So much for fancy pooches
By Staff
Leada Gore, Editor
A couple of years ago, I had the good fortune to cover a large dog show in Priceville. There were hundreds of dogs. Their owners were primping and pampering them as the pooches stood perfectly still and let someone wash and style their hair, manicure their nails and fluff their tails.
The dogs were so well trained they didn’t flinch when the judges examined them in the most personal of ways, all to see if they fit the breed’s ideals.
The Priceville show was a fun dog show. I can’t imagine going to a really fancy show, such as the one going on now in New York. The Westminster Kennel Club features some of the finest dogs in America, some of which are from breeds most of us have never heard of. There are all sorts of dog experts at the show, including announcers who tell us about each breed, what the judges are looking for and why one fur ball is obviously so much better than the next fur ball.
I’ve watched this show before and am always amused by the little fluffy dogs and the big bruisers, as well as their obviously over-the-top owners and handlers.
This year, I thought it would be a good idea if Spike, my own dog, watched the show, too. Maybe he could pick up a pointer or two. Spike is a pure blood mutt – part Chinese Crested Hairless Powder Puff and part poodle. He is known as a Choodle, something I bet they don’t see too many of at Westminster.
I turned on the dog show and Spike hopped in my lap. I showed him the fancy dogs on the screen but he didn’t seem too impressed. I even explained to him how the dogs sit patiently while their handlers brush and style their hair.
He just looked up at me.
He just stared. He then hopped off my lap, walked into the bedroom and laid down in front of the window, allowing the afternoon sun to keep him warm.
Spike may not have been impressed by the dog show but I sure was. I like seeing all the fancy breeds and their mannerisms and the excitement of their owners when their dog wins the big prize. Still, I doubt many of those dogs could hang long with Spike. It takes a real dog to handle his daily activities:
Those fancy dogs couldn’t handle that kind of pressure – they’d probably mess up their hair.
