Table Talk · November 23, 2022
Happy Thanksgiving one and all!!! I hope everyone will have the opportunity to spend this holiday with family and friends. There will be customary Thanksgiving celebrations at shows around the country as some fanciers stay on the dog show trail through the holiday. Wherever you are, please be sure to celebrate, eat lots of great food, and spend time with loved ones.
One of the only benched shows left in the country–the Kennel Club of Philadelphia–held its show this past weekend. With an entry of about 1, 700, the size of the entry is not what is most important about this show. Not only is the show televised in prime time after the Thanksgiving Parade on Thanksgiving Day, but it is benched. The combination of a benched show and the show being televised makes this show very important as a key outreach to the public for the sport of purebred dogs. The National Dog Show telecast has an average viewership of over 7 million people!
Benched shows give the public the opportunity to seek out breeders, clubs and organizations and get an education about all facets of our sport. People can talk with breeders about the right dog for their lifestyle. In my opinion, there is no better educational opportunity for the public than a benched show. Meet The Breeds gives the public an opportunity to learn about specific breeds, but at a benched show spectators have the opportunity to watch the dogs do their thing! I hope that the other benched shows are able to come back and be benched once again. At one point, in addition to Kennel Club of Philadelphia, we had Golden Gate Kennel Club in California, Detroit Kennel Club in Michigan, International Kennel Club in Chicago, and Westminster Kennel Club in New York. The only two clubs still operating as a benched show are Philadelphia, and, maybe, Westminster at some point?!?
Participating in a benched show can be exhausting. A sincere thank you to all that exhibited at the Kennel Club of Philadelphia this past week.
There has been a lot of discussion lately about prohibiting strollers and playpens at dog shows. I understand both sides of this issue, and I can’t help but think that clubs and exhibitors can come to some sort of agreement on a workable solution for all parties that are involved. On the one hand, clubs generally have rules to protect everyone who attends events at their shows. On the other hand, we are a family sport, and exhibitors with small children need to be able to safely provide for their family while at the show. While double standards are frowned upon, I think that spectators should not be allowed to bring small children in strollers, and there lies the complication. How do you enforce rules for some and not others? If you have thoughts or ideas about what can be done, please email me at deb.cooper@caninechronicle.com
Entries for the AKC National Championship are posted and we have a new record of 5,385 entries! Anyone who says our sport is dying needs to look at that number! Entries for the four lead-up shows closed this past Wednesday, and those shows have entries ranging from 4600 to 4993. This year’s Orlando cluster is going to be epic my friends, and I look forward to bringing you fun, informative Table Talk Live! coverage for the week.
Sadly, the shows in Novi, Michigan that are normally held in January have been cancelled for 2023. We sincerely hope that the clubs can come to an agreement for shows to be held in the 2024 show year.
The Great Western Terrier show that has held their show in conjunction with the Beverly Hills and Malibu Kennel Clubs for the past couple of years has decided not to join Beverly Hills and Malibu at the Lake Perris facility in 2023, and they are looking for another venue. Stay tuned for more information as it comes available.
The Westminster Kennel Club has announced the judging panel for the 147th Westminster Kennel Club dog show to be held in May. Information can be found on the Canine Chronicle website at http://caninechronicle.com/breaking-news/147th-annual-westminster-kennel-club-dog-show-names-2023-best-in-show-judge/.
The American Kennel Club has announced they are working on a Certified Steward Program. This program will be an online certification, and once an individual completes the program, names of certified stewards will be listed on the AKC website. This will be a great resource for clubs to find stewards, and those who would like to steward but were not comfortable due to lack of knowledge can learn the ropes via this online program.
Most fanciers in the Pacific Northwest are aware of Nancy Martin’s extremely successful Fido Pet Food Bank. Fido has partnered with Panda Express for a fundraiser! All you have to do to donate is order Panda Express online using code 911636 on November 30th! If you are hungry for Chinese food, please consider using this option to support a great charity.
It is with great sadness that we report Marietta Singleton has lost her father. We extend our heartfelt condolences to Marietta and her family at this very sad time.
Congratulations to Ken McDermott on the birth of his great granddaughter Amara who was born weighing in at 6 pounds 15oz. Enjoy the beautiful baby girl, Ken. Congratulations to your family.
Fanciers celebrating birthdays this week are: Shari Smith, Carla Link, Scott Kipp, Elizabeth Salewsky, Tami Luddeke, Holly Leftwich, Javon Carter and Heather Lindberg. Make your special day a great one, my friends!
It’s a new week, my friends! Wishing you a good start to Monday, No hurdles for Tuesday, No pain for Wednesday, No stress for Thursday, Big smiles for Friday, A joyful Saturday, and a relaxing peaceful Sunday. Have a great week, and I’ll see you all soon down the road! Until next time…
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