So, here we are. Nine months into pandemic life and we are still groping in the dark for answers. Even scarier, we seem to be getting used to it. Now, on the other hand, dogs are true existentialists. They just ain’t dealing with that nonsense.
Reminder! Entries close November 18th at 3:00 PM CST for the 2020 AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin and the AKC Royal Canin National All Breed Puppy & Junior Stakes! These events will be held Saturday and Sunday, December 12-13th 2020 in Orlando, Florida.
Will Alexander talks with the dog man, Wood Wornall. This is a conversation between two industry greats!
To learn more Good Dog (People), read the article on page 86 of the November/December 2020 issue of The Canine Chronicle. Watch for more of Sarah’s interviews and articles in the series, Good Dog (People) in the coming months. In the first of this series, she spoke with some movers and shakers about initiatives they’ve taken to be sure the sport stays strong, and why the fancy is bred to withstand the worst.
The 2020 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show ended on Tuesday February 11th. Handlers, trainers, owners, organizers returned to their homes and began to plan for the next leg of the new season and circuit. But Westminster turned out to be the last significant moment of what constitutes “normality” for the fancy.
Non-Sporting may qualify as the strangest manifestation of purebred culture. And I’m never one to dis this quirky, marvelous sport. But here’s the thing. The various subdivisions that dog shows have spawned over the decades are fairly straightforward, defined primarily by function. Because lest we ever lose sight of the bottom line (although mass media does their damnedest to corrode that ideal), every breed has a function.
In July, at some of the first shows to be held since the shutdown, AKC Board of Directors Vice Chairman Dominic Carota discussed the challenges of hosting a dog show during the pandemic.
I had a good conversation recently with a great, highly-respected judge about learning new breeds. He started in the sport many, many years ago with a breed in which movement was king. His thought was that because of his initial background, he wondered if he sometimes put too much emphasis on movement over type in his newer breeds. Accordingly, he was working on learning about the subtleties and details of breed type in those breeds. That simple insight alone tells you exactly why he is a highly-respected judge. He has the passion to learn and continually improve no matter how long he’s been in the sport. As important, he was keenly aware of his beginnings and how that perspective consciously or subconsciously could affect his outlook over a half-century later.
Watch as Elaine chats with Judge Johan Becerra about his looks and what inspires his fashion choices. #GlamCam – Johan Becerra, Closet Confidential with Elaine Lessig
