Over the years, Crufts has become one of the largest and most prized dog shows in the world. In fact, more than just a dog show, it now celebrates every aspect of the role that dogs play in our lives. It has changed in ways that couldn’t possibly have been imagined when the show was set up in Victorian times by the late Charles Cruft.
Another Crufts is now in the history books. This is the 4th time I have traveled across the pond to attend and compete. This year I was joined once again by the fabulous Harry Bennett.
After a few successful years in this sport, it’s easy to forget that we all started somewhere. Regardless of the lofty status any expert eventually attains, you can bet there’s a long trail littered with inept, forgettable experiences along the way. Even George Washington, arguably the first venerated icon of America’s dog world, was legendary for the epidemic of mismatings in his Virginia kennel.
Cairns were once known as “Short Coated Skye Terriers,” a working terrier of Skye and the west Highlands. It is the sixth most popular terrier in AKC, ranking seventieth in 2016, down from sixty-first in 2013.
Dachshund Club of Long Island finds a home at the Winter Garden Specialties.
Westminster week is reliably traditional and predictable but there’s always a few surprises built into that well worn ambiance. After a hundred or so episodes, that’s not an easy package to deliver, especially for a club that built its reputation on staid, imperious competence.
Table Talk Live with Dr. Carmen Battaglia – In Part 1 of our chat, Deb and Carmen talk about his work with the AKC Detection Dogs Taskforce.
A well-respected judge once said “a ‘show dog’ is not a breed.” Very true—to win, a dog should first fit the breed standard. If he doesn’t, how well he shows should not be relevant. However, it is undeniable that once in the ring, the dog does need to show. Nowhere is this more important than at a show on the scale of Westminster, where the best compete against the best.
There was a chill in the air outside, but inside the Jacobs Center there was the warmth of the comradery of spaniel enthusiasts as the American Spaniel Club held its 98 Flushing Spaniel Show in Knoxville, Tennessee in January.
The 142nd Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on February 12 and 13 had an entry of more than 2,800 dogs in 201 breeds and varieties.
