New York recently hosted the 137th annual Westminster Kennel Club dog show and Mini Bear watched a whole action filled day!
There are a few different categories in which dogs may compete. I didn't necessarily understand how the judging worked all of the time because sometimes they judged just a few dogs from one breed while a dozen more waited off to the side, but it basically involved lots of grooming, dogs walking quickly in a circle, handlers wearing unflattering and outdated outfits, handlers meticulously positioning every limb of the dog, and the judge inspecting each dog while looking totally disinterested before declaring one “best in group.” That is my understanding of the process!
It was hilarious watching the English bulldogs. They seemed much more interested in frolicking, lying down, or eating than jogging around the ring. In some ways it reminded me of watching preschoolers in a dance recital.
Grooming is serious business. Please note the Louis Vuitton neck scarf on the dog in the fourth photo below.
This woman is applying mascara to her French bulldog.
A lot of the French bulldogs wore capes, little jackets, or neck scarves.
This is one of my new favorite breeds: the Rhodesian Ridgeback. You'll see the strip on his back where the fur grows in the opposite direction. This trait just happened to develop as different breeds came together over time. To show a Rhodesian Ridgeback, the ridge must extend from the shoulders to the hips and there must be two small dots on either side of the ridge at the shoulders.
French bulldogs are ridiculously photogenic.
Dogs and humans were both exhausted by the end of the day.
While I enjoyed watching the judging, I was mostly interested in heading to the benches where the dogs would spend the bulk of their day. Many of the handlers were happy to let me gush over their dog. It was a puppy love fest and I couldn't have been happier.
One dog in particular, a huge bloodhound named Nathan, stole my heart!
