BOO'S THE BOSS

CH Tupelo Shoboat Tu China Tu

Bruce Springsteen may be “the Boss” in new Jersey, but today it’s the Pug, CH Tupelo Shoboat Tu China Tu, known to his friends as Boo. Boo closed out our weekend with a BIS win at the Union County Kennel Club event today in Wildwood NJ. That’s number four for Boo this year and number 25 lifetime. Nothing like updating the resume for Westminster. Congratulations to breeder Karen Thompson, owner/handler Doug Huffman, and co-owners Jamie Danburg, Pat & Ray Kolesar, & Michele Molnar.

We'll be back later with the rest of the finalists and now we have to recalculate our rankings.

RANGER & TONY IN THE HEARTLAND

There was also a trio of shows, in the heartland, in St Joseph MO. On Friday, the criminally named Jesse James Kennel Club held its show with Judge Donna Buxton at the helm. Showing up in the final seven were the Irish Setter, CH Vineyards Bad Boy, the Bloodhound, CH Ghost Hollows Spectacular Bid, the Alaskan Malamute, CH Sno Klassic Play The Game, the Lakeland Terrier, CH Hi Kel Soldier Of Fortune, the Shih Tzu, CH Ying’s Miss Congeniality, the Lhasa Apso, CH Rushmars Charmer, and the German Shepherd Dog, CH Woodside Pacino. The big trophy went to the Lakeland, Ranger.

CH Hi Kel Soldier Of Fortune

Saturday it was the club named after the host city doing the honors and
Paula Hartinger doing the judging and the Lakeland doing repeating the win. “Ranger” was joined by the German Wirehaired Pointer, CH Mountain View’s Mr. Jack SH, the Afghan Hound, Elmo’s Pop Star, the Mastiff, CH Impressive Heart’s The Right Stuff, the Brussels Griffon, Cilleine Masquerade, the French Bulldog, CH Devine’s LA Confidential, and the only other repeat winner from Friday, the GSD, Tony.

CH Woodside Pacino

And Sunday, Tony’s persistence paid off, as he took the big rosette from Judge Dany Canino, thwarting the hopes of the Lakeland, Ranger, the Brussels Griffon, Lincoln, the German Shorthaired Pointer, Kan-Point’s Leading the Chase, the American Foxhound’s Brazos Remington, the other Giant Schnauzer, CH Tanglewood’s Bocephus, and a different French Bulldog, CH Starhaven Allenhill’s Lock N Load.

Check back with us later today for updated rankings, the first of our What to Watch for at Westminster (WWW) posts, and results from the Jersey shore.

IT'S GOLDEN IN GREEN BAY

No where in the country do you find more football conscious fans than in Green Bay WI, so it is not surprising that local dog fanciers established the Packerland Kennel Club and they celebrate Super Bowl weekend with a dog show double header. Saturday‘s show featured BIS Judge Lee Canalizo with the Golden Retriever, CH Golden Trip Snow Dream, the Wirehaired Dachshund, CH Daybreak‘s Awesome Blossom, the Alaskan Malamute, CH Sno Ridge‘s Sudden Impact, the Bedlington Terrier, CH First Class Cormac Mcarthy, the Brussels Griffon, CH Tupelo To The Back Of The Bus, the Bulldog, CH Evergreen;s Sweet Clover Ann, and the German Shepherd Dog, CH Annie-Isle’s Heiress V Kenlyn Kaleef. Green Bay’s a tough place and Judge Canlizo gave the BIS title to the very tough looking GSD.

CH Tupelo To The Back Of The Bus

Sunday, Judge Houston Clark had the same Golden, Bulldog, & GSD and four new dogs, the Whippet, Kamada’s A Million Dreams, the Great Dane, CH Elan’s Command Decision Reimroc, the Sealyham Terrier, CH Thunder Roads Chille Bean Goodspc, and the Japanese Chin, CH Chindale’s Work Of Art. Day two proved to be golden earning a Best In Show for the Golden Retriever, CH Golden Trip Snow Dream.

Check back soon for results from the Heartland.

ONE MASTIFF, ONE MOUSE

We told you about the first Best In Show by a Tibetan Mastiff coming at Saturday’s Hobbs New Mexico Kennel Club show in the town named for the Kennel Club. Now we can tell you CH Drakyi Gold Standard was joined in the final by the Golden Retriever, CH Toasty‘s Treasure Island, the Harrier, CH Happytails Keepin The Faith, the Airedale Terrier, CH Huntwood‘s Wildest Performance, the Affenpinscher, CH Tamarin Tug, the Schipperke, CH Alladin‘s Too Sexy To Tango, and the Australian Shepherd, CH Windrift‘s Latitude.

CH King‘s Mtn. Minnie Mouse

Sunday Midas was back in Judge Judy Webb‘s BIS ring along with the Affenpinscher, the Australian Shepeherd, the Labrador Retriever, CH Ridge View’s Magician, the English Foxhound, CH Whipperinn’s The Wizard, the Dandie Dinmont Terrier, CH King‘s Mtn. Minnie Mouse, the Affenpinscher, and the Standard Poodle, CH Divine’s Rock Me Amadeus. Judge Judy found the Dandie dandy, giving her the BIS.

Check back with us later for more weekend show reports.

PULI DOMINATES ATLANTA

We’ve already had some excitement over the weekend and full reports from both coasts, but now it’s time to turn our eyes on the South and the weeks’s largest shows, a trio of events held in Atlanta GA. These three shows provide us with one of the ten largest weekends of the year.

CH Cordmaker Field Of Dreams

On Friday, it was the Sawnee Mountain Kennel Club Of Georgia with Judge Michelle Billings looking over a final seven of the Brittany, CH Dualan Marsport Super Charger, the Whippet, Oxford N Starsekers Guiding Light, the Portuguese Water Dog, CH Pouch Coves Monkey See Monkey Do, the Sealyham Terrier, CH Efbe's Hidalgo At Goodspice, the Pug, Ivanwold Diva At Riversong, the Standard Poodle, CH Anastasia Da Maya, and the Puli, CH Cordmaker Field Of Dreams. BIS went to the dog with the outrageous hair cut. No, not the Standard Poodle, the Puli, “Conrad”

CH Excelsior Yosef Areli

On Saturday, the Judge was Loraine Boutwell and the show was the Conyers Kennel Club Of Georgia. Returning for another attempt at BIS were the dramatically coifed Poodle and Puli. They were joined by the English Cocker Spaniel, CH Destiny's Midnight Rose Xpress, the Saluki, CH Excelsior Yosef Areli, the Doberman Pinscher, CH Allure Blazing Star Alisaton, the Smooth Fox Terrier, CH Jcobe Kemosabe Vigilante Justice, and the Pekingese, CH Pequest Match Point. Once again, BIS would go to the Puli.

CH Allure Blazing Star Alisaton

Sunday, Judge Lenora Riddle would select BIS for the Lawrenceville Kennel Club fro the Doberman, the Sealyham, the Pekingese, the Standard Poodle, and the Puli, joined by the German Wirehaired Pointer, CH Ripsnorters My View Lookout, and the Borzoi, CH Po Dusham Royalist and Sunday belonged to the Doberman.

We will be back shortly with more weekend results.

OUIJA RETIRES

We have learned that the Scottish Deerhound, CH Jaraluv Ouija, has been retired. Ouija, bred by Ray & Janna Brinlee, owned by the Brinlees & Steven & Eileen Biles, was handled by Bill & Taffe McFadden along with assistant Stuart McGraw.

CH Jaraluv Ouija with Bill McFadden

Those of you who watched Saturday’s broadcast of the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship, saw this beautiful girl at her best, winning the Hound Group in dramatic fashion. Ouija finished 2008 as the Ninth Best Dog all breeds with 16 Best In Shows including the prestigious Golden Gate Kennel Club show. She will now take up motherly duties and very likely provide us with another generation of BIS winning deerhounds. Our thanks to the McFadden team, the Brinlees, and the Biles for sharing her with us this past year.

BLACK AND WHITE

We often caution more casual dog show followers that dog shows are among the most unpredictable of competitions and we have frequently observed that every Best In Show is a big deal. Therefore, experienced show observers will be only mildly surprised that the Giant Schnauzer, CH Galilee's Pure Of Spirit, did not win BIS today. Yes, she had won eight in a row, but today the big black bitch was bested by a small white dog, a West Highland Terrier, CH Arbroath’s Rosewood Rise ‘N’ Shine.

CH Quasar’s & Sherwood’s odd Couple

Also standing for Judge Elaine Mathis were the the ASCOB Cocker Spaniel, CH Quasar’s & Sherwood’s odd Couple, CH Leoralees Somthing 2 Talk About, Longhaired Dachshund, the Pug, CH O-Day Mystical Klondike, the Bichon Frise, CH Paray’s Rime Time, and the Pembroke Welsh Corgi, CH Coventry Vanity Fair. It was the first BIS for the four year old male. We tip our hat to breeders, Dee Donaldson, Bill Weber, Randy Weckman & April Geiseking, owners, John Low MD & William Matthews III MD, and handler, Gabriel Rangel.

AFTER THE GAME

We love Super Bowl Sunday. It is the one day of the year on which we can shamelessly overindulge. The rest of the year, our refrigerator is stocked with low fat, low carb, low sugar, and low taste food. However, on game day we are allowed to have preservatives, trans fat, and six different kinds of fried foods. So we will forgive those responsible for holding up our show reports until after the two minute warning.

CH Bluvali Brouhaha

Down on the Jersey shore at the Boardwalk Kennel Club show, Judge Joseph Gregory had something old and something new, but went with something Blu, that is the Tibetan Terrier, CH Bluvali Brouhaha, as his BIS. Also lining up for consideration were the Brittany, CH Tonan-Hope's R U Kiddin Me, the Harrier, 2008’s top Hound, CH Downhome Family Tradition, the Doberman Pinscher from the classes, Eastwick’s Dirty Deed, the Airedale, CH Stirling Cool Hand Luke, the Toy Poodle, CH Smash JP Moon Walk, and the Rough Collie, CH Kelso’s Moon Dancin’ PT.

It was the first Best In Show for the four year old “Zach”. Congratulations to Zach, his breeder, Marjorie Wickerd, his owner, Betsy Richars, and his handler, Greg Strong.

FIRST BIS EVER FOR A TIBETAN MASTIFF

We have an important win to report from the Land of Enchantment. At yesterday's Hobbs New Mexico Kennel Club, Judge Beverly Capstick put an entry in the history books by selecting the Tibetan Mastiff, CH Drakyi Gold Standard, as her Best In Show, the first such award for the breed.

CH Drakyi Gold Standard

“Midas”, was bred by Rick Eichhorn, who co-owns the four year old dog with handlers Michael & Linda Brantley. Midas, the number one Tibetan Mastiff of all time and the 2008 Best Tibetan Mastiff, is rolling into Westminster with three Group 1s in a row and, now, the first Best In Show ever for a Tibetan Mastiff. Make Midas a DOG2WATCH

WESTMINSTER PODCAST

Our interview with Laurie Williams, host of Dog Sports & performance Network (DSPN), is now available on the Pet Life Radio web site.


We recommend you download the pod cast for easy listening. We tried to listen to streaming audio, but we sounded like the village idiot. Once we downloaded the MP3 file, we were relieved to find we were much better spoken than we first thought. We hope you will think so too.


We covered a variety of topics focusing on next week’s Westminster show, including who we think the favorites are, DOGS2WATCH, some background on the judges, Westminster trivia, the PETA controversy, rare breeds, and our own experiences at Westminster. Check it out and find out if your favorite dog got a plug. We hope it will make your Westminster experience more fun and you know you want to know what we sound like.