If you love dogs, and who doesn’t love dogs (except for maybe Communists), then the Detroit Kennel Club‘s annual dog show was the place to be.

The one thing that makes the Detroit show different from say the Westminster Kennel Club‘s show is the addition of a category devoted to fighting.

If you’ve ever watched dog fighting on ESPN2 or the Outdoor Life Network, then you are probably familiar with the traditional dog fighting breeds like the Pit Bull (or American Staffordshire Terrier as they prefer to be called), the Rottweiler, and the Pembroke Welsh Corgi, but the Detroit event showcased the pugilistic talents of such lesser-known fighting breeds as the Briard, the Tibetan Spaniel, as well as the Plott.

The fighting is done in a very humane way similar to the Oklahoma proposal for cockfighting. Each dog wears vests like those worn in fencing competitions. Scoring is done electronically and no animals are harmed except for a bruised ego now and then. The fights are not sanctioned by the American Kennel Club, so the trophies awarded are more symbolic than anything. The grand championship bout saw a Swedish Vallhund named CH Frank Dux (named after the Jean-Claude Van Damme character is the 1998 classic “Bloodsport”) thoroughly rout a Great Dane. The Vallhund used its lack of height to its advantage and prevented the Great Dane from scoring but one take-down. For dog fighting enthusiasts it was a sight to behold.

The show also featured agility competitions as well as seminars for dog owners. The event went off without a hitch save one spectator dressed in cat paraphernalia who was asked to leave. Bravo, Detroit Kennel Club. Bravo.