The Westminster dog show is coming in a few weeks!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by cassiesmom

What do Best in Show judges look for, anyway? Do they have to be familiar with the standards of each of the 150+ breeds? They don't know which dogs are up for Best in Show, right? So it could potentially be any combination of seven from all the breeds in each group? I know they have to figure out which dog best represents their standard; but I think that would be very hard to do. If I were judging, it would be a seven-way tie... thank you for coming, hand me seven ribbons and let me I pet the winners!

---

I read this about what this particular judge said about his winner -

Quote:

---

The Best in Show judge, whose first language is not English, said of the win, "xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx... is exactly the same like I studied in the standard that was about 150 years ago. Outstanding dog. Moving and type was super. All the others were wonderful."

---

I loved the Bearded, but I picked the winner. I wasn't familar with the wolfhound, but loved his aloofness, calm, elegance, everything about him. Congratulations Hickory!

Congrats Hickory! I'm certainly glad we had a good judge over one who chooses bases on popularity. Sometimes a dog who fits the standard the most amazingly is there, but the judge chooses the crowd favorite.

Its not that hard to get all those standards in your head. I've been obsessed with dogs since I was a kid. Its all in me noggin I tells you. I even got upset seeing the Icelandic sheepdog in the show for the first time. It was too darned big! So I ran to get my dog breed encyclopedias and all of them said they should be 12-16 inches. Then I checked the new and un-improved AKC standard and they want 16.5-18 inches! Blasphemy! And its not like I even looked up the icelandic sheepdog before the show so I'd be prepared. I had no interest in the breed. But I remember all about them because I read every new dog breed book I get from cover to cover.

That Hound was a real sweetie :love:, but I was favoring the Bearded Collie or the Black Cocker Spaniel to win. They were all magnificent, and I don't know how anyone could ever choose just one!

I love what the judge does here... the look on Hickory's face is cracking me up, though! "Judge, don't kiss me... You're not going to kiss me, are you Judge? Not in front of all these people..."

http://snsimages.tribune.com/media/p...0-16035136.jpg