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Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show On Tonight!

The Menagerie
#141

I try to not dislike any of them, but

The PEKE!!! OOOHHHH NOOOO:eek:
The dog sized dogs were fabulous. The German Shepard even looked better, and IMHO, I like to see a dog set himself up. I agree that dobe was tremendous, and moved off so willingly. I also like to see them on a sort of loose lead. Not unlike a horse at a trot up. Most of the working breed and Sporting dogs tonight seemed to be on a looser lead. Some of the handlers [mostly of the smaller dogs] hold them so tightly. Some of the Chis, and Pomeranians seem to not hit the ground with their front feet. The handlers seem to do funny things with their hands trying to keep the leads tight. But again I don’t show dogs, and this is the only dog show i really watch.

#142

UGH! :rolleyes:

#143

I love Pekes. They’re canine royalty. (And a Peke survived the sinking of the Titanic. No joke. His name was Sun-Yat Sen and he belonged to Henry Sleeper Harper, who carried him in the lifeboat along with his wife and the Egyptian dragoman he won in a card game in Egypt. Yeah, the dog wasn’t the weirdest thing about that whole group.) Plus, Tricky Woo was a Peke and according to Dr. Herriot he used to bet the horses.

Pomeranians are evil, though. And I swear, I am totally buying a Sussex Spaniel if I have to fly it halfway across the country to get one. I think I have enough rescue karma stored up to get a purebred puppy for once.

My second choice was the Setter–she looked like she was having fun.

Tucker, however, feels there is a distinct bias against Corgis and will be writing a strongly-worded letter to the Queen.

#144

[QUOTE=RougeEmpire;6143552]
UGH! :rolleyes:[/QUOTE]

Right, that I doubt was a popular choice from that judge.

Glad they don’t ask me to judge, but I do know that at that level, each one of them, for their breed and in that game, got there by being the best.

I liked the dobie best, the irish right with it, the dalmatian a notch below and the rest not even close.
Then, I was not the one to lay my hands on them, was seeing them in person and had to choose for posteriority.:wink:

#145

I loved that Emily the Irish was doing a bang-up job of demonstrating the breed’s rollicking temperament…:smiley:

Mostly, though, I just can’t believe the Dobe didn’t take it. Nothing against the Peke, but, that girl was stellar.

#146

Yup…it was PETA with the disruption:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/14/best-in-show-2012-westminster-dog_n_1277735.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009

#147

[QUOTE=Amwrider;6143664]
Yup…it was PETA with the disruption:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/14/best-in-show-2012-westminster-dog_n_1277735.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009[/QUOTE]

Oh, gawd. Idiots. I wondered if someone had been let out of the funny farm - same thing.

Loved the Doberman, and the Dachshund.

If the Dal or the Setter did it, though - I wouldn’t have minded. Not crazy about Pekes period, but I remember him from before, and thought he was more appealing previously. But then again, not my hands on them.

#148

[QUOTE=Bacardi1;6143353]
Last year’s Boxer was much nicer.[/QUOTE]

Same dog actually: last year’s Boxer was also “Scarlet.” I believe she was the #3 dog last year out of all breeds, she has been incredibly successful = )

I spend a goodly amount of time on a doberman forum, and they were all talking about how if “Fifi” (tonight’s group winner - GCH Protocol’s Veni Vidi Vici, and also last year’s Dobe entry in the working group) made it to group, she’d have a hard hard time beating Scarlet. They’ve gone head to head more than once, and Scarlet usually takes it. The dobe folks had very high hopes for Fifi though, and she really turned it on tonight, in my opinion (big fan of the breed though).

After rewatching last year’s working group last night, I feel Scarlet was more electric last year, while Fifi really stepped it up this year.

My picks were not winning at all last night (I’m another who prefers the sighthounds and thought the whippet - winningest whippet of all time, I believe - might take the hound group.)

However, tonight, I was spot on. I picked the #1 and 2 dogs in each group (had a couple flip flopped though), and sometimes had 3 or 4 as well. WOO! Tonight’s winning dogs were going much more to my style though, haha.

I really loved the German Wirehaired Pointer - great energy, though it’s hard to beat that Irish Setter (really any Irish Setter of this calibre, they are just too fancy, and this one has been incredibly successful.) I also loved both the Dobe and Boxer and was super pleased to see them go 1, 2. As for terriers, always a tough group because each one of them is so “on” all the time, I picked the Kerry Blue and the Smooth Fox (though I had them flip flopped because the face on that Fox just couldn’t be anymore gorgeous or interesting).

I was super disappointed to see the PEKE win it all though (even the group, really). Ugh. I’m pretty sure I heard them say that dog has over 100 BIS wins though, so he’s probably a very “safe” choice relative to his standard. Personally, at a show of this calibre, I feel like you can be assured every dog in BIS is worthy of the title. At that point, you can almost just let showmanship be your guide. How that darn Peke won over the incredible performances of the Dobe, Irish Setter, Dalmation, and Kerry Blue Terrier is beyond me - I really thought one of those would take it. Even the GSD put on a wonderful show (despite me really disliking how the show types look these days, he did great with what he’s got, haha.) Shoot, I’m not a big fan of doxies either, but tonight’s would have been much preferable to the Peke. Ooooh well…

I was hopeful that the judge’s horse background in Morgans might have her pull towards my type of dog (sleek, athletic, and showy).

Oh well. The Pekes are super popular in the BIS ring, and it drives me batty. I always get worried when they make it that far because they are always a safe bet to win. Just not my style at all, though at least they have always been a companion dog, so I suppose their weird gait is more appropriate than the GSD’s.

#149

[QUOTE=Amwrider;6143664]
Yup…it was PETA with the disruption:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/14/best-in-show-2012-westminster-dog_n_1277735.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009[/QUOTE]

I’m annoyed that they wasted 2 sentences on them. All they want is publicity, and I wish the media would ignore them.

Oh, I guess I wasted 2 sentences on them too! :uhoh:

#150

Correct me if I’m wrong, but when you show dogs at that elite level, isn’t there quite a bit of “advertising” that goes into promoting the dog itself? I’d be anxious to see how much advertising dollars was spent on promoting that Peke in the past year!

#151

[QUOTE=bort84;6143749]
Personally, at a show of this calibre, I feel like you can be assured every dog in BIS is worthy of the title. At that point, you can almost just let showmanship be your guide. How that darn Peke won over the incredible performances of the Dobe, Irish Setter, Dalmation, and Kerry Blue Terrier is beyond me - [/QUOTE]

Isn’t the Peke one of the few breeds that has a graded standard that gives specific points for parts of the body? I would think that would be very hard to ignore if it’s that specific. I’ve always wondered how the writing of each standard might bias the outcome in a positive or negative way. If this Peke is being judged at near perfect using a specific rubric, I think it’s hard not to give them the BIS…especially if the other breed standards are less specific.

Heading to AKC to look at their standard…

I would have liked to see the Irish take it, although I have to say that was a fantastic looking group.

ETA: Nope, I was wrong. Either it’s a different breed that I am thinking, or it was a long time ago. No scoring rubric in the Peke breed standard that I can see…

#152

Love the first sentence of the HuffPost’s article:

A bobbing little pompom…

I have no clue whether the Peke “deserved” the win, but it’s sad that so many people (in the HuffPost’s comments) went straight to the “Ugh, stupid dust mops!” language to express their disappointment. I’m not a fan of the dog-as-machine look (I didn’t watch, but probably would have been eh for the Doberman no matter how spectacular it moved), but can you imagine the hissy fits if I expressed it by saying “Ugh, stupid killer breeds.”

#153

Kerry Blue!

While I am not a Peke person, congrats to him and if that was the best dog then he deserved it!

But… I wanted to give a big WoooHooo to the lovely Kerry Blue. I have had my Kerry for 10 years this month and I love her and the breed. They are so sweet and fun and mischievous. Really a fabulous personality. It was great to see one win the terrier group and represent well! :smiley:

#154

[QUOTE=Larksmom;6143302]
vtdobes must be on cloud nine![/QUOTE]

Haha!!! I was!!! Totally thought she should have gone BIS! Would have been nice for a breeder/owner/handler too :slight_smile:

#155

I was really pulling for the Doberman as I own one and she is such a sweet doll and Fifi looking like she was having a ball and really struting her stuff

the Irish Setter also was really strutting and looking stunning, lovely dog but way to much coat for me to own

the Peke did not impress me much, last years looked cuter but then again like the Boxer it could be the same dog, I felt that he did not have as much as the cute rolling gait that you usually see

I will admit when the Peke was announced I went “NOOOO” but not my breed or type

#156

Lol!! Thanks for letting me know - I must be thinking of either another Westminster year or perhaps a different dog show (the Eukanuba one perhaps?). I just remember a really striking Boxer - particularly the head - that I liked better than this one.

I am really disappointed re: the Doberman not making BIS. Some years you know right away the Dobie isn’t going to be in the running, but this one was truly a spectacular animal.

#157

[QUOTE=Bacardi1;6144052]
Lol!! Thanks for letting me know - I must be thinking of either another Westminster year or perhaps a different dog show (the Eukanuba one perhaps?). I just remember a really striking Boxer - particularly the head - that I liked better than this one.

I am really disappointed re: the Doberman not making BIS. Some years you know right away the Dobie isn’t going to be in the running, but this one was truly a spectacular animal.[/QUOTE]

That is what I was thinking, if THAT dobie doesn’t win, I don’t know what would it take for one to win, as that was a nice one as you can ever see.
Remember, they are not judged against each other, but their individual breed standard.

It is hard to think that any of those dogs were as representative of their standard as that dobie was, the setter a very close second.

Guess that is why we have educated judges and they are right there.
What the rest of us think is not good enough.

#158

[QUOTE=Bluey;6144069]
That is what I was thinking, if THAT dobie doesn’t win, I don’t know what would it take for one to win, as that was a nice one as you can ever see.
Remember, they are not judged against each other, but their individual breed standard.

It is hard to think that any of those dogs were as representative of their standard as that dobie was, the setter a very close second.

Guess that is why we have educated judges and they are right there.
What the rest of us think is not good enough.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I know re: the judging against their own standard, not each other. Many previous years the Dobie has had too much of a “needle nose” or “piggyish eyes” or too much slope or too straight-backed. But Lord - like you said, if last night’s Dobie wasn’t as darn close to perfection as possible, I don’t know how much closer one could be.

#159

The BIS judge also owns/breeds Morgans (yay!). She’s owned over 75 and bred at least 50 Morgans.
Here is one of her stallions (not bred by her but owned):
http://www.circlejfuturity.com/horses/2001horses/chandel2.htm

#160

:slight_smile: maybe next year the WKC will poll their audience to see which one should win. that would be true to form and appeal to their audience, right?

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