Westminster Kennel Club Review

When you hear the name Westminster you conjure up thoughts of long standing tradition, stately, historic – well the Westminster Kennel Club has been going strong since 1877 – and this year was another great show!

Fortunately the Hound Group was the first one on air which of course I am partial too since there is always a beautiful greyhound represented.  The hound group has many participants and it seems that possibly they should break them down into subsets to give more breeds a chance. The elegance of the Borzoi or Afghan hound against a cute little 13 inch Beagle doesn’t quite seem fair.  But last night a 5 year old Scottish Deerhound named Hickory one Best in Show – first time ever for this breed and when you see her photos you will love her.  No doubt she will be on the talk show circuit this week but I bet she can’t wait to get back to the farm in Virginia and chase the critters.

Another exciting change this year in Madison Square Garden was the introduction of 6 breeds that had never been recognized before – the Blue Tick Coon Hound was a fabulous entry this year – I didn’t know that the puppies start out almost all white and then the blackish blue patches start along with the ticking – now that they have entered Westminster officially, they may no longer be driving around in just pick up trucks any longer (but no doubt will prefer it!).  If you’ve never experienced watching a dog competition live or on television, try it – the personalities of our best friends just shine through.  And remember, these beautifully bred dogs also want you to know that shelter dogs are just waiting to be adopted.  They aired some spots for the Pedigree Foundation, raising money for shelters, food, and education – and made a great point that you should not feel sorry for shelter dogs – they were just dealt a bad hand and have lived more interesting lives until they find their forever homes.  Great way to think about it – if they could write, they would have the best stories!