…“The only thing I could do was put the tip of her tail between my teeth and smile as the judge approached. He tried to be so serious, but his smile and giggle could not be contained…”
Teddy was part of the local dog establishment and he was also, many times, a dinner companion or house guest to many of us during or after the shows.
We met regularly at shows we judged, and our friendship remained a close one. Maybe too close at times! We were gal pals, and both felt the need for someone to bounce things off.
I judged this dog, shown by Harry, in Ireland at the ST. PATRICK’S DAY SHOW. When I got back from Ireland…
Now that I have taken Emeritus status from the dog show judges ranks having survived hundreds of shows, twenty three of them overseas, I thought it a good time to survey where we have been and where, perhaps, we are going.
I entered the fray when Ch. Rock Falls Colonel, the English Setter, and Bang Away of Sirrah Crest, the Boxer, were at the top of their form. For many that seems like a long time ago. For me, it seems only yesterday.
Don’t bitch when a good one beats you. Try harder next time, or get a better dog. Do not show under judges you feel are incompetent.
There were so many great Non-Sporting dogs shown in the 1940s and ’50s that have been forgotten. Here are five outstanding Non-Sporting Dogs from that era you should know about. Look for more Great Non-Sporting Dogs of the Past in the coming days!
Throughout the 1930s and ‘40s Madeleine and James Austin campaigned some of the era’s most legendary dogs under their respective Catawba and Wissaboo banners. Of course, many famous couples have reigned at the top of the dog game. Their substantial accomplishments are generally attributed to cooperative effort. The Austins revised that formula in one notable respect. When it came to that perennially cutthroat business of campaigning specials, they were definitely not teammates.
This month I’m looking back, not at persons who made up the interesting fiber of our dog show world, but at the way they arrived at the point in their dog lives that made them a household name in the sport.
In 1950 Arthur Frederick Jones profiled the Affenpinscher for the AKC Gazette. He had been there since 1926 and served as editor since 1941. In other words, he had watched the dog business long and hard for most of his life. His article was prompted by an encouraging spike in Affenpinscher registrations after a decade of inactivity. His introduction noted that the breed had been “handicapped by inaccurate publicity” since its arrival in America. We may need to brace ourselves for another round of that. Banana Joe’s historic Westminster win is bound to trigger new interest in this fascinating breed. So, let’s set the record straight right now.
