What's New for This Year's National Dog Show?

Russell Terrier

By Linda Cole

For most families, the holiday season is about tradition. One tradition many dog lovers look forward to every year is the National Dog Show. I recently sat in on a media conference call with David Frei, Director of Communications for the Westminster Kennel Club, and Mary Carillo, retired tennis pro and dog lover who reports behind the scenes of the benched competition. David and Mary discussed what's new for this year's National Dog Show.

November 22 is the 11th year for the National Dog Show, which draws around 20 million viewers every year. The dog show is only one of six where the public is allowed to mingle with the pets, handlers and groomers for an “up close and personal” look at what goes on to get the dogs ready for competition.

Treeing Walker Coonhound

If you're in the Philadelphia area, you can take in the show first hand November 17 - 18 at the Expo Center in Oaks, PA. You can check out the contestants in the bench area, talk to their owners/handlers, and enjoy demonstrations by canine athletes showing off their mad skills in Freestyle Flying Disc and Diving Dog. Two new breeds, the Russell Terrier and the Treeing Walker Coonhound, will be introduced this year at the show. This brings the number of dog breeds officially recognized by the American Kennel Club up to 175.

A new therapy dog ambassador team will be introduced this year at the National Dog Show. Li'l Abner and Stella are Dogues de Bordeaux, and Vivian is a Staffordshire/Boston Terrier mix. They will be walking in the footprints of two very special therapy dog ambassadors who passed away earlier this year. Eli, a Belgian Sheepdog, was at ground zero after the 9/11 terrorist attack. He also worked with troubled teens and was part of David Frei's Angel on a Leash organization. Eli died on April 11, just weeks before his 13th birthday. He was owned by Sherry Hanley.

What Westminster Dog Show Champions Do After the Big Win

By Linda Cole

After a dog has won top honors at the most prestigious dog show in the world, what else is there left to accomplish? A win at the Westminster Dog Show is the highlight of any show dog's career and most winners are ready to kick back and retire from the ring, but not all of them. Here's what a few past Westminster champions have been doing since their big win.

Rufus the colored Bull Terrier, 2006 winner

Ch. Rocky Top's Sundance Kid, better known as Rufus, the colored Bull Terrier, made Westminster history when he delighted the crowd and won Best in Show. Rufus retired after his crowning as the 100 year dog and the only colored Bull Terrier to win at Westminster. However, he isn't a canine to sit back on his haunches and while away his retirement years. When his owner, Barb Bishop, saw that he was getting bored, she decided he needed a job. Rufus is now a certified therapy dog, giving comfort to people in nursing homes and hospitals. He is also an ambassador for bully breeds, teaching children about responsible dog ownership, and educating people about breed specific legislation and myths about the bully breeds.

James the English Springer Spaniel, 2007 winner

Ch. Felicity's Diamond Jim was a therapy dog beginning at the age of seven months. After retiring from the dog show ring, he simply picked up where he had left off. Owner Teresa Patton and James worked with Angel on a Leash, as well as other pet therapy organizations. He also helped raise around $15,000 participating in memory walks for the Alzheimer's Association. After winning at Westminster, James went on to finish four rally titles and won his first obedience title. Sadly, James passed away in May 2011 from lymphoma. He was one of the oldest Springer Spaniels to win at Westminster.

Uno the Beagle, 2008 winner

Ch. K-Run's Park Me in First went on a nationwide tour with David Frei, Westminster's famous announcer and founder of Angel on a Leash, as an ambassador to help promote canine therapy work. Uno was a busy Beagle and tossed out the first pitch at baseball games, put in appearances at art galleries and charity fundraisers, rode on a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade float, turned on purple and gold lights at the Empire State Building for the 2009 Westminster Week celebrations, and was an honored guest at the White House. Now, Uno is happy being just a dog, hanging out with his best friend Caroline Dowell, playing with his canine buddies, and snoozing on Caroline's bed.

Will You Be Watching the National Dog Show Tomorrow?

Eli, National Dog Show Ambassador

By Linda Cole

This year, the National Dog Show will celebrate its 10th anniversary. The televised dog show has become a Thanksgiving Day tradition along with the Macy’s parade. What better way to spend the holiday than surrounded by family and friends as you enjoy a fun filled afternoon of marching bands and floats, good food and lots of great dogs.

I was invited to attend a phone press conference last week that included David Frei and Mary Carillo. David is the Communications Director for the Westminster Dog Show, and Mary is a retired tennis pro turned sports broadcaster. David is hosting the National Dog Show this year, and Mary is the featured reporter and commentator.

The National Dog Show is one of only six dog shows where the public is invited to go behind the scenes to meet the dogs and talk with their handlers and groomers. The show draws the top ranked dogs and this year's entries will be close to 2,000 dogs. Dog lovers can see firsthand how show dogs are prepped for the big stage. Around 20 million dog loving viewers tuned in to watch last year's show.

Attending an International Dog Show

By Lynn Taylor

Most people have heard of the traditional AKC Dog Conformation show, but have you ever heard of the International Dog Show that takes place in the U.S.? The International All Breed Canine Association (IABCA) is an independent organization that offers the same ring procedures as the other organizations but with the European-style flavor of providing all dogs with a written critique against the breed standard. There are both American (AKC) and International judges at every show, including judges from Australia, Canada, Colombia, Germany, Puerto Rico and Sweden.

The IABCA began more than twenty years ago with the intent of making the International Title available to the American public without having to expose dogs to the dangers and inconvenience of international travel.

I attended my first show recently and was very pleased with it. The show runs as a typical dog show with the same ring process. However in addition, during each show personalized attention is given to each exhibitor by the judge and a full written critique of your dog is received encompassing 12 different parts of his body and movement. The judges take time to explain what they see in each dog. It provides a nice relaxed atmosphere too.

When working toward an International or National Title, the dog is judged against the breed standard and rated. The rating of each show will count towards the title. In turn the rating will determine the title your dog will receive. There are both puppy and adult titles available. During each show there are Class winners and a Best of Breed winner that moves on to Best in Show.

How a Dog Show Helps You Find the Right Breed

By Linda Cole

Finding the right dog for your lifestyle is difficult if you don't know what a specific breed's characteristics are. We see well trained dogs in movies and TV commercials, and think maybe that dog breed would be a great pet, but it doesn't necessarily mean he's the right breed for you. A dog show gives you the opportunity to see different breeds up close and personal, making a difficult and important decision a little less of a gamble.

Dog shows give you a venue where you can talk with responsible breeders who raise purebred dogs. They know their dog breed inside and out, and are your best source of information. Breeders can tell you about a dog's personality and breed characteristics which helps you decide if a dog breed will fit into a certain lifestyle. A Border Collie, Pointer or any dog from the working group is perfect for an active family who loves getting outside with their dog, but they may not fit into a lifestyle that includes small children or small pets, like cats. Someone looking for a small dog thinking the dog's smaller size would be perfect can be surprised by a Terrier who digs up their flower garden or spends the day yapping at the neighbor's outside cat.

What is a Conformation Dog Show?

By Linda Cole

If you want to see a good representation of purebred dogs looking their best, a dog show is the best place to go. A conformation dog show is considered to be a beauty contest, but there's a lot more to it than that. The dogs are well trained, and each one is an ambassador representing their breed.

The recent showing of the National Dog Show on Thanksgiving and Westminster Dog Show are good examples of conformation shows. These are benched shows, which means people attending are allowed to mingle with the dogs backstage and talk to dog experts who can answer their questions. Both shows are nationally televised, but conformation dog shows take place across the country all year.

What Happens at a Dog Show?

By Ruthie Bently

Have you ever been to a conformation dog show and thought you had just entered a three ring circus? Now that the Westminster Kennel Club Show at Madison Square Gardens is being televised, it is a bit easier to follow a dog show, but what really goes on? The premise of an all breed conformation dog show is to find the one dog that is the best representation of its own breed. The way this is done is to judge the dog’s physical structure and overall appearance against a set standard for the breed.

At an all breed conformation dog show, the first thing that happens is that the breeds are judged against their own kind to find the best single dog of one given breed. For example, all Labrador Retrievers would compete against each other. This competition is done in the breed ring. After a dog wins its breed, it goes on to the group ring and competes against the other dogs in a specific group. The different groups are Working, Herding, Non-sporting, Terrier, Toy, Hound and Sporting. So a Labrador Retriever would be shown in the Sporting Group, and a Chihuahua would be shown in the Toy Group. After a dog wins in their group ring, they go on to the Best in Show ring and are shown against all the other group winners that were chosen that day.

There are two other kinds of conformation dog shows: specialty shows and group shows. The specialty show is held for one specific breed; for example, there is an American Staffordshire Terrier specialty show every year. Only AmStaffs are invited, but they could come from all over the world, as long as they are registered with the AKC (if the show is held in the United States). The group show is open to dogs of a certain AKC group, i.e., a show for the hound group would be open to Bloodhounds, Greyhounds, Afghan hounds and other dogs in that group. Each dog entered in any AKC or breed club sanctioned dog show must at least meet the minimum requirements for their breed. Each dog is judged by a set standard for its own breed, and can earn points toward a championship.

It takes fifteen points to become an AKC champion. Out of those fifteen points the dog must earn two majors, which is an awarded score of either three, four or five points. The way they determine how high the points awarded will be, is by the number of male and female dogs entered in the show. The more dogs entered, the higher the points awarded. There are seven different classes that a dog can be entered in depending on their age, whether or not their handler is an amateur, who their breeder is, and whether they were born in the United States. After the seven different classes are judged, the winning males and females are brought back and compete again to see which one is best. The males and females are judged separately and only the top two dogs judged “Best Female” and “Best Male” are given championship points.

Besides regular conformation dog shows, you can attend field trials for agility, tracking, herding and hunting, as well as lure coursing, rally, and obedience trials. You can find shows scheduled in your area by visiting the American Kennel Club’s website for more information. These shows are also a great way to get a feel for a specific breed of dog, and what they are capable of doing. So, if you are looking for a new game to play with your own dog, you might want to give one of these shows a look.

Read more articles by Ruthie Bently