this bird's tale: 2013-02-10

"how much is that doggie in the window?"

a group of men meet regularly, in a manhattan bar, and share hunting stories and brag about how amazing their dogs are. they form a club and name it after their favorite hotel bar. the westminster breeding club is born.
FLASH FORWARD may 8, 1877
the first westminster kennel club dog show is held. over 1200 dogs, mostly hunting dogs, are entered causing the event to last four days, instead of the scheduled three. all proceeds from the fourth day are donated to the aspca.
FLASH FORWARD 1948
the westminster dog show is aired on television for the first time. which leads me to:
FLASH FORWARD february 1993
upstate new york is FREEEEEEEZING and covered in snow. nobody...NOBODY...goes outside. i read books. i flip thru magazines. i clean house. i start channel surfing. awwwwwwww...look at the doggies. i want one of those! and i want one of those!! and OH. MY. GOD!!! i want one of THOSE!!!! the boys want one of those! and they want one of those!! an OH. MY. GOD!!! they want one of THOSE!!! i tell their daddy. "NO!! we do NOT need a dog!" yes we do. all little boys should have a dog, especially a gentle giant. a dog that is meant to be loyal and protective. "well. if we were to get a dog, it would be one of THOSE." i'm sure he's saying that because he thinks i'll never find one. i start reading dog fancy magazine. i find all sorts of breeders. i call the closest one...200 miles away. "$1200.00" wait? what?! that's crazy! i keep calling...and calling...and calling. "well...usually my dogs go for $1200, but i have one female left from this last litter. she's 13 weeks old...she's defective...her teeth are crooked. you'll never be ever to show her in this condition. you can have her for $500." number 1~i have no intention of showing her and b~defective? that's harsh, i have to save her. SOLD!!! but she's in ohio? how will i get her? "i can fly her to you...$600 for the dog and her flight." SOLD!!! we are so excited to get her...she's arriving at 7pm. then, a phone call from the airline "all flights out of syracuse have been cancelled due to weather". wait? what?!! goober, you are just going to have to drive down there and get her. "are you nuts?! i am not driving 2½ hours away in an ice storm to get a DOG!!". he drove 2½ hours away in an ice storm.

belle was one of the best dogs anyone could ever have. a great pyrenees. gentle giants, great pyrenees are confident, gentle, and loyal. all of these things i learned from the westminster dog show. what didn't i learn? they shed. i know, i know, all dogs shed. but great pyrenees...well they shed 365 days a year! and not little dog hairs all over your furniture. CLUMPS! clumps of fluffy white hair all over everything!! and they slobber. belle put "beethoven" to shame. seriously. i AM NOT making that up. and they're stubborn making them difficult to train. belle would go potty outside, like a good girl should, and take her praise...then, she would finish pottying in the living room as soon as i turned my back. i adored belle...and i would not have traded her for anything in the world. but, for future reference..next time i see one of THOSE (!!) dogs on the westminster dog show, i am totally doing my research before i rush out and buy one (better yet, find one to rescue!).
so. you just saw one of THOSE (!!) dogs and you are thinking you simply must have one? here are some things you might need to consider:

can't stand dog hair all over your new sofa? try a yorkshire terrier, a dachshund (in particular smooth or wire haired), shih tzu, miniature schnauzer, boston terrier, maltese, bichon frise, west highland terrier, or havanese. also, poodles and poodle mixes. this doesn't mean they don't need grooming, just that they shed very little or not at all.
can't stand slobber? avoid st bernards, great pyrenees, bull dogs, english setters, coonhounds. generally, if their jowls droop, they slobber. there are exceptions to every rule but....
need a dog that's great with kids? bulldogs, golden retrievers, labrador retrievers, beagles, collies just to name a few. i researched breeds that are considered not great with kids. that list overwhelmingly included: chihuahuas, pitt bulls, rottweillers, chows, and dalamations. but i have known people that had (or have) these breeds and they have been great with kids. i personally believe ANY dog can be great with kids if raised, and treated, properly.
you have no patience for a stubborn dog? border collies, labs, golden retrievers, dobermans, and german sheperds all have reputations for being easy to train.
consider rescue, as opposed to purchasing from a breeder. there is a rescue group for nearly every breed known to man. why? because people DO NOT do their research and purchase a breed they can't handle, or buy a dog on impulse that they don't have time for.

good luck not getting puppy fever while enjoying the westminster kennel club dog show! and don't forget to do your research!!