Posts tagged "westminster dog show"

Paw Nation had a blast covering the 2011 Westminster Dog Show. From hero pets to heroic owners to the Scottish deerhound Hickory that took home the big prize, we saw it all. See more of the people and pets we met at Madison Square Garden in our video above.

The ribbons have been awarded, the dogs have gone home, and the green carpet's been put away for another year, as two days of canine celebritydom ended Tuesday night in New York City.

The 135th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show culminated in Scottish deerhound Hickory's triumphant Best in Show win at Madison Square Garden. It was the first time the breed had captured the purple and gold ribbon and silver bowl at Westminster.

Five-year-old female Hickory took a victory lap around Manhattan on Wednesday -- including appearances on various TV shows, a steak lunch at famed Midtown restaurant Sardi's and a photo op at the top of the Empire State Building.

But it will be back down to earth soon for Hickory -- whose full name (Gch.) Foxcliffe Hickory Wind comes from a bluegrass song by John Duffy -- as she goes into retirement on her owner's 50-acre farm in Virginia, said victorious handler Angela Lloyd.

"This is her retirement," said Lloyd, admitting she will miss her bond with the docile yet determined deerhound. "Sometimes you just find those ones where everything clicks. She's certainly one of those."

It's not just the Westminster Best in Show 2011 winner, who thrives under praise. Paw Nation interviewed more than two dozen Westminster Dog Show handlers, owners and officials and found that every one we spoke with uses positive reinforcement dog training, in which praise is emphasized and bad behavior is mostly ignored.

The biggest name in the dog world right now, Scottish deerhound Hickory, is busy taking in the adoration and good wishes of not just the fans at the Westminster Dog Show but animal lovers all over the world. Fortunately, she's had good training for all the attention from the likes of Martha Stewart and more. She became the champion she is today mostly because of the guidance and positive encouragement of handler Angela Lloyd.

"Praise is the key to get inside a dog's head and heart," says Lloyd, who believes that dogs respond magnificently "if you are going to show them unconditional love."

Lloyd's mother, Gwen Plush says that her daughter has become a champion because she "bonds with the animals she shows. She understands them and they love her." Lloyd, now 31, has been going to dog shows since she was a child and in 1998 earned the Westminster Show's Junior Showmanship title.

What the Westminster Experts Say
Thomas Bradley, the Westminster Dog Show's chairman for the past 10 years, says that "positive reinforcement has been on the rise for quite some time." Bradley says that, as far as he knows, new methods among elite show dog handlers are all based in positive reinforcement.

Make a Game of It - Westminster Junior Showmanship competitor 17-year-old Sarah Broom has shown her champion basset hound, Castle Hill's Never Too Rich CD, nicknamed Nicole, at Westminster for the past two years. Broom learned to train and handle dogs in the 4H Club and says, "It's better to tell your dog what she does right." Broom makes the long hours of training more fun with games and toys. She believes that positive reinforcement is the best way to properly train any dog, show dog or not. She has also trained Nicole to be a companion dog, and together they help at-risk kids read in school programs.

When you've been shot in the back and captured by the enemy after your helicopter was shot down in a war zone, a dog contest, no matter how competitive, must present little to be fearful of.

Just ask Brig. Gen. Rhonda Cornum, a prisoner of war in the first Iraq conflict in 1990 and more recently the owner of Amber, a Gordon setter entrant in the 2011 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.

The 56-year-old -- born and raised in Buffalo, N.Y., and now living near the Pentagon in Virginia -- was a pilot on a search-and-rescue mission when she was taken prisoner. She was held for a week before being released.

Cornum remains active in the job, traveling the world as head of an Armed Forces-wide soldier fitness program and having to take leave to attend Westminster. But she admits that one thing helps her deal with the unenviable stresses of military life.

"She keeps me sane," said Cornum, patting the slumbering Amber at her feet on Monday ahead of the first outing at the show the next day. "You show her because you're proud of her. And I guess it's a nice opportunity to work with your dog."

Hickory lapped up the limelight after winning Best in Show at the 2011 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Tuesday night in New York City.

The 5-year-old female Scottish deerhound -- full name Gch. Foxcliffe Hickory Wind -- has been the No. 1 Scottish deerhound for the last three years. But this was her first Best in Show appearance at Westminster.

After entering the ring at Madison Square Garden under a spotlight to rapturous applause, handler Angela Lloyd -- a junior handler winner at Westminster in 1998 -- led her to a swift and popular victory.

Judge Paolo Dondina, who paid tribute to all the seven finalists as "the best he could remember," did not take long to select Hickory as his choice for Best in Show. He watched their initial entrance lap and took a closer look at each dog before quickly deciding on Hickory.

"I think she was beautiful," he told reporters after the award. "This one feels perfect -- very well balanced and beautiful. She did a marvelous job."

The victorious dog and handler drew the adulation of a large crowd as she basked in the victory. Some attendees paid as much as $155 to attend Best in Show, which was also broadcast live on the USA Network.

Lloyd, who has been living with Hickory at her home in Virginia, heaped praise on the deerhound. "She went in there tonight and showed like she's never shown before," said the 31-year-old handler. "She was solid and steady despite all the flashbulbs and cameras. She came right through it."

The Competition
The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is considered the most prestigious in the nation, with more than 2,500 dogs each year vying for the top title of Best in Show. It is the second-oldest continuous sporting event in the country, trailing the Kentucky Derby by a year.

The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show welcomed six new breeds in 2011, and none was more popular on the opening Monday than the redbone coonhound.

Crowds flocked to ring five at 11 a.m. ET to see the finest examples of the breed -- known for its agility and muscular build -- grace the green carpet at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

And top prize for the newest breed on the block went to Rufus, a beautiful and playful 14-month-old redbone coonhound from Kentucky.

They have come from all corners of the country -- and the world.

As 2,626 pruned, pampered and parading dogs lap up the attention in New York City at the start of this week, each one brings a different story to the 135th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.

The two-day competition, which culminates in the Best in Show final tonight at Madison Square Garden in Midtown Manhattan, is a spectacle like few others in the world.

And with 179 breeds and varieties of canines, from 49 states and more than a dozen countries, on display this year, Westminster is as diverse and cosmopolitan as its host city.

The 2011 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is underway at Madison Square Garden in New York City -- and plenty of doggie drama has already unfolded on the green carpet.

After the first day of heated competition, four of the seven competitors in Tuesday night's Best in Show final are decided. A Scottish deerhound, Pekingese, Chinese shar-pei and bearded collie have been selected in their respective groups to compete for Best in Show.

The Westminster Dog Show is considered the most prestigious dog show in the nation. This year saw 2,626 champion entries, in 179 breeds and varieties, from 49 states and more than a dozen countries.

And though last year's winner, Sadie -- a Scottish terrier whose full name is Ch. Roundtown Mercedes of Maryscot -- was the clear favorite going into the 2010 event, this year, the field is wide open for a new Westminster champion.

As many pet owners know, sometimes you don't choose the dog: The dog chooses you. That was the case for Chicago-area resident Larry Lentz who, through a number of unusual and almost fateful circumstances, went from grieving pet owner to Iraqi War vet to boxing gym owner and handler of a No. 1 in all-breed points Chesapeake Bay retriever. Lentz will be showing his best friend, Moose, at the Westminster Dog Show tomorrow.

Nobody knows exactly what will happen at the Westminster Dog Show this year, but, according to Vegas oddsmakers at the Wynn Las Vegas, certain breeds have a better shot than others. The fox terrier (smooth) is a favorite, with odds of 6-to-1, while the saluki and bassett hound are the longest shots at 135-to-1. (These odds are for entertainment purposes only, advises the casino, so don't go crazy.) But what we do know is that all of the best dogs in the country will be under one roof.

The What, Where and When
The 2011 show, taking place Apr. 14 and 15 at Madison Square Garden in New York City is the 135th Westminster Dog Show. Nearly 2,600 dogs (plus an additional 128 Junior Showmanship entries) representing 179 breeds will take part. Breeds from Hound, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding groups will compete for Best of Breed on Monday, with Best of Group being judged that night. Working, Sporting and Terrier groups will compete for Best of Breed on Tuesday, with Best of Group judging taking place Tuesday evening, after which the ultimate prize, Best in Show, will be awarded.

Breed judging highlight videos will be available throughout the day Monday and Tuesday on the Westminster website. You'll be able to watch those videos after the show as well. Television coverage begins Feb. 14, at 8 p.m. ET, on the USA Network and continues from 9 to 11 p.m. ET on CNBC. On Feb. 15, the entire show broadcasts on USA, beginning at 8 p.m. ET and culminating with the announcement of Best in Show around 10:30 p.m. Please check local listings for broadcast times in your area.

We all know how perfectly the show dogs at Westminster look and behave each year, but some of these dogs do more than work the ring -- they help change lives as therapy dogs. Wes, the Labrador retriever, is one of these amazing dogs. And he's starting by "teaching" children.

This champion black Lab from Richboro, Pa., specializes in helping children in grades 2 through 5 learn to read. In fact, he "teaches" at 12 schools through the school year and during the summer, and works with school and camp programs for autistic and learning-disabled children. In addition, the 8-year-old dog visits his local library once a week for a "read to the dogs evening."

How Can a Dog Help a Child Read?
Wes has never cracked a book but he provides something struggling readers need -- he's the perfect supportive listener, says his owner Wendi Huttner. "He helps create a comforting, relaxing atmosphere for the children," she says. "Wes doesn't laugh or tease -- he's completely nonjudgmental."

Wes usually sits with or lies beside the children while they read, sometimes placing his head in their laps or offering a paw. He even wags his tail and gives encouraging licks to keep the reader going.

When it comes to the coveted Best in Show title at New York's illustrious Westminster Dog Show, it takes a precise blend of breeding, training and, of course, primping to impress the judges. Lucky for SeaWorld Orlando trainer Jamie Stanley-Bahnsen of Orlando, Florida, her Belgian Malinois, Harley, is all business when it's time to get in the ring.

Meet Harley
If the breed Belgian Malinois doesn't ring any bells, it's not just you. Although it bears a passing resemblance to the German shepherd, the Belgian Malinois isn't a breed you're likely to see at the dog park.

Like other members of the herding group, Harley's breed is best known for its high energy level and intelligence, two factors that some owners can find challenging. "They're a little like border collies in a way," Stanley-Bahnsen tells Paw Nation. "If they don't have a job, they'll find a job."

In fact, that's how Harley got his motorcycle-inspired name. When Harley was a puppy, Stanley-Bahnsen says he ran constantly at full throttle, circling around the yard. Fortunately, Harley mellowed out with time.

"He's a little unusual for a Malinois," says Stanley-Bahnsen. "Because if I want to sit on the couch for eight hours, he's fine with it. Or if I want to take him biking, he'll run for hours."

How could the Westminster Dog Show be complete without at least one utterly spoiled standard poodle flying in on her own private jet?

Taking the pampered poodle concept to the extreme, Houston-area owners Arvid and Holly Sundbeck are transporting their champion, Inge (along with her personal vet, stylist and photographer), to Westminster in style.

Meet Inge (pronounced Inga)
Though Arvid and Holly Sundbeck have been showing standard poodles for the past 15 years, this marks their first trip to the illustrious Westminster Dog Show. And they owe this landmark achievement to their glory hound, Inge.

As the No. 2 standard poodle in the nation in terms of breed points, Inge is used to being top dog. It's a fact that's not at all lost on owner Holly, who likes to joke about what a prima donna her dog has become.

"It's all about Inge, trust me," Sundbeck tells Paw Nation. "The world revolves around her. Don't get me wrong, she's very, very sweet. But she thinks all the toys are hers and that she allows the other dogs to play with them."

You'll be seeing a few new faces this year at Westminster. In fact, The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show will welcome six new breeds: Boykin spaniel, Leonberger, Cane Corso, Icelandic sheepdog, bluetick coonhound and Redbone coonhound.

Want to know more about these new-to-the-show competitors? Here's a cheat sheet.

Boykin spaniel: The official state dog of South Carolina, where it was originally bred as an amphibious hunting dog and named after L. Whitaker Boykin, one of the original developers of the breed. You'll be able to identify a Boykin by its relatively compact size compared to other breeds of spaniel. But like all spaniels (save the nonsporting Tibetan), it competed at the National Dog Show in the sporting group. With its flowing, shiny, chocolate brown coat and agreeable demeanor, the Boykin proved a crowd-pleaser at the show.
Leonberger: The German city of Hamburg gave America the hamburger; now Leonberg, Germany, gives us the Leonberger, a large-breed, working-group dog. The AKC praises the Leonberger for being equal parts "multipurpose working dog" and "reliable family companion." We think it looks equal parts Saint Bernard and German shepherd.