Virginia has been a frozen tundra this week, so I’ve been going to bed early. Last night, I curled up with the Westminster Kennel Club’s Dog Show and I have no regrets. I could veg out and watch show dogs all day long. My preference will always be for mutts (my dog is some kind of Newfie-Chow-Rottweiler mutt, I think), but I have my favorites at dog shows, and they’re usually in the Working Group. My money was on the Newfie in the Working Group, but the Portuguese Water Dog won that group. And then the beagle from Hound Group won best in show. Incidentally, I just discovered that the Westminster Kennel Club has an Instagram, so now I know what I’m doing with my day: LOOKING AT ALL THE PUPPIES.
So, the winner: a beagle who goes by Miss P, although her full name is Ch Tashtins Lookin For Trouble. Miss P – who looks totally over this mess – already has 19 Best In Show titles. I’ve heard she’s a real bitch. Star Magazine said she has fleas.
And here’s the runner up, from the Terrier Group. His name is Good Time Charlie, which is a great dog name.
Go here to see more photos of all the dogs.
Photos courtesy of Westminster KC Instagram & ProPlan Instagram.
Yeah, I read on some other gossip site that most of the males in the Working group are real DOGS, total players.
Also didn’t CDAN have a blind about butt-sniffing a while back. The common guess was Miss P.
Heard some of the terrier group were just a bunch of gangsta thugs too.
Bastards!
“Star magazine said she had fleas.” 😂
They called her a bitch too.
At least she has her shit together unlike the Afghans that have to wear grooming snoods.
I heard she doesn’t use deodorant.
I heard there was a potato famine.
I heard that you wear denim lingerie.
MAYBE
I heard she does a lot of work for charity and is thinking about adopting some third world puppies.
And this is one more reason to love Celebitchy 🙂 Dog crazy bloggers.
Plus I had a beagle for 13 years. She was a pure breed and her “fancy” name was Bailor Tea Rose. But she would answer to Rosie if you had food, peasants.
Beagles rule!! And she’s related to Uno!! Great genes! Congrats to owners and handlers- that was a stellar group to win over.
Is she? No surprise. Uno is an awesome dog and Miss P is a beauty, but not as cute as the beagle I had as a kid.
She’s a beautiful bitch. Love me some beagles —
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1265552395708&l=e46db6fc20
This is my Buster Brown! I love beagles!
That’s a gorgeous puppy you have there – 🐶
Cute! Love the freckles.
Sweet
Oh she is cute! Could be my Max’s sibling!
Thanks guys! I love him so much. So sweet and cuddly. He’s my first baby and he’s so good with my daughter. I love beagles!!!!
Every beagle loves his mummy!
Miss P is starting to look old. I can see why she’s retiring.
Dog love = happiness!
I know! I was watching last night as well and it made me so happy.
Totally agree!!
It made me happy too, though I’m a cat owner now. I had a German Shorthaired Pointer when I was a kid (my dad trained her and she was a blue-ribbon hunting dog) so I always have a soft spot for them when I watch Westminster.
My personal faves now are Akitas and Corgis but yeah…dogs are awesome. I love my cat but there’s just something about dogs that makes me smile.
Corgies!!!
Corgi puppies have got to be the cutest dogs in the world. The End.
Dachshunds, poodles, every dog in the world!!
Siberian Husky is ruling my life right now. I wouldn’t trade him for the world.
@V4Real-HUSKIES FTW!
We went dog-sledding a few weeks ago and it changed my life.
@Kitten. Remember some time ago I was considering adopting a kitten and a cat. I kept putting it off but I was always talking to my bf about getting a cat or a dog. Unbeknownst to me he went to a couple of shelters and pet stores in search of cats. He said he didn’t see any that spoke to him. He then went in search of puppies and called up this pet shop that said they had a 2 month old black and white, blue eyed siberian husky. My bf jumped on it due to me having a stuffed husky dog in my office with that same description. So on valentine’s day I received the best gift ever.
Oh and I have his pedigree that traces his roots back to his great grandparents. The first thing I wanted to do was make sure he didn’t come from a puppy mill or horrible breeders. He’s a pure breed and the breeder allows you to contact them if you want to make sure their ligit. I have all their info.
I have a husky…yay. Best bf ever.
@ V4Real – congrats on the new addition!! I bet he’s all kinds of cute <3
@ Kitten – I went dog sledding last year and it was amazing…. I had no idea it was going to be that awesome and interesting.
I have a 2 year old Alaskan Malamute who is the biggest, most gorgeous, loveable, stubborn pain in my a** …but whom I also love like a son (maybe even more than my sons some days, lol) Arctic breeds are different types of dogs but they are absolutely awesome! 🙂
That is an amazing V-Day gift, V4Real! So jealous. They have such great personalities and are just GORGEOUS dogs.
I got my youngest cat on V-Day last year, a V-Day gift from me, to me. lol
One can’t help but smile at dogs. At least I can’t, especially at my own Yorkshire Terrier.
Why does she go by ‘ Miss P.’ when there is no “P” anywhere in her full name? These celebs and their stage names.
Short for pee pee. Beagles are notoriously difficult to house train.
Ours was trained within a week.
Mine wasn’t hard to house train as she had been crate trained before she got to me. But I lived on the 8th floor of a condo, so it was a bit tricky.
Short for Peyton
Short for Penis.
Kathy is correct. I just saw the dog on TV and the handler said Miss P is short for her name, Peyton.
I was rooting for Swagger, the old English sheepdog, but the beagle is awfully great. Dog beauty pageants are so odd. Why must the female trainers stuff themselves into too tight sparkly dresses with nude hose and orthopedic shoes? This seems like a place for pants.
What is with that? My husband and I always notice the hideous, too small, completely impractical get ups they wear. One woman wore a long, flowy skirt, which looked better, but I don’t get the dress code, either.
Answer to EVERYTHING: Beige booty shorts.
#fakebabyshouldhavetakenthetitle
I was forced to attend a dog show once and it was shockingly entertaining, which had nothing to do with the covert adult beverage my friend bribed me with. It really was like Best In Show; between the handlers get ups and the owners neuroses, I was in stitches the whole weekend.
ETA: God no BBS at Westminster! They would upstage even the cutest of dogs.
#fakebabywestminster16
I show Cavaliers in confirmation, and there is no formal dress code for exhibitors. You dress for practicality and to highlight your dog. The judge’s attention should be on the dog, not on you. For example, some of my dogs have been black and tan Cavaliers, so I often wore bright colours. That way, the judges could see the lines of the dog with my body acting more or less like garish wallpaper! Long, flowy skirts may look pretty, but if you are running around a ring, you could trip on them or distract the judge from looking at your dog. Comfortable shoes are an absolute necessity as there is a lot of standing around, and again you need to be able to move your dog in the ring. At a big benched show like Westminster, few exhibitors would dare wear anything casual like sneakers while showing, even though their dogs are required to be at the show site from 7 am until they are released – which for best of breed winners can be 11 pm at night! It’s a long few days in NYC for competitors. Anyway there is a LOT of bad dog show fashion, especially on the internet where it lives forever!
mimif, ‘forced’, ahem. Were you duct taped and tossed in the back of a van?
Sheepdog in BBS would have won, for sure.
That’s interesting, Poppy. What was distracting for me was that some of the trainers seemed to struggle to keep up with the dogs, perhaps because they were running in a tight dress (purple sparkly dress behind the standard poodle in particular). And because the dresses were so tight, the (natural) jiggling as they ran was highlighted by Lycra and sparkles.
@Kiddo, MAYBE. I was coerced, as it were, plied if you will. But like I said, it was fun!
At WKC show the bling is the thing. It’s all out on diamond jewelry and sequined couture for this event. You’re on TV…..it’s like the Oscars for dogs! Been there, done that!…but I assure you my clothes fit appropriately and did not interfere nor distract from the dog. The surface the dogs/handlers show on at MSG is a slick carpet. Footing for dogs and handlers can be dicey. Tacky Paw for dogs, two sided tape for shoes.
Color of clothes is chosen for various reasons….red/pink because the show is always around Valentine’s Day. Blue….represents first place, purple is one of the Best of Breed colors along with gold. Subliminal seduction…..perhaps.
Why some women choose to wear clothes that obviously don’t fit is beyond me. The gents look great in their tuxedos no matter their shape or size. I didn’t understand the occasional hat being worn inside MSG either unless they were cancer patients. If so, God bless!
Think of the dog handler as a manager for a professional athlete. You need to look the part….successful, confident, in charge….in order to sell yourself and your doggy client. Trust me….low cut tops or tight pants will get you a second look because men are men and cougars are cougars. Old judges love to have their photos taken with pretty female handlers, or attractive gay handlers if that’s their deal (and their are plenty in the dog show world).
The sport is fickle and the wins can be bought. The movie “Best in Show” may be a spoof but those embedded in dog shows know the characters were not so far off from folks we know and love. There are great people, and some not so great, in the sport of dogs. Our common bond is dogs and that’s what draws us together. I never lose when I put on an armband. Sometimes I win, sometimes I learn. The best part at the end of the day is the dog is still mine and a champion in my heart no matter what!
Amen, MFD! I am just an amateur exhibitor in confirmation, and it is tough to beat the pros no matter how wonderful your dog is. Still I compete because I enjoy it and because my dogs have a good time. Attending handling and training classes, practicing, and getting your dogs ready to show are great bonding experiences, and my dogs definitely enjoy the one-on-one time with mommy, the attention, and the socialization opportunities. I have quickly retired a few dogs that have seemed indifferent or less than interested in competing because the whole point is for both of us to have fun in the ring. So some of my former show prospects are now extremely spoilt pets, but I don’t care – I love them all. They are all winners no matter what happens at the show!
“Best in Show” is one of my all-time favourite movies too, and many in the dog world will say that it is more like a documentary than a comedy. And you are 100% correct – there are judges who look at the handler more than the dog at the end of his/her lead so fashion and looks – and money – do play into their decisions. But most of the professional handlers only agree to show dogs that they think can win big and put a lot of time and effort into training and showing these dogs to highlight all their best qualities and minimize any flaws. I have learned so much from just observing the pros.
Finally, every dog has its day. Just winning something at Westminster – be it a first place in a class or best of opposite sex or select dog in the breed – is an accomplishment. Winning Best of Breed and competing in the groups is beyond amazing.
I LOOVE these Learn Something New Posts
…and Puppies too.. I love puppies sooo much I’m making them in felt
https://www.facebook.com/Qqfeltylittlethings
Yasss! I messaged you on Etsy, QQ. 😀
YAAAAASSSSS MIMIF
@QQ. GASP!!!!!!! Etsy!! I desire a french bulldog,and yessss and going to your Etsy NOW!!!
DO IT KRI The more Puppy Pics I get to see in my lifetime the better!!
Beautiful dog. I watched the show, too, and I was glad she won.
I was streaming at work (shhhh) and actually happened to catch the german shorthaired pointer class. Gahhhh… I wanted all of them. And Miss P – she’s so cute. Most people seem to have a soft spot for the Beagles – they’re such sweeties.
I think beagles are ADORABLE and they are friendly for sure but they are notoriously difficult to train. They’re very smart and VERY strong-willed.
My friend has an awesome rescue beagle but the poor guy is on so many different medications. He had separation anxiety when they bought their new condo and is prone to depression. He also eats EVERYTHING in sight, which can be really problematic. I think beagles are cute dogs, but they seem to be high-maintenance.
We had a beagle for a day, apparently haha. My aunt went and got one for my dad without checking with my mom. Guess who had to find a new good home for the puppy? AND make sure the kids didn’t think it was theirs. They told us they were babysitting it for a friend. I can only imagine how wild my mom must have been.
They’re one of the cutest pups in existence, but they’ve never been on my list of ‘need one!’ dogs. The training is a big reason why. Not that my own isn’t super stubborn, but it’s a different stubborn, for sure. Our next dog is likely going to be a rescued greyhound. A lot of training involved, but I think worth it.
They are adorable, but my next door neighbor has one and that constant baying would get on my nerves, I think. But they are very cute.
She was totally a diva and over it. I didn’t see last night but when she won her group, she was hilarious.
Gorgeous dog, but a Beagle won a few years back so I am not sure it was the most exciting choice. My thoughts though about the winner- as long as it isn’t the Poodle or one from the Toy group. BTW, I really dig poodles, but not the poor male poodles who are all froo froo and look like canine drag queens. I hope that one year the American Staffordshire Terrier, also known as the Pit Bull, would win. It would be nice to see member of the breed go on tour and do the talk show rounds and visit hospitals and such that the winners do to show people that that with the right amount of love and devotion and training they can make really great pets.
I think she’s actually only the second beagle to ever win it, Uno being the first, and this would make her the first girl beagle winner.
Uno won back in 2008-so it’s been 7 years. That seems like enough of a gap for me.
And she’s Uno’s grandniece apparently.
+1. I’d love to see a Pit Bull win!
WORD!
Never gonna happen. But it would be nice.
every time this show comes around, I am reminded of the brilliant “Best in Show” movie.
so many great actors and well played roles.
Yeah me too, just mentioned something similar up thread. The Weimeraner…😂
she wants her Busy Bee!
Ah sh-t, I’m gonna have to watch it again tonight!
If you haven’t see “A Mighty Wind”, check that one out too.
Jane Lynch’s character’s speech about how she became to be part of “The New Main Street Singers” is HILARIOUS.
Anything that involves Christopher Guest and I’m in. Maybe I’ll go on a Guest bender…
in that movie, Guest is reunited with his Spinal Tap band members as part of a folk trio, and it’s brilliant…
…but like Best in Show, all of the characters and performances are great.
That movie gets funnier every time I watch it.
That was hilarious. I need to watch that again.
Best post this morning. Love the doggie gossip! Hahaha!!
Did anyone see her attack her handler’s pocket because that’s where he had the treats? it happened when he was doing an interview after she won for her group. It was really cute.
Why am I wanting to say, “she does not do tricks! She performs feats!”
My MIL’s beagle has that same bitch face but underneath she is the sweetest, most lovey-dovey dog you could every wish for <3 <3<3
Had beagles growing up..sweet doggies, but I just love those big furry dogs and feel sorry for poodles.
I heard she’s a bigger diva than a thoroughbred!
Beautiful dog! For some reason, I always thought that show dogs were exclusively male.
No match for my boy Samson, the Great Dane! HA..
Got totally confused for a second and thought it was Crufts (in the UK) which a few years back the BBC refused to broadcast due to the behaviour of some (BY NO MEANS ALL – don’t shout at me) irresponsible dog breeders. I do get very concerned about the way some dogs are bred. I don’t know what it’s like in the US but I stopped watching Crufts in the UK when I saw a ring full of German Shepherds that could barely walk because their backs were so sloped and their back legs so short they could hardly stand up That’s a terrible thing to do to a beautiful and noble breed just for the sake of a breeders vanity IMHO.
The AKC has become a total joke over here with corruption and unethical breeding practices (go on, shout) galore. I’m an avid dog lover and truly appreciate the fascinating history of canines, but I’m not sure dogs need to bred anymore period. Too many breeders out there, licensed or not, that consider animals to be nothing more than a commodity.
Now that’s just depressing. I was hoping your lot would have more sense/decency than our lot. Breeders are the reason I only have rescue dogs. I am currently owned by a Border Collie who is the best dog in the world and the love of my life even if he is a total nutter. My last dog was a black Labrador – the other best dog in the world and also the love of my life. My Collie has osteoarthritis in his spine (probably the result of inter-breeding but we have no idea where he came from originally) and my black Lab had grande mal epilepsy that killed him in the end – again probably resulting from inter-breeding but what can you do? Pick up the pieces and give them the best life you can – and never, ever buy a puppy
Roger. I’m an opt to adopt girl myself (although I did buy a cat recently, the horror), but I know a couple cool breeders that are just as involved in rescue as they are in furthering their breed. I do believe there are folks out there with good intentions, but I also think they are outnumbered by the people looking to turn a quick profit . One look at the animal shelters and the dogs & cats roaming the streets and I just can’t.
Now I thought the UK had higher standards than the US. For instance, the standard for Boxers is natural ears rather than cropped. I also thought you were miles ahead regarding not declawing cats.
I got sad watching it when they said the Labrador Retriever has never won and never will because all the things that make them awesome pets make them terrible show dogs. So I turned that off and played westminster at home with my lab puppy and he of course won best in show then we split a piece of cheese to celebrate.
Wow did not know that about Labs – they rule! Good on you for celebrating!
I love this post. sounds like your doggy has a very happy home!
Ditto.
Most of the breeds have never won Best in Show at Westminster. One of my favourite dog show sayings is, “You win some, but you lose more.” Real exhibitors in confirmation know that the colour of the ribbon does not determine the quality of your day and that no matter what, they go home with the very best dogs in the world: theirs.
btw, have you seen the video of the golden retriever that spectacularly fails his final exam in obedience training?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iTTNRE-njM
I think Celebitchy posted it previously, but it sums up a golden’s personality perfectly.
HAHA! Oh man, that was spot on. 😂
“what’s that?…oh, wait, I think THIS is what I want…hold on what is that?!…oh, this looks like fun….but that thing there is so cool…oh, treats! nom nom nom…a BALL!…is that my mommy calling me?…”
She’s a beauty for sure, but not as cute as my Max, beagle, and my Admiral Lord Horatio “Nelson”, the 3-legged Parsons terrier who bays like Max!
Does anyone know why show dogs/cats/horses have ridiculous official names like that?
Breeders have kennel names called affixes. In general, affixes cannot contain common words like “super” or AKC titles like “champion.” An AKC registered dog cannot have an affix in its name unless it is bred by or affiliated somehow with that kennel. The dog name typically starts with the registering breeder’s affix, so by way of example, all of my dogs are “Meadowlake [dog name].” The AKC used to limit registered names to 20 characters including the breeder’s affix, but now you can pay extra to have a longer name. Many registered names are tributes to the genealogy of the dog or the breeders/owners or even a theme. My breeder has a champion bitch named Meadowlake Sweet Revenge; one of her puppies was named “Meadowlake Better than Revenge.” One of her particularly gorgeous – and randy – males is Meadowlake Licence to Kill aka James Bond. She even chose to register him with the English spelling of “licence” since Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are originally from Great Britain.
The call names of the dogs – what you use day to day – can be quite different and, dare I say, normal! Sweet Revenge is Maggie; Better than Revenge is Jason. My breeder has another line of dogs with Texas names: Lone Star ( call name: “Star”), Get Your Gun (“Annie”), Texas Ranger (“Walker” – great name for an AKC champion!), Patchwork Quilt (“Patches”), and Victoria (“Tori”). One of my dogs is named for my alma mater: Meadowlake Blue Devil – call name: DUKE! It’s terribly fun to hear my friends cheer GO DUKE when we are in the ring. 😉
Thanks for the explanation!
Is there a Westminster cat show? Elitistssssssssssssss !!!!!!!!!!!
So, Lookin for Trouble has found a Good Time Charlie!! Doggy style is the best!! I love my cats (they are watching me right now), but I plan on getting a dog in the next year or so. The dog shows are a blast to watch. If you ever have a bad day, watching a dog show will help. Watching a dog show with cocktails and truffles will REALLY help.
Yes! And I love my kitties, but coming home to my dogs, well the entire bad day/week/year just melts away when they greet you at the door each night.
I love both kittehs and puppehs…but I will say this…MY kitteh would come a-runnin’ to greet me when I came home from work.
I’d open the door and I’d hear off in the distance “meow…merowwwww!” getting closer, non stop until she got to my feet and I’d pick her up. then she’d mash her little furry face into my neck and purrrrrrrrr… she was such a love and a total kitty-sl*t for a warm lap. I miss her so… 🙁
How did she win with that mark under her nose and those brow wrinkles? My aunt’s beagle, Fanny, is 10, but looks much younger and has no wrinkles. Miss P looks like she could be Fanny’s mother. Pass.
I gave up on the show when Knopa the Scottie didn’t win in the terriers.
Well they kept it scottish, delighted to see the Skye terrier, a rare breed now, as reserve best in show
I love David Frei as the show host. He has a great voice, sense of humor and knowledge about dogs. But I am always very conflicted about Westminster. I watch and love it while feeling very disturbed about the fact that some of the dogs are de-barked which I find horrible and sick that Westminster has no policy against it.
It’s frustrating too that there is so little information about why a dog wins BIS. Last night, the female moderator asked David Fei why he agreed with Miss P being BIS and he did not explain why.
I think he didn’t explain why because he didn’t really agree. He’d been pushing Matisse the entire show with the Old English Sheepdog as his second choice. I think he was so stunned that the beagle won that he had very little to say.
My problem with him as host is that he says exactly the same thing about breed every single year, right down to the anecdotes about them. If you watch the show every year, you could do the job for him.
Her outfit looks like fur. Not very politically correct.
And the colors don’t match.
Not enuf makeup either.
I like that Doggie’s Style! –
That’s what flea said.
I watched it but felt guilty doing so. All of these breeders use inbreeding to achieve the “perfect look” which is set by the AKC book of breed standards (arbitrary numbers and ideals that they set for each breed as the ‘right’ way to look). Inbreeding results in the increased prevalence of genetic disease in dogs. I wish there were some breeders who said “to heck with looks!” and just took the healthiest mutts and started breeding for health, intelligence, happy demeanour and longevity. It’s really sad.
Here’s a little more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedigree_Dogs_Exposed
I have watched and attended dog shows and match shows for many years and am very active in rescue and foster. AKC puts me in a bind by not supporting, or at least making believe that they support, rescue animals. IF they did, there would be no need for the organization. It is because of the human desire to own something certified that AKC exists. Animals that compete in anything other than a match show must be intact, not neutered. That is how the breeders make their money.