CATCH ME IF YOU CAN

As the show results roll in for the weekend, we were reminded of the Road Runner cartoons. Remember how the Road Runner always would tease Wile E. Coyote by letting him getting close, then stick out his tongue, waggle his toes, and streak off into the distance? So it must have seemed to the Pointer, CH Cookieland Seasyde Hollyberry, today as she left Judge W. Everett Dean Jr’s BIS ring today at the Kennel Club of Philadelphia Show in Readng PA. Today’s win put her 479 points ahead of the number one dog in the nation, the Giant Schnauzer, CH Galilee's Pure Of Spirit. Only a BIS win would allow Spirit to retain her top ranking and she had struggled this weekend, only making it to the final seven once in three days.

CH Action Chaos And Charisma

However, like the Coyote, Holly was to be denied the lead once again, as Judge Doris Cozart ended the drought and awarded Spirit Best In Show at the Springfield Kennel Club show in West Springfield MA and the 2058 points that went with it. Joining Spirit in the final was the Harrier, CH Downhome Family Tradition and the Brussels Griffon, CH Cilleine Masquerade. The Sealyham Terrier, CH Efbe's Hidalgo At Goodspice had spent three days in Reading with the Pointer, but decided to test the stronger competition in New England in hopes of the getting the big points. However, Charmin was waylaid in the Terrier Group by the White Bull Terrier, CH Action Chaos And Charisma, who had won the same group in 2007.

Check back with us tomorrow to find out how the other five top ten dogs fared this weekend.

GO TO A DOG SHOW THIS WEEKEND

We don’t expect to see too many large entries as the season winds down, but two places this coming weekend will have some major events. In our part of the country we have a four day cluster in Marietta, GA, near Atlanta, kicking off tomorrow with the first of two shows hosted by the Griffin Georgia KC followed by The Kennesaw KC sponsored events Saturday and Sunday. These four events will field more than 6,000 entries total, including 13 Harriers at each of the four shows, 13 Harriers. There were only 23 Harriers registered in the whole country last year. Most of us will never see a Harrier at a show and here’s the chance to see 13 in one place.

CH DOWNHOME FAMILY TRADITION

TOP WINNING HARRIER IN HISTORY

Out on the west coast, the Sacramento Valley Dog Fanciers will host a double header Saturday and Sunday and expect more than 1600 dogs on each day. We expect most of the top dogs from last weekend’s Del Valle show to stay over for this event. If you are in the area this weekend, this is your chance to see some great dogs in the flesh. Support your local AKC clubs. Remember more than half of the AKC registered breeds are more endangered than Polar Bears or Gorillas and you can’t keep a Polar Bear or Gorilla in your house.

WEEKEND ROUNDUP

Our top ten dogs continue to roll over their opponents…with a few exceptions. The number one dog, the Giant Schnauzer, CH Galilee's Pure Of Spirit, abandoned the west coast for the heartland, powering to three BIS in Salina, KS at the Salina, Wichita, and Hutchinson KC shows. On Friday, Spirit, exacted her revenge on the upstart number six dog, the Affenpinsher, CH Tamarin Tug. Taser and handler Jorge Olivera decided to spend the rest of the weekend in Washington State at the Wenatchee KC double header, taking on the number three dog, the Standard Poodle, CH Randenn Tristar Affirmation. On Saturday Yes prevailed, but on Sunday Taser stung his bigger rival and took home a Best.

Sunset in Salina, KS

The number two and five dogs, the Pointer, CH Cookieland Seasyde Hollyberry, and the Sealyham Terrier, CH Efbe's Hidalgo At Goodspice spent a four day weekend in Pennsylvania. As we reported here, Holly and Charmin were bested by the Rottweiler, Ch Blackrocks Kazanova, on Thursday at the Pocono KC show, but Holly returned to form on Friday at the club’s second show, winning BIS. On Saturday the action moved to Allentown for the Lehigh KC show. Again Holly led the way, garnering one more Best. However, all good things come to an end, and on Sunday in Kutztown at the Berks County KC show, Holly and Charmin watched the German Shepherd Dog, Ch Imp-Cen Rowland’s Tough Love, take his first Best In Show. Congratulations to breeder/owner/handler Christina M. Halliday and her partners, Connie Halliday and Betsy Scott.

Ch Imp-Cen Rowland’s Tough Love

Three of the top ten dogs competed at the Sir Francis Drake KC shows in San Rafael, CA. San Rafael is in Marin County, one of the wealthiest and most beautiful places on earth. Saturday the number ten dog, the Scottish Deerhound, CH Jaraluv Ouija, took the top prize while the number eight dog, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi, CH Coventry Vanity Fair, stood by. On Sunday, the number seven dog, the Scottish Terrier, CH Roundtown Mercedes Of Maryscot, took a Group 2 (She was absent on Saturday), while the Corgi and the Deerhound made it to the final seven, only to be upset by the Samoyed, CH Rossia’s Texas Rocket O Cedar Ridge. It was the first Best In Show for the Sammie who was bred by Gail Spieker & J & S Clark, is owned by Gail Spieker & Jackie & Keith Mason of Glenbrook, NV, and handled by Jean Gauchat-Hargis. We tip out hat to all of them.

CH Rossia’s Texas Rocket O Cedar Ridge

Our number four dog, the Brussels Griffon, CH Cilleine Masquerade, decided to take it easy, entering only the two Moore County KC shows in Pinehurst, NC. The result was two BIS. The remaining top ten dog, the Harrier, CH Downhome Family Tradition, spent four days in Falmouth, MA, gathering all four ribbons in the Hound Group, taking Group 1, 3, 4, & 2, in that order at the “Cranberry Cluster“ shows hosted by the Cape Cod and South Shore KCs. If we see a trend developing here, it is get the RV to a four day cluster away from your competition and pray some local spoiler doesn’t upset you. Ah, this is what keeps it interesting!

GEORGIA ON MY MIND

We tend to focus on the Best In Show ring here at DOG SHOW POOP, but the truth of the matter is most spectators and exhibitors go to a show to see a specific breed. These days, the cost of gas and shrinking disposable income have conspired to reduce the number of entries at shows. It’s always a disappointment to drive several miles to a show only to find that you favorite breed isn’t even present. So when a very large entry materializes in a major metropolitan area, we are in dog show paradise.

Beginning September 18, the “Georgia Classic” Cluster kicks off on Thursday at the Atlanta Expo with a trio of specialty/limited breed shows. The Atlanta Terrier Club and the Greater Atlanta Toy Dog Association will host their respective groups while Prestige Specialty Clubs of Atlanta includes eleven more sporting, hound, working, and herding breeds. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday the Douglasville, Atlanta, and Newnan Kennel Clubs host all breed shows. Visit Jack Onofrio Dog Shows at http://www.onofrio.com/shwpubs.html for details. Expect the all breed counts to exceed 2500 dogs at these shows, which will place these shows among the largest this year. And just to be PC, there are 59 Bulldogs entered on Saturday. Go Dawgs!


Because of the size of these shows, expect to see some of those top ten dogs that normally compete only on the west and east coasts to take advantage of Atlanta’s status as the country’s number one airline hub. For you folks in the south, if you are only going to attend one dog show this year, this one promises to be a peach!

DON'T TASE ME, BRO'

Or so said the other six BIS finalists at Thursday’s Eugene KC show in Eugene, OR. OK, this one has it all…A rare breed going Best In Show, a tribute video, and owners with a connection to a product synonymous with police brutality. The first of this week’s Best In Show winners is the number six dog, the Affenpinscher, CH Tamarin Tug. “Taser” was bred by Jacqueline & W Terry Stacy, is owned by Phil & Patti Smith of Paradise Valley, AZ, and handled by Jorge Olivera. The Smiths are the parents of Rick and Tom Smith, the inventors of the famous stun gun used by police forces everywhere. These justifiably proud parents decided to name their top winner in honor of their sons’ contribution to technology.

CH Tamarin Tug

This stunning (I’m not even going to apologize for making the most of this one) little dog epitomizes the “monkey face dog” description of this rarest of toy dogs (only 215 registered in 2006). Taser is currently the number two toy dog, but is in hot pursuit of the number one spot, having won seven of the last ten shows entered. We can all look forward to an electrifying (you ARE allowed to groan) match between the Brussels Griffon and the Affenpinscher at the Eukanuba World Championship.

I promised you a tribute video and here it is.

RENT THESE MOVIES

I wrote in my first post that I was one of those dog show junkies that could identify the real dog show people who inspired the characters in the movie, BEST IN SHOW. Hollywood has often looked to less mainstream sports to break the tedium of action flicks, slasher films, and date movies. Here are three films that every dog show junkie should see.

BEST IN SHOW, released in 2000, is another “mockumentary” by the wonderfully sly Christopher Guest, the man who gave us THIS IS SPINAL TAP. BIS follows the owners of five dogs as they prepare for a Westminster-like show. Christopher Guest not only directed and wrote this gem, he plays the role of a country boy Bloodhound owner, who is also a ventriloquist. As funny as Mr. Guest is, my favorite characters are the duo of Jim Piddock and Fred Willard, as the dog show expert and the clueless color commentator. Anyone who remembers the urbane James Edward Clark and the rough around the edges Joe Garagiola from the early Westminster broadcasts will appreciate the parody. My only criticism of the movie is that there is only one professional handler in the final seven. Now that’s a Hollywood ending.

Now for a memorable portrayal of a pro handler, you can’t beat Harry Dean Stanton as Philo Skinner, a desperate man who dognaps a top winner to pay his gambling debts. Happily, I’ve known no real life inspiration for this character in Joseph Wambaugh’s 1980 film, THE BLACK MARBLE. Wambaugh is a former Los Angeles cop who has written several successful novels based on seriously jaded police officers. After being unhappy with the first movies made from his books, Wambaugh penned his first screenplay for THE BLACK MARBLE which resulted in several extremely memorable characters.

If you are a fan of film classics, then look for a copy of 1933’s THE KENNEL MURDER CASE, the precursor to William Powell‘s THIN MAN films. Like all in that series, this one has deliciously decadent rich people, lightening quick dialogue, and dogs who steal every scene they’re in. If you know the THIN MAN movies, you will remember the mischievous WIRE FOX TERRIER, Asta. In this film, Powell’s canine companion is an equally clever, SCOTTISH TERRIER. There’s also a DOBERMAN PINSCHER , who gets to play a near death scene followed by a miraculous recovery, and a heroic capture of the villain. I’m sure all the actors were jealous as hell.

Now every movie visit should end with a cartoon.Try the wonderful 1939 Disney offering, SOCIETY DOG SHOW, starring Mickey Mouse and Pluto, It just doesn’t get any better than this.

PEKINGESE PARTY

CH Pequest Match Point

If you are an admirer of this little, flat face, hairy dog then you want to be in Denver. The Pekingese Club of America is sponsoring national specialties on Wednesday and Thursday. The Metro Mile Hi Dog Club moves the show to suburban Denver, Greely to be exact, on Friday for an all Toy extravaganza. Then everyone joins the party in Greely on Saturday and Sunday for the Evergreen Colorado KC all breed shows. The current number one Pekingese in the country is CH Pequest Match Point, who was bred by David Fitzpatrick and is owned by Sascha M. Rockefeller (and, yes, it’s that Rockefeller). So if you are in the Denver area this week, stop in and see the dog that has fascinated the rich and powerful for thousands of years.

LONG, LONG WEEKEND

When I first starting showing shows rarely occurred on week days. We doggy people were pretty much restricted to the traditional weekend, Saturday/Sunday events. However, fancier enthusiasm and skyrocketing transportation costs have conspired to popularize the “Cluster” concept. This allows exhibitors to park the gas guzzler at one location and attend three, or more shows. Add in a Federal holiday, like Labor Day, and you have a Dog Show Happy Meal.

Charmin and Owner/Handler Margery Good

And no dog took more advantage of the Cluster Craze this past week than our number five all breeds dog, the Sealyham Terrier, Ch Efbe’s Hidalgo At Goodspice. Charmin parked the RV at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh and romped to five BIS at the Cary, Alamanace, Durham, Salisbury NC, and Raleigh KC shows, August 28-September 1, defeating 4937 dogs along the way.

So how did the rest of the top five fare? The number one bicoastal team of CH Galilee's Pure Of Spirit and Taffe McFadden started off the long weekend in Kentucky, going Group one on Thursday, at the Lexington KC show, and BIS the following day at the Northern Kentucky show. They then hopped on a plane and showed up fresh enough in Grass Valley, CA to go BIS on Saturday and Group 1 Sunday at the Gold Country KC shows, amassing 3531 points.

Ch. Ab-Rafiki The Icon Of Cool

The number two dog, the pointer bitch, CH Cookieland Seasyde Hollyberry, spent the long, long weekend in Kentucky. Thursday, Holly and Spirit faced off in the final seven, but it was the Basenji, Ch. Ab-Rafiki The Icon Of Cool, who ended up BIS. Holly didn’t even make to the BIS ring to face Spirit on Friday, going Group two behind the English Springer Spaniel, Ch. Cerise Jesse James. On Saturday with Spirit 2,000 miles away in California the path to BIS was clear for Holly. However, it was the tiny Long Coat Chihuahua, Ch. Tradewinds Star Dust that got the top prize. However you can’t keep a good dog down and Holly is one of the goodest dogs. She finished the weekend with BIS on Sunday and Monday, ending up with 3690 points for the five days.

Ch. Tradewinds Star Dust

The Standard Poodle, CH Randenn Tristar Affirmation, the number three dog spent a leisurely weekend in St Helens, OR, going Group one and BIS at the Longview-Kelso KC shows on Saturday and Sunday, defeating 3259 dogs. Rounding out the top five is the pint size short coat Brussels Griffon, CH Cilleine Masquerade. Lincoln was bred by Denise Barney, is owned by Mamie & Evalyn Gregory & Anne & Harlowe Jahelka, and handled by Paul D Catterson. Paul lives just north of Kansas City, MO and spent the weekend in Amana, IA, where he and his charge went Group 4 on Friday and BIS on Sunday, picking up 1031 points.

Lincoln and Handler, Paul Catterson

Look for the energetic Sealy to move up two spots when August results are tallied.

ANOTHER RARE BREED BEST IN SHOW

Here’s a follow up on endangered AKC breeds. The current number three hound in the US is CH Downhome Family Tradition, a Harrier dog. “Coda” was bred by Barbara & Jeff Fox & Linda Johnston & Susan Lowder, and is owned by Dr & Mrs William Truesdale & Susan Lowder. Coda is capably handled by Kimberly A Calvacca. Coda led the pack at the Muncie KC and Anderson KC shows in Muncie, IN on August 16 & 17, judges Mrs Lee Canalizo and Mrs Donelle Richards presiding respectively. Harriers are the second rarest AKC breed in with only 23 registered in 2006. Only English Foxhounds are rarer, with eleven registrations.

CH Downhome Family Tradition

Susan Lowder literally grew up in the game as the child of professional handlers. We applaud Susan and Down Home Harriers for promoting this wonderful breed. I encourage you all to visit their terrific web site. It has lots of information on the breed and beautiful pictures. I would have provided a link here, but unfortunately, Coda’s breeders/owners not only sound like a law firm, they have more legal jargon on their web site than do drug companies. So just Google “Downhome Harriers” and find their site. It is worth the extra effort. Are you beginning to understand why some breeds are so rare?

And just so you know that I’m not singling out Poodle people, here’s Coda’s vanity video from You Tube.

THE POODLE, DOG SHOW CLICHE?

To those people who have never been to a dog show (deprived souls that they are) the ubiquitous Poodle is the epitome of the effete dog show world. The poodle show clip is universally ridiculed as representative of the shallow mentality of dog owners. Even I, after 40 years of show dog indoctrination, still snicker every time I hear a Poodle owner tell some one that the unique grooming is designed to protect the dog in cold water when performing as a duck hunter’s retriever. Right…that is definitely the raison d’etre of the French, the same people who convinced us to eat snails.

Nonetheless, the Poodle is one of America's most beloved pets. I, myself, own two (Well, my wife owns two). I can remember a time when the Poodle was number one in the AKC registry. It has been declining recently, slipping from number five to number eight in the last decade. However, there are still nearly 30,000 Poodles registered by the AKC each year. I can’t fault the Poodle as a pet. They come in a rainbow of colors; large, medium, and small sizes, and are hypoallergenic. They are smart, athletic, and versatile. Our toy Poodle, Fannie, is the smartest dog I have ever met. She is amazingly agile and a better ratter than my Scottie.


Poodles are not as popular in the show ring as they once were. However, there are always a couple every year that impress. The current number three dog in the nation is the black standard Poodle bitch, CH Randenn Tristar Affirmation. “Yes” was bred by Randy Garren and Dennis McCoy, is owned by Toni and Martin Sosnoff of New York, NY, and handled by Timothy Brazier. Yes' most recent BIS was Saturday at the Longview-Kelso KC show in St Helens, OR. (Ever notice the number of people who shell out the big bucks for a top dog and then immediately ship it to the opposite coast to compete?) The general public tends to gravitate to the dog that they see in the company of their favorite celebrity in People Magazine or the latest cute dog food commercial. However, you have to see a dog in person, moving across a show ring, to fully appreciate a breed. Here’s a video of Yes going BISS at the recent Columbia Poodle Club show in Portland, OR. If a picture is worth a thousand words, this video is worth of a million of my poor prose.




Among the show results trickling in is the report of a BIS for CH Smash JP Moon Walk. This little beauty got the nod Saturday at the Newton KC in Augusta, NJ. He was bred by toy Poodle maven, Yukiko Omura, and is owned by Ron Scott & Debbie Burke of Dillsberg, PA. Looks like Ron and handler Kaz Hosaka have another winner to challenge the big dogs this year.

CH Smash JP Moon Walk

Ron and Kaz campaigned the top winning toy Poodle in history, CH Smash JP Win A Victory, affectionately known as Vikki. I found this unintentionally funny tribute video to Vikki on You Tube. And Poodle people wonder why the rest of the world smirks about the funny haircut. Let me tell you, capturing this girl on video is difficult. If you were lucky enough to have seen this gorgeous toy in the flesh, you know that she was all flash and fire, a spectacularly moving dog with a metlting expression.

ENDANGERED AKC BREEDS

Have you seen the “Save The Polar Bears commercial“? I, like all animal lovers, am distraught that many animals that were once plentiful are now in danger of becoming extinct in the wild.


This commercial is narrated by some vaguely familiar actress who once was on a program only remembered by people dedicated to the preservation of 80s night time soaps. I do what I can to help endangered species (animals, not out of work actresses), but I wonder why some of the celebrities, who are rabid about the dwindling numbers of bears and various marine mammals, aren’t concerned about the possibility that some of our most interesting and charming dogs may disappear.

Sealyham Terrier

I once owned a Sealyham Terrier. She was one of the most endearing dogs I ever owned. Sealies are small enough for the most compact apartment. They are loving and friendly to family and friends, but woe be upon the burglar that trips over one in the middle of the night. Yet they are in danger of becoming extinct. There were only 68 Sealyham Terriers registered in the US in 2006, the last year for which we have complete statistics. In most parts of the country you can go to shows on six consecutive weekends and never see a Sealy. When one does show up, it inevitably causes a stir. There has been a Sealy in the Top Ten Dogs for the last three years. Memorable appearances include BIS at the 2007 Eukanuba National Championship show by CH Efbe's Hidalgo At Goodspice. Charmin is owned by Margery Good & Richard Good & Sandra Middlebrooks of Cochranville, PA and was bred by France Bergeron.

CH Efbe's Hidalgo At Goodspice

Twenty percent of the breeds recognized by the AKC had less than 200 registrations in 2006. That’s 30 separate breeds in danger of vanishing from our world. The conservation group Polar Bears International estimates that there are 15,000 Polar Bears in Canada alone. Now, I am one of those guys that is depressed for weeks whenever I hear that another animal has been placed on the endangered species list, but I am also one of those guys that thinks that we need to solve the poverty and disease in US cities before we increase our donations to the United Nations. I’m going to keep supporting politicans that protect the environment and defend endangered species, but only if they also support the rights of dog lovers to protect our homegrown endangered species. Personally, I would miss the Sealyham Terrier way more than the Polar Bear. After all I never shared my home with a Polar Bear for twelve years.

A Sussex Spaniel
79 registered in 2006

If you are thinking about adding a purebred dog to your home consider one of the rare breeds. There are small ones and big ones; hunting dogs and guard dogs; short coats and long coats. You can start your own conservation project.

WHO'S TOP DOG

Show dog rankings are fun things. We have links on our front page to the three most popular rankings, Dog News, Show Sights Magazine and the Canine Chronicle. Like the Associated Press' college football rankings, these monthly rankings are sources of great pride and great consternation. This year we have two really superb animals at the top of the rankings.

CH Gallilee's Pure of Spirit

Currently in the lead is the Giant Schnauzer bitch, CH Gallilee's Pure of Spirit, with 68, 405 dogs defeated and 38 shows and 75 groups won as of July 31, 2008. Spirit is almost four years old and owned by Mary Hayes of New Canaan, CT.

Bill McFadden

Spirit is handled by Taffe McFadden, wife and handling partner of the superstar handler, Bill McFadden. Because Bill and Taffe are based in Northern California, Spirit's specials campaign has been concentrated on the west coast. Bill has jet set clients and he himself is quite the traveler. He never misses a Westminster (We all remember the dazzling Kerry Blue he piloted to BIS in 2003). Taffe was just in Atlanta this past weekend, where she and Spirit went BIS Friday and Saturday. They went Group One on Sunday, but lost to the German Shepherd Dog, CH Woodside's Pacino in the BIS ring.

Second in the rankings is the three year old Pointer bitch, CH Cookieland Seasyde Hollyberry with 56,178 dogs defeated and 52 shows and 90 groups won as of the end of July. Holly is owned by Sean McCarthy & Tammy McCarthy of New York, NY & Helyne Medeiros of Cape Cod, MA. Holly was bred by Cheryl S. LaDuc, A. Cantor, and A. Walker (You can tell by the number of owners and breeders that this dog is a major business venture. I know law firms with fewer partners). Holly is also partnered by a powerhouse handler, Michael E. Scott, who is married to the former Michelle Ostermiller. You might remember Michelle as the handler of the 2005 Wesminster winner, Ch Kan-Point's VJK Autumn Roses, German Shorthair Pointer (more on that win later).

CH Cookieland Seasyde Hollyberry
with Handler Michael Scott

While dog show rankings are more objective than the aforementioned AP college football rankings, they are still can be debated over post show cocktails. At first glance, they seem straight forward. By the end of July, Spirit had defeated 12,227 more dogs than Holly, a whopping 22 percent more. However, Holly has amassed 14 more best in shows, 33 percent more, than Spirit. During the current month Holly has picked up six more BIS to Spirit's five. The most telling statistic is the Cantfield, OH hat trick pulled off by Holly on the first three days of August. She went BIS at the Columbiana County, Beaver County, and Mahoning-Shenango shows in head to head match ups with Spirit.

So which is the real top dog? We will reserve our opinion until we see the results of the Eukanuba National Championship and Westminster 2009, dogdom's version of the playoffs and the Superbowl. Did I mention that the number five dog, the striking Sealyham Terrier, CH Efbe's Hidalgo at Goodspice, went BIS over both Holly and Spirit at the Saratoga New York KC show on August 6? Damn, I love this stuff!

CH Efbe's Hidalgo at Goodspice

Now, back to the lovely Michelle Ostermiller Scott...I am a person that catalogues life as a series of memorable events. I have a mental scrapbook of snapshots that remind me how good my life has been. Everyone remembers the day they got married or the day their first child was born. Of course, those are cherished memories, but I have also those memories where I stumbled across extraordinary talent. Among my favorite experiences have been seeing Evita in San Francisco with Patti Lupone and Mandy Patinkin before they and the show won Tonys on Broadway; seeing Bette Midler perform at the Concord (CA) Pavillion the month before her Oscar nominated movie, The Rose, premiered, and seeing tenor Rolando Villazon in a super tiny concert hall in Atlanta six months before his Metropolitan Opera debut.

Equal to these was watching Michelle's Sporting Group and BIS Westminster wins in 2005. The two things that we all dream of in a show dog are spectacular movement across the ring and a free stack stare down of the judge. I have seen a lot of great show dogs and thrilling finals, but in 40 years of following dogs I have never seen the equal of Michelle's presentation of the GSP bitch, Carlee. She literally dared the judge to take her eyes off her. She was not one of the favorites going in. I remembered the pundits never even mentioned her. However, when she came back to the group judge and Michelle dramaticly dropped the lead, Carlee took over. She hit her mark and stared the judge down like she was a pheasant in the cross hairs. The entire garden was transfixed and, for a moment, all of us, pet owners and die hard enthusiasts, knew we were witnessing greatness. I live for moments like that.

Ch Kan-Point's VJK Autumn Roses
with Handler Michelle Ostermiller Scott

DOG SHOW LIFE LESSONS

Most of my non-doggy friends and family question my obsession with the dog show game. During my life I have spent a lot of money and time attending more traditional sporting events like football, basketball, and baseball. I've also had a couple of expensive and time consuming hobbies like boating and cars. My friends and family thought that all of these pursuits were wholesome and normal. Yet when I tell these outsiders that I just spent $1500 for a puppy or I'm driving 400 miles to attend a dog show, they act like I've taken leave of my senses.

Well, here's a couple of life lessons I've learned from the dog show fancy:

1. Dog show people live forever...or at least way longer than the average NASCAR fan. Last year, I attended a local show and a Japanese Chin exhibitor asked me to handle her class dog, while she showed her champion in best of breed ring. The judge was Maxine Beam. I first met Maxine in 1974 when we were both members of an all toy dog club in New York, now defunct (the club, not Maxine). I won't say Maxine is old, but she was "mature" in 1974.

Maxine Beam

2. Dog people know how to succeed. The dog fancy is a subjective sport and, like all subjective sports, accusations of favoritism and politics abound. In 1973, after a particularly long loosing streak , I asked one of the most successful professional handlers of the day, Bob Forsythe, if he had any advice for a novice like myself. Bob told me, with typical modesty, "If you bring a OK dog in the ring, I will beat you every time. But if you have a really special dog, you will win your share." The next dog I exhibited went Group Three from the classes at his first show.

Years later, my son came home from basketball tryouts, grumbling about how he had been cut because of favoritism and politics. I told him, "Next year you will just have to be so good they can't overlook you." He made the team that following year.

Robert Forsyth

3. Dog people are tenacious. Back in the day when we had a lot of benched shows...benched shows, for those who have never exhibited at one, require that an exhibitor and his dog remain in the show hall during show hours, even after your dog has been judged and failed to win anything. This was done so the dog owner could meet and greet spectators while coming up with creative excuses for the failure to finish in the ribbons....but I digress. At one of my first shows in Philadelphia, which was benched show, I returned to my bench at 10:00 AM, after taking a reserve winners, to await for the warden, I mean show chairman, to release us from the show hall at 4:00 PM. I struck up a conversation with a fellow detainee, uh, exhibitor, an elderly woman accompanied by a particularly ill tempered Pekingese. Explaining that Pekes were bred to be guard dogs for the emperors of China, she regaled me with a story of how she had, in the 1930s, attended the Crufts Dog Show.

Crufts is the world's largest show, with over 22,000 dogs, and believed by many, especially the English, to be even more prestigious than Westminster

At that show she witnessed a magnificent looking Peke being disqualified for attempting to bite the judge. She approached the owner and told her that it was a shame that such a beautiful dog had been dismissed. The exasperated owner offered to sell her the nasty animal at a bargain price and before the afternoon was out my fellow detainee had a new stud dog. The next day the lady and the Peke boarded the Queen Mary for the trip home to New York. Once they were settled into their stateroom, she decided to get acquainted with her new dog. A few minutes later she rang the steward for some iodine, bandages, and a pair of heavy work gloves. The way she told the story, by the end of the week long crossing, she and her bad tempered buddy had gained a lasting respect for one another. That dog went on to win several best in shows here in the US.

CH Chik T'Sun of Caversham with handler Clara Alford. Ossie was the top winning Pekingese in history with 126 Best In Shows. Ossie was NOT the bad tempered Peke that my friend imported.

The only life lesson I ever learned at a football game was how to balance a beer and a dish of nachos in my lap at the same time.

DOG SHOW JUNKIE

I went to my first dog show in 1968. My family had just purchased our first AKC registered dog, a Saint Bernard, we called Brandy. I remembered that none of the dogs looked like any of the dogs in my neighborhood. That show was won by the Afghan Hound, CH Dahnwood Gabriel, the top Hound of 1968,  handled by Michele Leathers Billings. The two of them were like rock stars, glamorous and larger than life. I was a short, plain looking kid with glasses from Memphis, Tennessee, and, for me, these two were celebrities. Now, I knew I was never going to be another Elvis or James Dean, but here was a world where mere dog owners were superstars.

CH Dahnwood Gabriel & AKC Judge Michelle Billings

Now 40 years later, Elvis and James Dean are dead, but I'm still going to dog shows. I never did achieve that rock star fame (Success is just as elusive in dogdom as it is in music or films), but I've shown at Westminster (the Garden), Philadelphia, Santa Barbara, San Francisco (the Cow Palace) and Portland (Oregon). I am one of those people that recognized all the characters from the movie Best In Show. I remember best in show rings at big shows the way some people remember touchdowns at Super Bowls.

Shadowland's Devil In Disguise

I took a break from showing to pursue a career and raise a family, but now I am retired and the children are grown. I have acquired a 13 week old Cairn bitch puppy. We have named her Shadowland's Devil in Disguise.

Ch. Rose Croft Best Foot Forward

Dee Dee is the granddaughter of the top winning Cairn Terrier in history, Ch. Rose Croft Best Foot Forward, and niece of this year's Westminster best of breed, Ch Ashwood Kenric's Wicked. Hopefully, Dee Dee will continue the family winning tradition. Our heartfelt thanks to Dee Germany of Shadowland Kennels for letting us have this little girl. Win or lose, we and Dee Dee will visit several shows in the future and will share our adventures in and out of the ring here in this blog.

Ch Ashwood Kenric's Wicked