2013 Westminster Dog Show - Feb. 11 & 12

[danceronice]

After watching this show for over 20 years, one gets the sense that the judges know who's likely to win. While the results aren't fixed per se... it seems like they know who will win. For example after hearing the record of the Affenpinscher, I knew he'd win the toy group, and he did. It just seems like the group in the Best in Show group rarely has upsets....the Old English Sheepdog notwithstanding.

Well, duh, they campaign the dogs in advertising, and the more you're seen, the more the judges know you. If judge after judge says "This is an ideal Affenpinscher" and you see it repeated in advertising over and over, that animal's in the front of your mind.

*sigh* No Clumber again (I adore Clumbers, and Sussex Spaniels.) And I was kind of pulling for the Westie or Scottie, figured it would be the Wire Fox, but hey, Smooth Fox...not my favorite (I like the Scottish terrier breeds and tend to think wire coats are more 'terrier.') But then there's the miniature Bull Terrier, which is something I need to just keep forgetting exists because I do not need one but I so do...I'd have a house full of terriers and small spaniels if left to myself. (What do I have? A Pem Corgi and a herding mix.)

[Garden Kitty]

How do they determine what order they enter the ring? It's not the order of the various group judging.

[Lacey]

Sporting - German Wirehaired Pointer
Hound - American Foxhound
Working - Portugese Water Dog
Herding -Old English Sheepdog
Non-Sporting - Bichon Frise
Terrier - Smooth Fox Terrier
Toy - Affenpinscher

[danceronice]

I've always wondered do they put the toy last because having him in the front or middle would usually cause a bottleneck?

Go Swagger!

[centerstage01]

I got all happy for a minute because a Westie was in the bunch, but they never seem to make the final group. *sigh* I love Westies. Mine lived to a ripe old age of 13.

[Garden Kitty]

I've always wondered do they put the toy last because having him in the front or middle would usually cause a bottleneck?

Go Swagger!

That makes sense, and the host suggested that the toy was last because of size.

[Lacey]

Reserve Dog (second) - Old English Sheepdog
Champion Dog (first) - Affenpinscher

[Garden Kitty]

My favorite foxhound was robbed!! The affenpinscher flutzed!!!

[danceronice]

Aw, I would have flipped it. But then I just don't care for Affenpinschers in general, rather like my unreasoning prejudice against Pomeranians.

[Sparks]

My favorite foxhound was robbed!! The affenpinscher flutzed!!!

Agreed! Sometimes I feel like the Dog Show is like Ice Dance!

[halffull]

I loved Swagger. Amazingly huge ball of fluff Wouldn't want to have to groom him or sweep the floor after him but boy was he cute

[IceAlisa]

Please don't tell me a Pomeranian won BIS or even worse, an affenpinscher. I am still recovering from Kevin Reynolds' win at 4CC.

[zaphyre14]

Of the lot, I was hoping for the Old English Sheepdog, but I went to bed before the terriers ended. The only thing I don't like about the judging is that the "power" is all in one person's hands. How can any one person know everything about every breed?

[halffull]

I agree zaphyre14. They commented before the final round that the judge was told which 7 breeds he'd be judging so he could go read up on any breed he wasn't overly familiar with Doesn't seem right to me.

[Artemis@BC]

Well poop. I don't get Animal Planet so have to wait til this weekend to watch on Discovery ... so I was vigorously avoiding this thread to keep myself spoiler free. But as I was driving in to work this am they gave the results at the end of the radio news. I realized what was being said a second too late and didn't hit the power button in time. Poop, spoiled again.

As for the results ... meh. I think they're ugly little dogs, but whatever. It does make sense, though, that the toys win more than any other group: after all, their only job is to look good and show off. We can't have a Hickory every year I guess!

*sigh*

[Aimless]

Agreed! Sometimes I feel like the Dog Show is like Ice Dance!

I had exactly the same thought. So much is on reputation, what the judge likes that day, the same whiff of subjectivity that makes it so much fun to discuss.

[Lacey]

I think the commentator, whose name escapes me, David something, said during the tromping around the room that the Aff is a square dog, that about sums it up.

I agree that it should be a team selecting the winner, and this year, the winners.

The Sheepdog was in his rookie season and was not expected to win his group, much less get to the final, much less be Reserve Champion. IMO, he should have won just on being that good that young. (Although it turned out the Portugese Water Dog was also just about 20 months old.)

I like the German Wirehaired Pointer, he had some character.

There were some stories I would love to read more about, Wirehaired Fox had won two national shows previous to this one this year, one outside of Philly on Thanksgiving and another in either Cal or Fla in January, and was beaten out of its group by Smooth Fox, the Phantom one. Scandal!

Wonder if the Sheepdog will come back next year, or if he will take his money in stud fees and run.

[danceronice]

Unless he is now AUTOMATICALLY finished (do they point for WKC?) I would think they kind of have to keep showing because Swagger wasn't just a rookie, he's an unfinished class dog--no "Ch." in front of his name. The Portuguese was finished, so less exceptional for him to win group. Young dogs aren't unusual, but since they haven't allowed class dogs in for years, having one the first year they open it up again win BoB and BiG and be the first Reserve Champion is kind of amazing.

The one-judge thing usually doesn't bother me except man, this guy was young. (Relatively speaking.) Normally they're older than Methuselah and have been judging all the groups, so even if they don't know every single breed, they've got a broad experience base.

And with so many breeds, it's so hard to say without actually putting your hands on the dog. So what do I know.

My favorite shot of the night-the lineup outside the ring before best in show where I swear the Portie was sniffing the OES going "How do you see in there?" "See what?"

[Japanfan]

One again the big dogs wuzrobbed.

[PrincessLeppard]

I just googled a picture of the affenpinscher. What a hideous dog.