# Westminster Dog Show



## Todd (Jan 13, 2010)

Hey guys. Anyone else besides myself watching the westminster dog show opening night on USA? (kinda like the doggie olympics I guess:biggrin


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## malluver1005 (Nov 15, 2009)

^^^^Yea, I like to watch dog shows. Not because of the Puk-anuba but I like to look at different breeds. :biggrin:


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## Todd (Jan 13, 2010)

malluver1005 said:


> ^^^^Yea, I like to watch dog shows. Not because of the Puk-anuba but I like to look at different breeds. :biggrin:


Puk-anuba:biggrin: and you wonder why most people recommend these foods??? we should have had jon and natalie post a big Prey Model Raw logo up:biggrin:


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## wags (Jan 31, 2009)

I watched it but missed the first 1/2 of it caught the end! Those dogs are just so darn cute! Love watching that stuff! What I really loved was the Puppy Bowl on super bowl day haha!:biggrin:


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## Todd (Jan 13, 2010)

wags said:


> I watched it but missed the first 1/2 of it caught the end! Those dogs are just so darn cute! Love watching that stuff! What I really loved was the Puppy Bowl on super bowl day haha!:biggrin:


oh i think i've seen that! the one where the puppies play on the little elevated board or whatever designed like a sporting field?:biggrin:


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

I personally dislike the show world for the most part. I dislike that dogs can become grand champions with debilatating genetic diseases and there is no regulation about that. Just makes me sick to think about. Seems like a lot of show people don't have their priorities set straight. Shouldn't health be the first and foremost concern?! Nope. It's mostly about looks...beauty pageant for dogs.

I'm certainly not saying that everyone that shows falls into this disappointing show criteria for me, but there are a lot of them that do. Here's an interesting article that sheds some light for me and just reinforces my thoughts and opinions onthe subject.

For the Westminster Dog Show, Lobbyists and Ad Campaigns - NYTimes.com


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## Todd (Jan 13, 2010)

danemama08 said:


> I personally dislike the show world for the most part. I dislike that dogs can become grand champions with debilitating genetic diseases and there is no regulation about that. Just makes me sick to think about. Seems like a lot of show people don't have their priorities set straight. Shouldn't health be the first and foremost concern?! Nope. It's mostly about looks...beauty pageant for dogs.
> 
> I'm certainly not saying that everyone that shows falls into this disappointing show criteria for me, but there are a lot of them that do. Here's an interesting article that sheds some light for me and just reinforces my thoughts and opinions on the subject.
> 
> For the Westminster Dog Show, Lobbyists and Ad Campaigns - NYTimes.com


i agree somewhat. although i find it interesting to watch dog shows here and there to see different breeds and learn about them, it seems like they're too hung up on "breed standards". for example, the labradors must be very heavyset/stocky to be involved, which is NOT healthy. It's not healthy to be overweight, and to breed a dog and almost purposefully accentuate the overweight component in that give dog, is very ignorant on a healthy standpoint. why do you think labs are genetically prone to hip displacia??? Because they have been bred and accepted as stocky, (in my opinion) overweight dogs).

in the shows the dogs are almost treated as objects rather than pets. it's pretty ridiculous looking. as i said, i would never want to be involved in those shows, but i watch them from time to time just to learn about different breeds. it also seems like the handlers jerk on the collars if the dogs quite a bit to get them to trot as supposed to. you can tell some of those dogs really dont want to be there, others dont seem to mind... but none really seem to love what they're doing. 

I personally endorse dog sporting events a lot more than i do dog shows but hey, people do sports and others do beauty pageants I guess. But here's the thing, a dog cant really decided for itself... it's the owner.


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## walteman (Aug 25, 2009)

i only watch the parts where there are dogs I like. Usually wait for the hound group (to check out the bloodhounds) and the working group (for the huskies and malamutes). I then see how my dogs stack up.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

I still enjoy looking at all the breeds that I like...Danes, Ridgebacks, Dobies, Wolfhounds, etc. They are all beautiful, its just the breeds that are selected for the extreme traits that cause more disease than anything. Show German Shepherds can hardly walk, unlike their working dog counterparts. All the ones that I see in the showring have an ataxic, irregular gait because their hips are so malformed and dysplastic. Its just sad to me that breeders continue to breed these dogs, when they obviously know that they have genetic, heritable disorders.

Why are so many beautiful breeds being deformed beyond function to be "beautiful?"


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## wags (Jan 31, 2009)

Todd said:


> oh i think i've seen that! the one where the puppies play on the little elevated board or whatever designed like a sporting field?:biggrin:


Ya! Its the football field with all those cute puppies that you can adopt! I watch it~ tape it ~rewatch~ then delete it haha! Its so fun to watch the pups! They have a kitty half/time show! Just adorable!:wink:


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## malluver1005 (Nov 15, 2009)

wags said:


> Ya! Its the football field with all those cute puppies that you can adopt! I watch it~ tape it ~rewatch~ then delete it haha! Its so fun to watch the pups! They have a kitty half/time show! Just adorable!:wink:


I love the kitty half time show!!!!! Too cute!!!! :biggrin:


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## ziggy29 (Feb 1, 2010)

I love looking at all the dogs, but sometimes I worry about the health of the dogs as there has to be a lot of "inbreeding" going on in order to preserve the purity of the breed.


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## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

ziggy29 said:


> I love looking at all the dogs, but sometimes I worry about the health of the dogs as there has to be a lot of "inbreeding" going on in order to preserve the purity of the breed.


I have relationships with several breeders, some tht show and some that don't. 

I think for the most part, inbreeding is not as practiced as i used to be, at least not with reputable breeders. Breed research is becoming more and more popular when people consider getting a dog, and no one wants an inbred dog. I do know of a handful of breeders who line breed, but even then, no close siblings are ever bred. 
I am BY NO MEANS saying that it doesn't happen. I know it does. There are FAR more BYB than there are ethical breeders, and I even know of Boxer breeders who use their whites as bitches and studs (huge no no if you go by ethics laid out by the Boxer club) so I wouldn't put it past breeders like that to be inbreeding. 

That's why I think it's SO important to really research your desired breed, and take the time to find a breeder whom you are comfortable with their practices. I ALWAYS put health testing before conformation. Always. That being said, it really annoys me to see "purebred Boxers" that don't even look like Boxers. They're the product of breeders who really have no idea what they're doing. Heath first and foremost, but conformation plays a part. If a dog doesn't have perfect health, and decent conformation, he should NOT be used for breeding. 

Just my two cents. :biggrin:

And speaking of dog shows:
Scottie Sadie wins Westminster after PETA protest - Yahoo! News
PETA drives me totally nuts. Crashing dog shows, really?


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## Todd (Jan 13, 2010)

does interbreeding between dog create the same possible deformaties as it does with interbreed humas?


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## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

Todd said:


> does interbreeding between dog create the same possible deformaties as it does with interbreed humas?


Yes it does.


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## ziggy29 (Feb 1, 2010)

Best in Show comes from the Terrier group. And, in other news, the sun rose in the east this morning and the sky is blue.

Is it really true that terriers are THAT much more likely to mirror the breed standard than other types of dogs? It seems there's a strong judging bias toward terriers and I can't help but wonder if there's really a legitimate reason for it or if it's become some unconscious bias at this point.


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## Todd (Jan 13, 2010)

do you think this interbreeding could be held partially accountable for alot of the genetical problems we are seeing in dogs today?


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Leave us terrier owners alone! Terriers just have such a personality that really shines through, its very obvious if you just look at how happy Sadie is, you can see that smile on her face.


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## ziggy29 (Feb 1, 2010)

whiteleo said:


> Leave us terrier owners alone! Terriers just have such a personality that really shines through, its very obvious if you just look at how happy Sadie is, you can see that smile on her face.


Nothing against terriers or their owners. Just saying there seems to be a pro-terrier bias among judges in the dog show circuit.


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## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

ziggy29 said:


> Nothing against terriers or their owners. Just saying there seems to be a pro-terrier bias among judges in the dog show circuit.


I think that could be said about a lot of the less common breeds, ones you don't see everyday, as well as breeds with very defining, unique characteristics. The BT definately falls comfortably in both of these categories.


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## Snoop (Jan 8, 2010)

They had some really great looking dogs this year.. found some good pics of them here: MSG.com - Photos - Westminster 2010: Best in Show


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