Best dog breeds compete in Turkish coastal town of Kemer

A two-day international competition took place in southern Antalya province's Kemer district to choose the best breed of dogs this weekend. A total of 234 dogs participated in the breed standards competition from different cities as well as other countries.

Twenty-five different dog breeds competed. In the competition's first leg, a 15-month-old Alabai shepherd dog, Bex, won the first place medal. Iton, a 5-year-old Chihuahua dog owned by Russian Natalia Serikova, came second, followed by a 3-year-old Yorkshire terrier named Rosanegra. The competition's second leg featured dogs from Russia, Ukraine, Greece and Hungary. The participating dogs were examined by a jury committee according to qualities including tail shape, steps and how they carry their head while walking.

The competition was organized by the Kemer Municipality and Turkey's Dog Breed and Cynology Federation (KIF) established in 2006. The organization tries to introduce local dog breeds at international platforms. Ümit Özkanal, the chairman of the KIF, said that they are working to establish standards for local dog breeds such as Akbash shepherd dogs. The KIF also holds seminars and related events to raise awareness of dog care with participation from international experts.