Tag: Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show

Amstaff Makes History at Westminster Dog Show

For the first time in the 147-year history of the Westminster Kennel Club (WKC) Dog Show, an American Staffordshire Terrier, aka Amstaff, won the Terrier group. Hooray! “Trouble” is a very handsome 4-year-old whose pedigree name is GCHP CH Lbk’s Rebel And Proud Party Crasher.

Although Trouble the Amstaff was in the running for the coveted Best in Show title, that honor went to yet another historic first: A cute Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen named Buddy Holly. A dust mop — er, Pekingese — won the Reserve Best in Show title, meaning he/she/it is the second runner-up.

Trouble’s handler summed it up perfectly when asked what people should know about this breed. “They’re just the best family pet that anyone could ever have,” she replied, and I bet anyone who’s had one as a pet would wholeheartedly agree.

While it’s exciting that an Amstaff was awarded this honor, I have mixed feelings overall. Amstaffs are usually lumped in with American Pit Bull Terriers and subject to the same breed bans and undeserved reputations as “dangerous” dogs due to negative media stories and a very misleading bite reporting website. Because of unfortunate factors like overbreeding and landlords (and most home insurance companies) who prohibit them, shelters across the country are full of these “pit bull type” dogs.

My concern is that people may decide to buy a purebred Amstaff instead of adopting one of the many dogs who also very deserving of a loving forever home. Here’s hoping that won’t be the case, and instead Trouble will encourage more people to adopt this breed.

If you’re like me, while watching the WKC Dog Show you probably spent some time assuring your dog that they, in fact, were the actual Best in Show. This is true of my Ella and true of your dog(s), too.

Photo: FOX Sports/YouTube

3 New Breeds to Watch for at the 2017 Westminster Dog Show

 

Making their debuts this year at the 141st Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show are three breeds: the American Hairless Terrier, Pumi and Sloughi.

The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is being held Feb. 13 and 14 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. You can watch streaming coverage of the breed judging for free on the WKC website. The competition will be broadcast live on FS1 from 8 to 11 p.m. EST Feb. 13 (Hound, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding breeds) and Feb. 14 (Sporting, Working and Terrier breeds, and Best in Show).

Here’s the 4 (paws)-1-1 on each of the breeds competing for the first time this year. If you’re interested in adding one of these or any of the other breeds you see in the WKC Dog Show to your family, I urge you to adopt, not shop. A rescue organization or animal shelter probably has just the dog you’re looking for.

American Hairless Terrier

If this dog reminds you of what a shaved Rat Terrier might look like, you’d be right — the American Hairless Terrier (AHT) is derived from that breed. It began with a hairless puppy who was born into a litter of Rat Terriers in the early 1970s, according to the American Hairless Terrier Club of America.

These dogs are completely hairless, although some have eyebrows and whiskers. Just like Ratties, AHTs are alert, smart and friendly. Their smooth muscles make them excellent contenders for agility sports. Despite their athleticism, AHTs are couch potatoes who enjoy spending time indoors. And although no dog is truly “hypoallergenic,” AHTs would make good pets for allergy sufferers.

Check AdoptAPet.com for rescue information. Look for the American Hairless Terrier in the Terrier group on Feb. 14.

Pumi

Is that a little lamb/dog hybrid? Nope, it’s a Pumi, which may be new to the WKC Dog Show but is an ancient Hungarian hunting breed. They were bred by shepherds (of the human variety) who needed dogs to help herd cattle, sheep and pigs.

These dogs are intelligent and quick to learn. They need regular physical activity and mental stimulation, so they’re best for an active owner. Fun fact: The plural of Pumi is Pumik.

Check the Hungarian Pumi Club of America website for rescue information. Look for the Pumi in the Herding group on Feb. 13.

Sloughi

Like the Pumi, the Sloughi (pronounced “SLOO-ghee”) has been around for thousands of years. They were bred by the Berbers and Bedouins to hunt prey like gazelles, jackals and wild boar. These rare Arabian sighthounds can be found nowadays in the North African countries of Algeria, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia.

Here in the United States, they are mainly companion dogs who can show off their hunting skills in lure coursing competitions, according to the American Sloughi Association (ASLA).

Check the ASLA website for rescue information. Look for the Sloughi in the Hound group on Feb. 13.

Photo credits: Rpping (American Hairless Terrier); Inger-A. Karlsen (Pumi); Dr. Sabine Schlenkrich (Sloughi)

 

Arftung! German Shorthaired Pointer Wins Westminster Best in Show Title

Congratulations to CJ, this year’s recipient of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show’s Best in Show title. CJ is the third German Shorthaired Pointer (GSP) to win the title in the show’s 140-year history.

“I just couldn’t believe it,” his happy handler, Valerie Nunes-Atkinson, told the New York Times. “For us in the sport, this is the pinnacle. This is what we strive for, what we shed tears over. The best dogs come here. This is the show to win.”

Nunes-Atkinson acknowledged that CJ wasn’t considered a front-runner for the title. She said that while you couldn’t go wrong with any of the other group winners, “I believe in my dog 100 percent.”

One of the crowd favorites was Annabelle, an almost 4-year-old Bulldog who won the Non-sporting Group.

“I couldn’t take my eyes off her,” her handler, Jean Hetherington, told the New York Times last night, referring to the first time she saw Annabelle years ago, when she judged the Bulldog at another dog show.

The crowd also roared for Rumor, a 4-year-old German Shepherd who won the Herding Group. When asked by USA TODAY what she liked best about Rumor, co-owner Pamela Buckles replied, “Her heart. The love and affection she shows me. I just think she’s beautiful.”

Other group winners were Lucy, a Borzoi (Hound), who was named the reserve (runner-up) winner; Panda, a Shih Tzu (Toy); Bogey, a Samoyed (Working); and Charlie, a Skye Terrier (Terrier).

As for CJ, he’ll be appearing on “Good Morning America” Wednesday, then visiting the Empire State Building, and then having lunch at Sardi’s.

“He was born an old soul,” his owner, Valerie Atkinson, told reporters after the show. “He’s never done anything wrong.”

By the way, if you were wondering why 10-year-old Uno the Beagle, who took the 2008 Best in Show title and is one of the most popular winners ever, did not appear on last night’s telecast as advertised, he was barred from the event by Westminster officials because he hadn’t been registered to attend. Uno, who’d been driven from his home in Texas to attend the show, “was requested to leave the premises,” Westminster spokeswoman Gail Miller Bisher told the Times. The Associated Press compared this diss to Derek Jeter being tossed out of Yankee Stadium. Boo!

If CJ has you thinking about getting a GSP, please consider adopting one — there are plenty of what the American Kennel Club describes as “friendly, smart and willing to please” dogs available in shelters and through rescue organizations such as National German Shorthaired Pointer Rescue and New Beginnings German Shorthaired Pointer Rescue.

Photo via Twitter

Meet the Beagle: ‘Miss P’ Wins Westminster Best in Show Title

If you ask me, this year’s recipient of the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show’s Best in Show title is the cutest winner since Uno, who in 2008 was the first Beagle to ever take the title.

Maybe that’s because 4-year-old Tashtins Lookin for Trouble — aka Peyton — aka Miss P — just happens to be Uno’s grandniece.

Miss P was much more subdued than her vocal great uncle, who had barked and howled at judges seven years ago. Yet Miss P’s handler, Will Alexander, seemed to be exhausted at a news conference after the show, the New York Times reports.

“She’s hungry and I’m overwhelmed,” Alexander told reporters. “She just never let me down. She didn’t make any mistakes,”

Best in Show judge David Merriam appeared to be having a good time with his duties. According to the New York Times, Merriam said he chose Miss P because she “had wonderful type” and a “wonderful head,” and, as she trotted around the show ring at Madison Square Garden, he could imagine “the Beagle in the ring and the Beagle in the field.”

The win was considered a huge upset since Matisse, a Portuguese Water Dog who’s a cousin of the Obama family’s Sunny, was expected by many to take the title. Swagger, an Old English Sheepdog, got the biggest cheers and seemed to be the crowd favorite.

The competitor who got the most media attention was Toy Group winner Rocket, who is co-owned by former headline-maker Patricia Hearst-Shaw.

Miss P was born in Canada and lives in both Milton and Enderby, British Columbia. She has won 19 previous best in dog show titles in the U.S., but this will be her final one. She’s retiring to motherhood.

Uno, who lives in Austin, Texas, and is now almost 10, has never met his grandniece. His dog mom, Caroline Dowell, told the Associated Press that Uno has his own television set, “so I assume he was watching.” Uno is still in great shape, she added. “You can put him in the ring and he’d win tonight.”

To celebrate her victory, Miss P is spending Wednesday appearing on TV shows, having lunch at Manhattan’s famous Sardi’s restaurant and making a cameo appearance tonight in the Broadway musical “Kinky Boots.”

If Miss P has you thinking about getting a Beagle, please consider adopting one — there are plenty of what the American Kennel Club describes as “curious, friendly and merry” dogs available in shelters and through rescue organizations. The Beagle Dog Rescue Shelter Directory lists rescues across the country.

Photos via Facebook

Patty Hearst’s Shih Tzu Rocket Wins Westminster Toy Group

Patty Hearst has “Rocket”-ed back into news headlines, har har har.

Her Shih Tzu, GCH Hallmark Jolei Rocket Power — aka “Rocket” — won the Toy Group at the 139th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show last night. The Best in Show winner will be announced tonight.

Hearst (who now goes by the name Patricia Hearst-Shaw), granddaughter of publisher William Randolph Hearst, was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army in 1974. A photo of her, holding a semiautomatic rifle while robbing a bank, went what would have been considered viral back in the ’70s.

She spent nearly two years in prison, but her sentence was commuted by President Jimmy Carter. She was later given a full pardon by President Bill Clinton.

In the 1990s, Hearst-Shaw became an actress, with co-starring roles in the John Waters films “Cry-Baby” and “Serial Mom.”

About 10 years later, she became involved in showing dogs.

“People move on,” she told reporters after Rocket’s win yesterday, according to the New York Post. “I guess people somehow imagine you don’t evolve in your life. I have grown daughters and granddaughters and other things that normal people have.”

Among those “other things” Hearst-Shaw has are show dogs. She primarily shows French Bulldogs, one of whom won a ribbon yesterday. She co-owns Rocket the Shih Tzu with two others.

While Hearst-Shaw said she is a dog lover, her two daughters have cats.

“I don’t know what I did wrong,” she told reporters.

The 139th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Shows airs live tonight at 8 p.m. ET on the USA Network.

And just a reminder to adopt, not shop — many shelters and rescue groups have purebred dogs waiting for forever homes.

Photos via Facebook, famouspictures.org

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