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NEW YORK (Reuters) -- A peppy Scottish terrier known as Sadie was crowned the nation's top dog on Tuesday, winning Best in Show at the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club championship. Sadie, a jet-black four-year-old bitch formally known as Ch Roundtown Mercedes of Maryscot, displayed the ideal combination of breeding standards and confidence, beating out 2,500 entrants at the 134-year-old dog show. "She's the total package," marveled Elliot Weiss, of Eagle, Idaho, who judged the Best in Show round before a cheering, capacity crowd at Madison Square Garden. "This is the complete dog ... That's what you want a Scottie to...

The Scottish Terrier won tonight.

For the 19th consecutive year, the Labrador Retriever has held on to its title as America's "Top Dog," according to the American Kennel Club's (AKC) 2009 registration statistics. In a nod to watchdog breeds, the German Shepherd Dog overtook the Yorkshire Terrier to claim the spot of "second most popular pooch" for the first time in more than three decades. An American favorite since the time of Rin Tin Tin, the German Shepherd Dog became the number one breed of the 1920s, but then slipped in popularity until after World War II. The German Shepherd Dog isn't the only working...

Obama wins 2009 AKC "Best of SHow".

Apparently the Super Bowl ad didn't get enough attention.

The American Kennel Club (AKC) and the Ku-Klux Klan are probably two organizations that don't draw any immediate parallels in the minds of most Americans. When the 133rd annual Westminster Dog Show airs on the USA Network next week, it is probably a safe bet that the last things that will pop into the skulls of the sane are burning crosses, lynchings and white hoods.Then, of course, there's PETA (People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals) - the radical organization of unhinged moonbats that advocates moral and legal equality between human beings and animals. This is the same fanatical...

This is a great public service announcement by the AKC on the importance of properly training and caring for your new puppy. Marley video Thanks to Darnright for finding this.

As President-Elect Barack Obama prepares to move into the White House, he will now have to make good on all his campaign promises, including his most important vow to his family -- to get his daughters a dog.

AKC Selects Short List of "Canine Candidates" and Enlists America's Help to Choose the Right Dog Breed for the Obama Family @ www.presidentialpup.com New York, NY – Vice President isn't the only high-level position that Barack Obama is currently trying to fill. It's been widely reported that – win or lose – the Obamas have promised their two daughters a dog after the presidential election. With 158 breeds registered by the American Kennel Club® (AKC®) – each with its own unique temperament, coat type, size, energy level and appearance – the search for a canine cabinet member is on. "Deciding...

NEW YORK - For the first time in 72 years, the bulldog has muscled its way back into the Top 10 most popular breeds in the nation. The top dog for the 17th consecutive year was the Labrador retriever, the American Kennel Club said Wednesday. The bulldog was selected 10th in a survey of the 50 largest cities in 2007. "The bulldog is both docile and adaptive and can thrive in small or large homes," the AKC said. "It's an excellent all-around family pet." The thickset canine, with its low-swung body, sagging snout and wide shoulders, last made the Top...

AKC dog registry welcoming coonhounds to purebred world By Coke Ellington Associated Press Raleigh | The American Kennel Club is trying to make coonhounds couth. The nation's largest and most recognized dog registry is in the early stages of a major push to add coonhounds to its prestigious rolls, hoping both to increase its membership and to assure these sad-eyed symbols of country life stick around a while longer. "We're interested in the registration of these dogs and their litters, but we're most interested in preserving these dogs for the future," said Steve Fielder, who moved to Raleigh in late...

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A colored bull terrier known as Rufus made history on Tuesday, becoming the first of his breed to win best in show at the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.Formally named Rocky Top's Sundance Kid, the 5-year-old tan and white bull terrier beat six other finalists, including classic family dogs such as a golden retriever and an Old English sheepdog who were the clear crowd pleasers. He also triumphed over more than 2,600 other entrants at the world's largest and most prestigious dog show.But Rufus' owner Barbara Bishop of Holmdel, New Jersey, said her dog was...

NEW YORK - When he was a boy, Hiram Stewart took a bus to Virginia, put a puppy in a paper bag and cradled it all the way home to New Orleans.For more than three decades, he’s cared for dogs in the Big Easy. Usually champion dogs, the kind that will reach the Best in Show ring this week at Westminster.Still, nothing prepared him for what he saw happening to pets around town after Hurricane Katrina hit. Like that pair of little beagles with the pleading eyes, chained inside a garage.“Every time a car would drive by, they’d come out,...

Has anyone noticed that Ron Reagan is a commentator on the AKC Eukanuba National Championship? It's on live now on Animal Planet.I'd rather listen to the dogs.

The poodle pranced to the top of the list of Manhattan's most popular dog breeds in 2005. The poodle edged out the Labrador retriever and dachshund, the American Kennel Club said Tuesday. Manhattan's standard, miniature and toy poodles snatched No. 1 from the borough's dachshunds, which slid to third from 2004's top spot. The Labrador retriever was ranked No. 2, according to the kennel club, which based the rankings on its national registration statistics broken down by ZIP code. Next in popularity were the Yorkshire terrier, golden retriever, bulldog, French bulldog, Shih Tzu and Havanese. The 10th spot was shared...

Not too long ago, Labrador retrievers were considered a tad exotic. In the 1950s, the sporty mid-size breed was a suburban rarity, popular mainly among upper-crust Anglophiles who liked the idea of owning a dignified hunting dog. Today, however, Labs are the Levi's jeans of purebred dogs. They've topped the American Kennel Club's list of registered canines for 12 years straight. And not just topped, but dominated: The number of registered Labs is nearly three times the number of golden retrievers, the second most popular dog on the list

RALEIGH, N.C., March 3 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The American Kennel Club (AKC) announced today the "Top 10" most popular AKC registered dogs in Raleigh in 2004 (see note 1). Here's a look at the city's statistics as they compare to the rest of the country: RALEIGH 2004 1. Labrador Retriever; 2. Golden Retriever; 3. German Shepherd Dog; 4. Chihuahua; 5. Boxer; 6. Poodle; 7. Beagle; 8. Shetland Sheepdog; 9. Dachshund; 10. Shih Tzu NATIONWIDE 2004 1. Labrador Retriever; 2. Golden Retriever; 3. German Shepherd Dog; 4. Beagle; 5. Yorkshire Terrier; 6. Dachshund; 7. Boxer; 8. Poodle; 9. Shih Tzu; 10....

It’s showtime at 8:00 pm Eastern. Tonight we see the remaining three groups (sporting, hound, herding) – all leading to Best In Show!

As part of an ambitious effort to identify genes that cause disease in dogs and humans, scientists at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle analyzed DNA collected from 414 dogs representing 85 breeds, including some of the most popular. The findings have sent reverberations though the ranks of dog fanciers, who primp and preen their beloved companions for shows and take great pride in their pedigrees. "It was a surprise to find that some breeds such as the Ibizan hound and the Pharaoh hound, along with several others that dog aficionados have long believed dated back thousands of...

Presenting the 2003 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show – Live Thread – final night – Best In Show! 2,500 champion canines representing 156 recognized American Kennel Club breeds at Madison Square Garden in New York City. You can watch the live action on USA Network at 8:00 pm EST.Despite all the very important and grave news of the day, perhaps you can stop in for this little diversion. For all those who love canines, owners and want-to-be owners alike, join us with your thoughts, pictures, and experiences…… NOTE: Anniegetyourgun apologizes for having fallen down on my annual duties to bring...