Ready For Westminister Kennel Club Dog Show?

USA/
Originally uploaded by peximo

Be in front of your TV on Monday, Feburary 14 and Tuesday, February 15th to watch, starting at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, 7:00 p.m. Central.

Monday: USA Channel for first hour, then switch to CNBC for next two hours.

Tuesday, February 15: USA Channel for total three hours.

Monday: Groups judged will be Hound, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding.

Tuesday: Groups judged will be Sporting, Working and Terrier. Then Best In Show will be judged.

(Dog pictured in a Shih Tzu who is in the Toy Group.)

Get Ready to Enjoy The Westminister Kennel Club Dog Show!

The Westminister Kennel Club Dog Show (by Invitation) will be broadcast on Monday, February 14 and Tuesday, February 15 on the USA Television Network. Hope I have made it a little easier for you. You can go to the websites listed below to get all the breeds, and even find out about different breeds if you are looking for a new dog yourself. Also, you can follow Westminister K.C. on Facebook and results will be posted on Facebook and Twitter as they become available.

Happy Valentine's Day and enjoy!

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Originally uploaded by Michael J. Belgie Sr.

Who Is The Judge and What Is He Looking For?

IMG_8318-Dick
Originally uploaded by Dogs in Canada Magazine

Dog Show Judges have owned, bred, shown and handled purebred dogs for many years. There is an approved Standard for each and every breed and most judges have these standards in their heads. There is always a Book of Standards on the judging table in case there might be a point he or she would want to check. (You will see smaller dogs lifted onto tables for the judge to go over.)

In addition to each breed's standard, there are general traits judges look for.

When we watch Westminister Kennel Club Show on USA Network this Monday and Tuesday, we will be seeing the Group judging and then Best in Show.

That means every dog we see has already won Best in Breed. So, another judge has already picked a dog as the best over all the others in his Breed.

The judge goes over the dog; he looks at its mouth, its teeth. Especially with long-coated breeds, he is going to be making sure there is a good body under there.

A dog worthy of Best in Group has a little something extra. Watch for the dog who knows where he is and is watching the judge almost as intently as the judge is watching him!

We all tend to look for the dog who looks like our dog at home, but the Judge is looking for the dog who comes closest to the Standard in that book. He (or she) is also looking for a dog with a little something extra.

You might be able to see it on your TV screen at home. Some dogs just love being at dog shows. They have just the right personality and temperament to be there. They know why they are there.

The dogs we will watch at Westminister on Monday and Tuesday have all won Best in Shows . . . some of them more than one. So this is "old hat" to them.

There is another factor and that is how is the dog feeling on that day?

My personal thought is that a dog who was shown in the Group on Tuesday may have a better chance at performing well in the Best In Show Ring.

Or . . . perhaps the dog who has rested overnight has a better chance!

Hope you enjoy the show and be happy with the Grand Winner because he or she was the best dog on his best behavior and in his best form THAT NIGHT!

Puli Dog - Herding Group

Puli Dog
Originally uploaded by avidpets

This breed is sometimes white and sometimes black. His cords are natural and look like a human's dreadlocks. He also is from Hungary and has been herding sheep their for at least 1,000 years.

I am not sure this is just what the average family wants to have, but this dog and his alter ego, the larger Komondor in the Working Group, are very interesting to watch at a Dog Show.

I have been privileged to see fine specimens of this breed whose gait was so beautiful you could see the outline of their body as they ran 'round the ring in the sunshine.

Dogue de Bordeaux - Working Group

Dogue de Bordeauxs
Originally uploaded by Toffycrackle - a little behind :)

I chose this breed because he is truly loveable. The one pictured was a winner at Crufts. Take a good look at that face and tell me you could not befriend this dog.

The big drawback for most families, of course, is his immense size. The ones I have know were indeed gentle giants and I am sure they could add to your tab at the supermarket checkout.

Look For The Vizsla In The Sporting Group

luka1
Originally uploaded by Andrew Seel

The Vizsla, a Hungarian breed, has a reddish coat while his look-a-like, the Weimaramer, is grey. This is a smart and very beautiful representative of a Sporting Dog who lives to "point" and work in the field. So, that makes him an ideal hunting dog.

However, the Vizsla also makes a fine family pet who is easily trained.

It is important to note that this breed does need lots of exercise, so he should have a large backyard to run.

Havanese - Relatively New To The Toy Group

2009 Havanese National Specialty, originally uploaded by Hav n Knit Lover.

The Havanese (actually an old breed) originated in Cuba and was first recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1996. He is in the Toy Group and is similar in appearance to the Shih Tzu. He makes a good family pet; likes lots of exercise and requires lots of grooming.

Look for this breed on Monday night.

Hound Group - Afghan Hound

Afghan Hound
Originally uploaded by Devilstar

One truly attractive dog breed that I personally would be nervous to own but love to watch is the Afghan Hound.

Frequently he is the first in line as the dogs are paraded round the ring and he takes your breath away with his pure elegance!

Why would I not want to own one . . . well, that is all about the grooming, of course. In full coat and well-groomed, this dog makes a very pretty picture. It is up to the judge to determine that in fact, he has a good bone structure under the coat.

Watch for this dog and take a look how proud and happy he is to just be there! I think for me, the Afghan is probably the one dog I have always felt is made for the show ring, and he always gives you a SHOW!

Other dogs who you may be more familiar with in this group are the Basset Hound, Beagle, Dachshund and Greyhound. The Beagle and Dachshund come in more than one size and the Dachshund comes in three different coats.

Oh, Yes . . . This Is More What the Standard Poodle Will Look Like at Westminister

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Originally uploaded by faye_murman_portfolio

Standard Poodles Do A Lot Of Winning!

Standard Poodles in the Morning Light
Originally uploaded by Lunarfruity

Standard and Miniature Size Poodles are in the Non-Sporting Group. The Standard Poodle does a lot of winning. If kept in a show cut, they take a lot of grooming but many families do enjoy Poodles at home. This pair took my fancy because I have known some wonderful "pet" Poodles.

Watch for the Standard Poodle in particular to make his or her presence felt as you watch Westminister.

Remember that Westminister Kennel Club is putting up a lot of information for you, and you can access it on Facebook or any of the links below.

(The Toy Poodle is shown in the Toy Group, but you knew that!)

Scottish Terrier - The One Terrier Everyone Recognizes

vaila
Originally uploaded by ramnaslady

The Scottish Terrier is probably the Terrier most recognized by most people. The Scotty's outline is used to picture a dog, for example, with a diagonal line through it to indicate NO DOGS ALLOWED.

Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and George W. Bush both had Scotties. And, if you are interested, about 26 of our Presidents have owned dogs. We will surely see a Scotty at Westminister!

Terriers - One You Do Not See Every Day

Bedlington Terrier
Originally uploaded by dog.happy.art

Over the years, more Terriers than any other of the seven groups of dogs have won at Westminister.

One of the Terriers you do not see walking down the street very often, is the Bedlington. As you can see from the photo, he has a lamb-like look about him. He takes lots and lots of grooming and is not too much like other Terriers.

On Monday, February 14, 2011, the Groups judged will be Hound, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding.

On Tuesday, February 15, the Groups will be Sporting, Working and Terrier. At the end, Best in Show will be judged.

This comes to us from Madison Square Garden in New York City and will be broadcast on the USA TV Network.

You will see several breeds you might not have seen before or some you are unsure of. You can get lots of information at the websites below.

http://www.westminsterkennelclub.org/
http://twitter.com/WKCDOGS

American Kennel Club Website: http://www.akc.org

Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/WKCDogShow

Westminister Kennel Club Show - Next Week

Dog show 7 - Warrior
Originally uploaded by Tomi Tapio

When I came to Texas and found live Dog Shows on TV, I was in heaven! I would get out a big pad and pen and follow along. Hubby was amazed that I could usually pick 2 or 3 dogs placed in each Group.

I thought I would help you a little to enjoy the show even more. It will be on next Monday, Feburary 14 and Tuesday, Feburary 15th.

The dog in today's picture is Warrior, a very typical Shih Tzu. I bred, owned and showed this breed for 25 years. I called them the sweetest little dog on the face of the earth.

In United States, the Shih Tzu is in Group V, Toys (in Canada, he is in Non-Sporting, Group VI).

Now, we can see how nicely groomed this Shih Tzu is and he is very pretty. We have not yet seen him walk but the wonder of watching a fine Shih Tzu walk in the ring is that he resembles a hovercraft . . . very smooth and you really might only see the pads of his feet as he walks away from you.

Shih Tzu are still a very popular breed despite the intense grooming and they are small and compact. You can easily pick them up and take them with you. (Of course, many companion owners like to cut them down so there is not so much grooming.)

The Shih Tzu does very well in an adult home where he is the child. Sorry if you feel differently, but for me, the Shih Tzu was the child. (The more you read my suggestions, the more you know I really like Retrievers for children.)

This is just one breed you will see at Westminister and if you go to the Westminister K.C. website, you will find out more details on the entries. If you are on Facebook, you can click on W.K.C. and get lots of info there too.