Good morning and welcome to my seminar titled, “So Much to Learn.” Nice to see all you young sporting breed dogs here along with a few Miniature and Standard Poodles and some Airedales as this seminar is really for you. It’s designed to give you some idea of what’s in store for you if your bosses decide to do field work with you–and they should.
Even though this game is way too addicted to numbers and stats, we have never been able to crack the code of breed popularity.
The American Kennel Club has provided young people with their own unique competition and the AKC has designed the sport of Junior Showmanship such that it promotes the values of sportsmanship, respect for one’s opponents, judges, and the sport. It is hoped that young people find the sport fun and a positive outlet for their competitive spirit and use the sport to foster the development of friendships and build social bonds.
It’s frustrating. You spend the money, drive the miles, wash, groom, prep—and still walk away empty-handed. Meanwhile, professional handlers float out of the ring with ribbons in hand, while your dog—the one you love and believe in—barely gets a glance.
Recently, the animal rights group, PETA filed a lawsuit against the AKC in an attempt to abandon the breed standard of the French Bulldog and other breeds. PETA asserts that the AKC breed standards promote the propagation of unhealthy dogs.
“Babbie Tongren would toss out trimmed dogs routinely. When questioned about how she could award my entries after some said I trimmed my dogs, her terse reply was, “Well, he does it so well, I can’t tell.” And that shows respect to the standard’s intention—don’t go to extremes, and/or be very precise at one’s craft.”
English Cockers, Afghan Hounds, Bull Terriers, club affiliations, those were some of the extracurricular activities competing for time in the life of Pat Cruz. Of course, there were also the typical life demands of children, home ownership, and a full-time job. Pat’s story checks all the boxes for the realities of this sport. It is always demanding, but somehow everything gets done. So, let’s pick up the story where we left off.
Will Alexander Drops Some Knowledge About What’s Happening in the Sport of Dogs. It’s Deep… It’s Humorous… It’s Provocative… It’s Will Unfiltered! Will Alexander has an in-depth conversation with George Alston. Click here to watch on Canine Chronicle TV!
In 2025, the Royal Windsor Dog Show has once again raised the bar for what an exquisite dog show is truly about. A carefully curated judges’ list, immaculate attention to detail, superb facilities, prime location, and excellent marketing drew an impressive entry of 9,329 dogs, including quite a few overseas exhibits. The newly introduced Afternoon Tea proved to be a brilliant idea, with nearly all time slots sold out. The show once again confirmed that it has only a few peers around the world and is certainly one of the premier events for dog enthusiasts globally.
After the last person to board frantically shoved his bloated carry-on into a space designed for far less, the pilot made an announcement: there was “unfortunate weather in Denver.” He explained that we’d be delayed and that they were going to add more fuel just in case we had to circle. A typical collective moan followed, but with less enthusiasm than before the new era of constant delays and cancellations. I guess we’re just getting used to it.
