Dogs participate in the dog show in Houston, July 18, 2013. [Photo/Xinhua]

HOUSTON - A total of 160 canine breeds and 3,500 "professional" dog athletes joined an annual contest in the US city of Houston Wednesday, bringing tens of thousands of dog lovers across the country to enjoy the extravaganza.

The five-day event, held at the Reliant Center in downtown Houston, is one of the finest and largest shows of its kind. Competitions include breed judging, agility, frisbees, flyball, and even dancing.

Tom Pincus, who is the host of the show and has been participating in this annual event since its very first time in 1977, told Xinhua that dog fans could see many top breeds in this year's show, including China's Tibetan mastiff.

Compared with previous shows, this year's show has more public-oriented features, Pincus said.

"One of our competition events is something called agility where dogs are racing over hurdles and going through tunnels. We set up a simplified version of that course and people can take their own dogs to try that for themselves."

Booths of dog necessity and nonprofit organizations which rescue deserted dogs can be seen in the venue. Houston residents who are interested in adopting stray dogs can make application there.

The show, which is expected to draw over 40,000 spectators, is to end on Sunday.