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Westminster

13K views 65 replies 37 participants last post by  Ironman 
#1 ·
Anybody watch last night? I caught the re-run this morn and saw some of the non-sporting and the herding breeds. I believe that in both those groups there were dogs in the arena who were actually working dogs that lived on farms or ranches and did what they were bread to do in their "real lives", and they looked fit and capable to me.
 
#2 ·
I am afraid to look at it. I am appalled at seeing German Shepherd Dogs that look like they are in pain and are dragging their rear ends around the ring. It's no wonder NYPD buys only from German breeders.

I would love to hear EdA comment on that.
 
#31 · (Edited)
The yellow Lab looked like an obese dwarf. Hard to look at. I wonder how many other breeds (besides German Shepards) I am not so familiar with have been to a conformation so far from what natural?
I hate the "labs" that they show in that stupid event. Maybe Mr. Bobby Lane could get Ali to show them what a working dog looks like.

Not Ali, but another very good looking working dog (FC AFC CFC CAFC Mission Mountain Ninja "Ninja".)

 
#6 ·
The one with the best groomer wins
 
#15 ·
Because they are so stinking cute--little dog with big attitude and happy happy personality~~

by the time you get to that level--everyone has great structure and type--so the ATTITUDE makes the dog a winner.

Did I mention how cute they are??!!

Kudos to the Russell Terrier--its first time at Westminster and it gets a group 4--I just love the little Russells.

Is the dog not suppose to be judge against the "Breed" standard? If so how does and why would attitude play any part in the results?
JUNK
 
#16 · (Edited)
Is the dog not suppose to be judge against the "Breed" standard? If so how does and why would attitude play any part in the results?
JUNK

AGAIN--when they get to this level they all meet standard and type. You don't get a dog into the BIS that is sub-standard. Sooooooooooo--what is going to catch the judges eye??? The ho-hum prance around the ring "I'm a nice dog." or the "BAADDA-BING HERE I AM WORLD!!!" dog??

JUNK?! --- wow. nice.
 
#11 ·
I only got a glimps of the lab and after last year that was enough. I really liked the American fox hound and the wire haired pointer. Thought the little terrier was nice too. I would really like to see some of the coated dogs shaved down so you could get a good look at their structure. Nothing could be hidden on the 3 I mentioned.
 
#14 ·
#18 ·
I enjoyed it- Banana Joe was nice- moved very well and had that attitude.
I thought the niceste dog on the BIS ring was the Port Water Dog-
Would have loved for the GWP to take it but has that ever happened? Sort of like a lab taking BIS, not gonna happen because theyre not flashy enough. Nice group though-
 
#19 ·
BOdine you should have warned me I was drinking my coffe and nearly choked. It was a great laugh.
 
#24 ·
makes me smile.... I swear people are WAY Too serious
 
#25 ·
I really liked the wirehair..but when did they start shaving their necks? Nicely balanced and a good mover. The Foxhound was also nice, as was the Bichon. Cool that the Old English Sheepdog made it all the way to Reserve BIS when it isn't even a CH yet!
I was appalled at the amount of crooked legged dogs...lots of pigeon toed dogs in the sporting group...the Brittany was one of the worst, the English Setter was crooked too, and the hocks on the Gordon reminded me of the GSDs....so sickle hocked.
 
#26 ·
Sharon
Even though the English Setter had a nice side gait , he was very straight ! I watched breed judging and wrote a note about him , he had very little bend and an upright shoulder. Balanced but..... The dog has a BIS ! I was pulling for Swagger what a nice young dog!!
 
#28 ·
I was appalled at the amount of crooked legged dogs...lots of pigeon toed dogs in the sporting group...the Brittany was one of the worst, the English Setter was crooked too, and the hocks on the Gordon reminded me of the GSDs....so sickle hocked.
My wife and I were watching the replay of last year on Sunday night. We have not shown dogs for over ten years. We were surprised at how poorly moving so many dogs were. It was easy to remember the good moving ones since there were so few. Many dogs looked great stacked up. But, as soon as they started to move they were sidewinding, mincing, etc. It was very easy to see how their structure caused them to have the gait they did.

Tom
 
#30 ·
The GWP is the #1 dog in the country for ALL breeds, he has right around 90 Best in Shows. And while there is no way you could possibly campaign a dog at that level (he shows 3-5 days a week every week) and do anything else with him, his owners do run hunt tests and field trials with their other GWPs.
 
#65 ·
Really? I had no idea Victor Malzoni, who lives in Colombia, ran hunt test and field trials. Cool! I do know he spent a boatload of money last year, including a private plane, to make sure that Oakley finished as the #1 show dog in the States. He also owns the #4 dog, a Wire-Haired Fox Terrier.
 
#33 ·
Unfortunately what the general public sees on tv forms their ideas of what labs look like. I have a very good looking 2 year old male, (Eba and Ram lines) no bias here ;);). I take him to work with me every day. Not a week goes by without a visitor or guest commenting on how sweet my lab "mix" is. The one or two times I have asked what made them think he was a mix, the reply was the same. Oh he is so much taller and his head isn't blocky! Shoot, this is one of the nicest proportioned dogs I've seen, not weedy, not whippet headed but I just smile and thank them for the complement.
 
#50 · (Edited)
Unfortunately what the general public sees on tv forms their ideas of what labs look like. .
Surprised they would call your lighter style labs mixes. I would argue that most people perception of a Lab is the Hollywood Marley/Old Yellar/Sit BoBo, Cottonail/Advantix Puppy type, your basic long nosed backyard American Lab. I'd say that when most people are first shown a Show-type Lab, they would be more likely to call that a lab/rottweiler mix of some sort, this is what I thought the first time I saw them at a Lab Club Conformation/OB event, I couldn't believe how big they were, the 8wk old pups were twice the size (shear bulk) of my skinny 12w old pup.
 
#35 ·
It CAN be done, this boy would put mud on your face leavin' the line and run like a bat outta heck there and back and would never get tired of it. He ran hard and determined. They told me he wouldn't win in the show ring and I saw the snickers as I walked up to the ring entrance that first time and they saw mine when I walked out WINNERS DOG over SPECIAL'S on some BEST IN SHOW HANDLERS...yeah baby... He remained competitive and kept taking those points... I was on a high with a boy that I felt was EVERYTHING I worked for. So instead of wishing someone else would get a better dog in the ring...why don't YOU get a better dog in the ring... and then take him to the field and show 'em that IT CAN BE DONE :) Never a day passes that I don't wish I could throw for him one more time ....

Mammal Dog Vertebrate Canidae Dog breed
Horse Mustang horse Wildlife Stallion Mane
Dog Vertebrate Canidae Mammal Dog breed
 
#36 ·
Glad to know some of the midgets can do field work. Our field labs would not get to first base in the ring because they don't begin to conform to the "breed standard". I always said, though, that I didn't care what they look like if they could bring in the placements and had fun doing it.
 
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