I am glad to be home from New York! Our young dogs were not “in the ribbons” this year, but I am still happy to have them. Dog show judging is always subjective – like judging artwork. One person’s Renoir is another person’s graffiti. As a licensed breeder-judge, I am very happy with the dogs we have, and I really don’t depend on one judge’s opinion to guide my breeding program. Tomorrow is another day.
But did you see the line-up of great dogs in the Best-In-Show ring? All seven of those dogs are world-class, in my opinion. What a thrill it must have been to select the top two from a line-up like that. My personal favorites were the Bloodhound and the Cardigan Welsh Corgi, but I am perfectly happy with the Standard Poodle and the Wire Fox Terrier. The Min Pin is a show stopper who never lets down, and the Portuguese Water Dog and the Irish Water Spaniel were magnificent – sound, healthy and groomed to the nines!
I think, like travelling to Europe, every American should get to New York to see the Westminster Dog Show at least once in their lifetime. It is a world-class event in a world-class city. If you love dogs, this is the Superbowl of the dog world. It is the best of the best all dressed up with somewhere to go! No sad or pitiful faces here. These trainers and their dogs are athletic and well-cared for. In a world that constantly tugs at your heartstrings to adopt a pitiful neglected or abandoned dog, it will do your soul good to see how these dogs live. Celebrate the healthy! Come to New York – or any other dog show – and support a sport dedicated to producing healthy and well-cared-for dogs that will lift you up and fill you with pride, not weigh you down with worry and sorrow.
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