Poodles on Parade: 2012 Westminster Dog Show tonight

[Garden Kitty]

Wonder if Pedigree is doing another fundraiser this year? They earned $500K last year for shelters.

Pedigree will be on The View on Feb 17th for The Mutt Show.

[oleada]

Schnauzers of all sizes

[rfisher]

Gorgeous Irish Setter winning the sporting group.

Westminster and AKC have a dilemma with the shelter endorsements. It's not that they are opposed to shelters (although they prefer breed rescue groups), it's the mixed breed dogs that make up the majority of shelters. Those dogs should never have been there in the first place. They have the same issues with backyard breeders who sell to puppy mills. Two dogs should only be bred in order to improve the breed standard. The pups that aren't breeding quality should be spayed/neutered and sold as companion dogs. If this was the case, there wouldn't be any need for the animal shelters and thousands of dogs wouldn't be put down each year. So, it's a dilemma for them. I buy my dog food at PetCo and buy a bag of food for the local shelter each time I go. I don't buy Pedigree (mostly because it's not very good dog food ). I also bring my old towels and other things for them. However, I've always had purebred dogs bought from responsible breeders.

Go Dobie or Akita in the next group. My Akita was the granddaughter of the Akita that won Westminster. And she looked a lot like this dog. Bella is watching her.

Bernese Mountain Dogs remind me of a snickers bar.

I love those Suburu commercials.

[danceronice]

G. I buy my dog food at PetCo and buy a bag of food for the local shelter each time I go. I don't buy Pedigree (mostly because it's not very good dog food ).

Another point, if the ads are true and the last five winners were all eating Purina Pro Plan, maybe it started to seem a little silly advertising Pedigree? (Don't look at me, I feed my dogs a diet called "whatever wet food is on sale and Tractor Supply 4Health Kibble.")

And SOMEDAY, I will have a registered purebred puppy. I should have built up enough homeless-pet spay-netuer karma with five dogs and four cats I can get myself Stump Jr if I want. (I adore Stump. I'm a Stump fangirl. I get the Uno love, I've had beagles and beagle mixes, I have my Pembroke, but I just adore Stump.)

[rfisher]

A purebred doesn't have to cost that much if you're buying pet quality.

The Dobie wins! One of the best dogs I've ever owned. RIP Cody. We had boxers when I was a kid. Also great dogs.

[danceronice]

Eh, I'd end up buying with an eye to showing if I buy a purebred. I'm helpless that way. Thank God I don't have the money yet to buy into a racing syndicate (but when I found myself seriously reading Little Red Feather Racing's prospectus for 2012 I realized I should just accept it and save my pennies and start comparing them and Karakorum Racing and West Point Thoroughbreds.) I'd have to get past the guilt complex of not going to the county shelter, though. One of my current dogs (the purebred, actually, a BHT Pembroke Corgi) is a shelter dog, the other is a second-hand...something. Part Aussie, part...I am never sure. I would guess either a sight hound or a pointer/gun dog of some sort. His mother was dumped in a friend's driveway and they kept him (the runt) when she had puppies. Friend's parents died, she couldn't keep him, I'd just bought a house...he's a good old dog.

But I really really really would love a Sussex...and dog showing looks like fun. Yeah, crazy people. But please, I worked for a skating club and I ballroom dance and I started in horses in hunters. They can sell crazy somewhere else, I'm stocked up already.

[Allskate]

Two dogs should only be bred in order to improve the breed standard. The pups that aren't breeding quality should be spayed/neutered and sold as companion dogs. If this was the case, there wouldn't be any need for the animal shelters and thousands of dogs wouldn't be put down each year.

Not everyone shares that view about breeding in order to improve breeding standard. There are so many dogs out there who don't fall into that category. And the best (and best funded) shelters spay and neuter every animal they put up for adoption. I think supporting those neutering efforts is a good thing and I applaud the people and companies that support those shelters. I suspect lots of dog lovers, including many who watch the Westminster dog show and many who have purebreds acquired from more responsible breeders, support those efforts.

A lot of times, dog cost is a matter of both chance and breed. My sister's dog has cost her a small fortune in surgeries in the few years she's had her purebred, but she knows someone who got a dog from the same breeder who hasn't had nearly the same problems.

[danceronice]

HEY! MOUNT PLEASANT! LOCAL GUY! GO BEDLINGTON!

(However, their groomers either lie or have never spoken with the Komendor and Puli people. Or combed a Maltese.)

[rfisher]

Clearly, most people don't support the concept that dogs should never be bred except to improve the breed or there wouldn't be dogs in shelters. That is the ideal. Unfortunately, it's not the norm. It is the concept endorsed by the AKC and all breed groups and major shows. I was approached by several people about breeding my Poodles to a lab or golden. When I bought my dogs, I signed an agreement to neuter the dogs which I did. I wouldn't have considered breeding them to another breed under any circumstances in any event. I contribute to shelters, as I said, but I've never got a dog from them any more than I would ever, ever buy a dog from a pet store. But, that's just me. I hate that people are irresponsible with their pets, but many are. Although, I think I succeed in talking my niece out of buying a lab puppy for her 7 yo. He's not responsible enough to take care of the dog and it would have been an unhappy experience for all of them, especially since his parents didn't want to take care of the dog. They were just going on sentiment and not sense.

[dbell1]

<<waiting patiently for the Soft Coated Wheatens. Everyone check that one out, it's what my Scruffy would be if he wasn't a spaz with a skin allergy. He came with papers, so there's a purebred in the house. I like mutts. Son fell in love with him when I was out looking for another girl Shepherd. Yep, the terrier and the boy fell in love at first sight.

My fuzzies here eat holistic food. They were on Bench & Field and are now on something I buy at BJs that's holistic (wheat free). Really ironic that the WHEATEN has a wheat allergy.

[rfisher]

Have you looked at Nutro Plus? It's grain free. I feed it or Taste of the Wild since Bella's IMHA flair up. I don't know the cost difference in what you're feeding. My dogs do very well on both feeds.

That soft coated Wheaten is cute. Are they typical terrier temperment?

I'm at my dogs going up to the TV and putting their nose on the screen for different dogs. Bella liked the big males in the working group. Draco likes the smaller females. How do they know?????

[danceronice]

Although, I think I succeed in talking my niece out of buying a lab puppy for her 7 yo. He's not responsible enough to take care of the dog and it would have been an unhappy experience for all of them, especially since his parents didn't want to take care of the dog. They were just going on sentiment and not sense.

We got a puppy (beagle-aussie mix from our neighbors---they found the mother in a cardboard box by the side of the road) when I was seven-ish. There was no question who was going to be raising the puppy (Mom.) He was a great dog. One thing I like about Puff, he reminds me of Oscar. Mom and Dad had German Shepherds up until I was little--the last one snapped at toddler me because he was in pain (some sort of congenital heart defect.) He had to be put down. That was a NOT responsible breeder.

Awww.. I don't like those type of terriers. I was pulling for the Skye or Scottie.

Peke Peke Peke Peke Peke....

[A.H.Black]

Someday I would like to see a lab or a golden win something. Or even a collie.

[dbell1]

RF - well, Wheatens should be intelligent and very loyal. Very inquisitive, but less "Terrieristic", sort of laid back. Scruff was a leftover marked down at the local pet store. Bought from a home breeder for a client who wanted a Wheaten male. When the guy changed his mind, he sat there for 5 months. I'd never heard of the breed before walking in there. I researched the breed, looked for a rescue one, but they're pretty rare. I thought my son would be set on a Shepherd, but when we walked back in, he went right over to Scruff. He has some major issues though. Total spaz. Goes nuts around other people. And Wheatens have a ton of allergies.

Time for Best in Show. Totally rooting for the Shepherd. But the Peke is awesome. And that Dalmatian is very handsome...

[rfisher]

Part of his spaz is probably due to being in the pet store that long, poor little guy. Glad you found him


We're going with the Dobie. That is one gorgeous dog. My dad already called me to tell me it was going to be the Shepherd.

[danceronice]

What was that that just happened behind the BiS judge as they were announcing her? Looked like they grabbed some guy and were hauling him out of the audience.

[IceAlisa]

Please not the Dobie. Please not the Dobie. Better the Peke than the Dobie. I knew a Dobie named Daisy when I was a kid--the stupidest, most annoying dog that ever lived. I wonder if she was named after a character in The Great Gatsby.

[dbell1]

Dobies are cool. Coworker had a show dobie. He passed last year from a heart ailment.

Judge's outfit is fugly. Hope she doesn't scare the dogs with that getup.

[rfisher]

Please not the Dobie. Please not the Dobie. Better the Peke than the Dobie. I knew a Dobie named Daisy when I was a kid--the stupidest, most annoying dog that ever lived. I wonder if she was named after a character in The Great Gatsby.

That's unusual. Dobermans rank in the top 10 for dog intelligence. Mine was a wonderful dog and fantastic with my son when he was a baby.

I've yet to see a female judge who didn't have horrible taste in clothing.

[IceAlisa]

That's unusual. Dobermans rank in the top 10 for dog intelligence. Mine was a wonderful dog and fantastic with my son when he was a baby.

I guess Daisy was born on the shallow end of the gene pool. And here's Malachy in all his glory: http://imgs.sfgate.com/c/pictures/20...0106754831.jpg