A dog participates in the dog show held in Chongqing on Saturday, May 12, 2007. [Photo: chinacqsb.com]

A conformation show held in southwestern China's Chongqing city has become a competition arena for both well-trained dogs and their anxious owners.

The three-day contest kicked off on Saturday, where dogs from across China compete in a variety of categories including appearance and sporting ability. Veteran dog-show judges from the American Kennel Club will judge the event and award the "overall best" dogs, according to the local Chongqing Business News.

To help their dogs win, dog owners are also competing against each other intensely, spending large amounts of money on dressing the dogs.

The paper says some of the dog owners have spent up to 1,500 yuan (US$195) on improving their dog's appearance alone.