I bonded right away with Darcie and Finley, a pair of Bearded Collies with pin-straight, ultra-soft coats hanging at least 12 inches off their small bodies. My own hair isn’t nearly as fine or smooth — but it is, by human standards, pretty long, so I think the collies sensed a kinship as they nipped persistently at my curls.

Darcie was born in France, while Finley hails from Canada. The breed itself is actually Scottish, said Courtnie Eastman, who’s had Bearded Collies since she was 6 years old.

“They are herding dogs, so they’re very smart,” Eastman said. “They’re a very versatile breed. They compete in agility, scent work, obedience. (They’re) therapy dogs. They can kind of do it all.”

But those interested in adopting a Bearded Collie of their own should be prepared for a multi-step haircare process that rivals some skincare routines. Eastman suggested brushing their hair at least once a week. Bathing, brushing and drying can take an hour and a half, she said.

Finley and Darcie both rocked hot pink clip-in bows Saturday, while other Bearded Collies were decked out in tiny claw clips and yellow ponytails creating a sprout of fur above their head.

5) Tiny, toylike dogs with big personalities

Tucked away in the back of the Portland Expo Center, dozens of dog owners toiled away at the grooming station.

Torie McDaniel was hard at work on her 3-year-old pup, Johnny, snipping and sculpting his fluffy white coat into a perfectly spherical poof around his head. Later, he would compete against other Bichon Frise dogs.

Saturday wasn’t Johnny’s first show, but he’s still working on perfecting his pageant dog poise.

“He tries really hard,” McDaniel said. “He gets really excitable, so it’s kind of hard to keep him focused where I need him to be focused because he just wants to say hi.”

During grooming, Johnny fixed his attention on a pair of spotted dalmatians playing in a pen behind him.

Bichon Frise are family dogs, McDaniel said. Tiny with supersized personalities, they’re “big dogs in little bodies,” she said.

If you go: The Rose City Classic Dog Show continues through Sunday at the Portland Expo Center at 2060 N. Marine Drive. The event is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., or when judging ends for the day. Individual and family day passes can be bought online.

Read the original article on oregonlive.com.