[NYer]

Ch Darbydale's All Rise Pouchcove Newfoundland - Winner of the Working Group

[martin_fierro]

Moderately funny movie.

[Mike Darancette]

Definitely a contact sport.

[AnAmericanMother]

I've never seen a Newfie that well groomed in my life.

All the ones I know look like a collection of knitting mistakes.

Pretty rarified heights up there at Westminster.

[Trust but Verify]

Beautiful animal. I head a Kerry Blue terrier won the terrier class. Do you know which dogs won the other two classes judged last night? I think they were non-sporting and maybe toy group.

[Desdemona]

I'm rooting for the Newfie. Well, unless the Lab wins the Sporting Group.

Although, the Pekinese did look good. And that poodle (it's called a field cut) was okay.

[Valin]

Carlotta Dennie of Staten Island took a bite of a hot dog, then held up her face to share a bite with her little papillon, Maverick. He lapped lustily at her mouth.

Someone needs to tell these "people" that they're just DOGS!!!

[SarahW]

Did the collie place?

[SarahW]

Did the collies place? (rough or smooth)

[saluki_in_ohio]

According to Dave Letterman, The French Poodle and German Shepherd withdrew from the competition...

[THE Aardvark]

Unfortunately, many dog breeds in these shows are freaks bred for appearances rather than for the qualities that made dogs man's best friend. For instance, what can you do with the Cocker Spaniels in these shows besides show them? I'll take a dog without the right papers over a mutant with a wierd haircut any day.

[Darnright]

ROTFLMAO!!! I know Carlotta. Is she in for a ribbing (evil grin).

[Xenalyte]

The Dread Boston Salty SCOFFS at all these nelly dogs!

[BluH2o]

NYC's Westminister Kennel Club show each February is the grand-dam of dog shows. There's a lot at stake, and contestants have travelled a long road to get there ... so their owners, or handlers, can be a little testy if things aren't going their way. I've attended Westminister, not as a participant, several times ... it's worth doing at least once just to get the flavor. Now I watch it on TV ... which brings up a question ... when does the terrier group show?

[RckyRaCoCo]

Vestmeeenster....Ohhhhh Yeeeeessss!

Look at that beeetch....!

I keeeed, I keeeed!

[SengirV]

Dog shows are evil. They are sponsored/endorsed by the AKC. The AKC is only interested in money at the expense of animals lives. The AKC accredits EVERY puppy mill in the United States. The AKC would rather get more money instead of speaking up against the hiddeous practice of the puppy mills. The AKC will talk a good tale abou how they are concerned with the well being of animals, but they only want one thing - puppy mill $$$. F'em. If these dog show people had little girls, they would dress them up like a whore ala Joan Bennet instead of their dogs.

Sorry, I just did some investigating of the whole AKC/puppy mill thing, and it is enough to make you cry.

[mrs. a]

I have two female dachshunds - possibly not the finest minds of the Western world, but they're cute enough to make up for it. I do not show them.

However, I do show alpacas. Alpaca show people are the polar opposite of dog show people in attitude and cooperation. I have had competitors help me exercise my animals and prepare them for the ring.

Go to an alpaca show some day and look at animal show people ENJOYING THEMSELVES. It's quite refreshing.

[ZULU]

For some reason, the judges in these shows seem to feel those dogs that best conform to their breed's standards are invariably those little freaky monsters like Poodles, etc.

Real dogs like German Sherpherds, Wolfhounds, Setters, pointers, etc, have no chance.

This can't be coincidental. Perhaps a breed's ability to perform its developed function is inversely proportional to its conformance with the artificial standards concocted for them by these show world people. Consequently, dogs like German Shepherds who are bred for real work like guiding the blind,police and track work, etc, have no chance in these "beauty" shows. Sporting breeds who are entered in these shows are generally divided into bench lines and field dogs, and in some cases like the English Setter, there is a substantial difference in appearance between the two, the bench dog looking very beautiful, but not being very functional, and the field trial dog not looking so great, but being much better at what the breed was originally developed for.

Another example is the English Bulldog. The Bulldog was originally a large, powerful aggressive and agile animal developed for the brutal sport of bull-baiting. When British sensibilities mandated an end to that "sport", they deliberately bred that magnificent animal into the gargoylesque creature known as the "English Bulldog". Today, there is a dog known as the American Bulldog, whic is NOT recognized by the AKC, but which more closely resembles their common forebearer. It makes an excellent and effective guard dog and companion and has even been used for hunting. While the English Bulldog experiences respiratory difficulties and births occur via caesarian section as the heads have been developed to such an abornmal degree they can't pass though the mother's pelvic passage.

It is no accident that people who have real working breeds like coonhounds, bearhounds, and border collies and whose interest lies in the breed's ability to accomplish its purpose rather than conformance with an effete beauty standard, don't actively seek AKC recognition for their dogs.

[wheels]

The thing that curls my toes concerning the Westminster is the constant harping by the on-air twits that this is a SPORT. It is not a sport any more than New York Times puzzle solving is a sport. (Boy this should bring out the flamers.)

[fporretto]

GO, NEWF!
BEST DOGS IN THE WORLD!

(From a very satisfied Newfoundland owner.)

Freedom, Wealth, and Peace,
Francis W. Porretto
Visit The Palace Of Reason:
http://palaceofreason.com

[Mr. Mojo]

I've owned Newfoundlands most of my life, so I'm rooting for this unbelievably impressive example to take the big prize. They're the greatest dogs in the world, imo.