Posted on 02/14/2005 1:36:01 PM PST by ambrose
Monday, February 14, 2005
Go 2 Pup: Will they ever throw a golden a bone?
By WILLIE GUEST COLUMNIST
As a member of the canine race, I will watch and once again be outraged by the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show (Monday and Tuesday nights at 8 on USA Network).
I readily acknowledge its storied existence as the second-longest continuously held sports event behind the Kentucky Derby. The grand-doggie of them all started in 1877.
But it's a sham, fixed like I am. A golden retriever has never won Best in Show. The world's greatest breed -- blanked, shut out, royally screwed over.
A golden hasn't even won its own group title since 1968. And it's not like goldens are battling Muhammad Collie or something. No, their sporting group includes other underachiever retrievers such as Chesapeake Bays and labs.
I believe goldens are getting hosed by a French judge who is on the take or biased toward poodles and Papillons.
Or maybe there's another reason. USA color commentator Dave Frei said goldens don't have the "edge" that other breeds have in the ring. I thought we lived to chase tennis balls, beg for treats, shed, sleep, swim and jump on visitors.
But Frei says our whole life revolves around pleasing our people. We don't care so much about pleasing judges -- or wives of our people, for that matter, especially ones who yell "Willie, no!" all the time.
So we'll be huge underdogs again this year, and there's more terrible news. Frei thinks a dog from the toy group will probably win Best in Show. How that is possible, I have no idea.
It would be hard, but I could accept a winner from the Working Dog group. It was cool when that Newfoundland won last year. He was stately and worthy.
I could even stomach a terrier. But a rat-dog? A worthless yipster, reigning as champion of the dog world? It's possible, Frei saying the toy group is the toughest group.
Among the rat-dog contenders -- a world-class poodle and Pekingese, and a Pomeranian co-owned by Bill Cosby. The poodle is trained by Tim Brazier of Mill Creek.
Frei also mentioned a long-coat Chihuahua, and the thought of these one-bite happy meals winning makes me so sick that I plan to eat grass during the telecasts.
Even dogs from the hound group have a better record than goldens. How can a drooling, stinky Basset Hound win, or a baying, annoying Beagle?
Then you've got those damn Dachshunds. At this year's show, there will be three varieties and 64 in all. That's what I want to see, 64 wiener dogs on my master's TV, some no doubt sponsored by Oscar Mayer.
And I'm just wondering -- does a Corgi owner actually think his dog has a shot? A Corgi looks like it wanted to be a dog but was bored one night in the 17th century and mated with a Dachshund, becoming the laughable low-rider it is today.
The Westminster accepts all pure-bred dogs, anything but mutts. The entry limit of 2,500 was reached in less than an hour. Seventy-six dogs are from Washington. There are three new breeds this year, including the Neapolitan Mastiff, which appears to be a cross between a Chinese Shar-Pei and an English Bulldog on steroids.
I won't miss a minute of the action, but I would find it more interesting if they added new categories such as "Smartest Dog," "Dumbest Dog" and "Worst in Show."
For "Smartest Dog," if it weren't a golden, it would have to be a border collie. The "Dumbest Dog" race would have an Irish Setter, Afghan Hound and Maltese in a photo finish.
A standard-sized poodle would run away with "Worst in Show" honors.
(People, if you want a poodle, get a little one. If you want a real dog, get a real dog.
And if you want to be taken seriously, lose the shears; your dog looks like a badly pruned shrub.)
The Go 2 Wife thinks I'd win for "Stinky-est Dog," but that's not true. I just smell ... an upset and a golden first at Westminster.
Willie's owner, P-I columnist Jim Moore, can be reached at 206-448-8013 or jimmoore@seattlepi.com. His columns appear Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
Yeah, those ears look familiar. LOL
She's built like a Corgi. She has the strong sturdy and long body with the short stout legs.
That makes me think of Buddy, one of my all time favorites of all the thousands of dogs I cared for back in my doggie days.
I could see myself with a Corgi some day.
I am SO jealous!
I keep threatening to get a pup before Gilligan gets too old to train one.
I'll be looking for more pictures from you.
Now that's a cutie!
Your dog is adorable!
In the performance league, obedience, Goldens are king. They produce more Champions than any other breed. Why just look pretty for the beauty pageant when you can do something.
Yea. I'm biased.
Some people consider breeds better off if they are not accepted in the AKC. Many breed groups fight off the push to be part of the AKC, especially performance breeds like Australian Shepherds.
Funny this guy can capitalize every dog except his own favorite. Every dog breed should be capitalized - Golden Retriever.
Personally, I couldn't care less if a Golden never wins. It's not enough they're in every damn commercial and most movies as the normal ideal pet dog, never mind supposedly perfect?
I have a knee-jerk anathema to the popular retrievers. I'm sorry to those that offends, but that's just the way I react when something's way too popular (esp if I see it as over-rated). It's a psychological disorder. ;-)
"And one New Years eve, he came to the party with us but wanted to leave before midnight. Just before midnight, he returned with a large german shepherd in heat, his date. They hung around for a while and then left again so there are a lot of weird looking german shepherds running around Douglas county KS."
This is NOT a good example to set for pet people. Dogs who aren't deliberately set for breeding should be neutered, and certainly NOT allowed to run around wild screwing other dogs and making unwanted babies. I know MALE owners of MALE dogs don't give a damn cuz "it's not my problem", but that's just wrong.
I'm shocked the Borders finally got in. They fought it for the most part for years.
For every1 here: this is not a popularity contest. At least, it's not supposed to be (altho I have my suspicions that plays into it a bit).
How do you compare SUVs to Ferraris? You don't. You simply see who seems to best fit their own breed standard. That's what all-breed shows are about, just carrying the same old principle a bit further for more accolades.
So it's very possible your "real dogs" just don't stack up to THEIR OWN standards as well as the "little yappy dogs".
I think Pugs are adorable. I like them cuz they're like tiny little Mastiffs. I like Mastiffs and these little guys are built like them; they're not fragile at all.
Well, you're probably correct but this was 30 years ago. It was a much simplier time in a small town. All three of my male animals are neutered although I really wish my cattle dog/border collie could breed. I do think that restriction of breeding to pure breds is harmful to the species. The best dogs I've known were mutts. Even my standard daschund was no show dog but the biggest, ugliest pup in the litter, a throw back.
No problem. It's a common issue, unfortunately.
I disagree about mutts - what is a mutt? Completely undetermined, they come in all kinds of variations w/absolutely no idea what any given mutt mite be like.
The best dog I ever had - the best dog I've ever known OF, and I'm dead serious about that - was a purebred German Shepherd, half German Working and half "American" lines. Matchless.
You were fortunate. I've known several German Shepherds who had problems caused by overbreeding. Breeding to a certain standard can create unforseen problems. The reason I went with a cattle dog is that they have only been a breed for a short period of time and came from three strong and disparate foundation breeds including dingo. They have all their teeth and no known genetically caused disorders. I love having the border collie bit in there, one fourth but wouldn't want any more because it makes him a bit edgy and hyper. I also love that they were bred to work, not show. Unfortunately, they are now "popular" which results in people getting them who have no business with them and also will eventually result in breeders trying to turn them into something that they are not meant to be.
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