What we learned at The Westminster Dog Show
By: The Muttly Crew Team
As we make our way to our seating at the Madison Square Garden arena, the audience cheers sound more like catcalling on a New York City sidewalk. Some patrons cheering for certain dog breeds shouted statements like “work that sh#t!” and “looking hot, nice legs!” Our excitement to finally attend the primetime session of the 2020 Westminster Dog Show was paired with our intrigue of the fellow attendees, parading of the furry centerfolds and ambiance. And the jumbotron honing in on the dog of mention was a bonus! The screen showed the camera zooming in on the furry contestant and his or her handler with a list of traits possessed by that breed. So interesting for us as dog apparel creators and advocates for companion adoption! We love and adore all types of dogs, even purebreds! Catch that 😊. As familiar as we were with the show and some of its history, 144 years in the making, we learned a lot by attending the event. And not just that people treat it like a Victoria’s Secret fashion show.
Here are some of our findings:
More attendees drink alcohol than you would expect at a dog show on a work/school night – and it was Monday night.
The judges hardly utter a sound while critiquing and picking winners, just like it looks on tv.
The first night of the event, more than half the audience clears the arena around 10 pm when the herding group makes it debut. And herding group breeds rarely win best in show. The last winners were a German Shepard named Rumor in 2017 and another shepard in 1987.
Past time favorites are still favorites to win. But they are not necessarily the crowd’s top choices. The winners included Toy Group winner Bonno, a Havanese. Though he is quite popular and adorable, the audience went wild for the small, terrier-like Affenpinscher in the same category. In the Hound Group, Bourbon the Whippet took the title, but fans yodeled loudly for the droopy, stumpy Basset Hound contestant with the soulful eyes.
And Bonno fetched his second consecutive title this year. He also captured nearly 90 wins in other “Best in Show” competitions. This Havanese has the most titles under his harness, compared to any competitor of his breed.
Many of the show dogs have full entry names to similar to racehorses like you see in the Triple Crown. For example, sporting group winner Daniel the Golden Retriever also goes by GCHP CH Hillock's Jack Daniel's RA JH CA RATN CGC and the working group champ Wilma the Boxer is entered as Boxers GCHP2 CH Cinnibon’s Bedrock Bombshell.
The Belgian Malinois is constantly mistaken as a German Shepard.
The Spanish Water Dog is considered a herding dog. At least, we didn’t know that.
The pooch contestants just get to lick their handlers’ treats before and during their trotting around the artificial turf stage. They usually don’t get to eat the treat until they are done walking and get to stand and wait for results.
Winners don’t receive cash prizes. The titles and possible sponsorships are the prize themselves.
And if you are dog lover and or looking to see what kind of dog may fit in your life the best, attending this show is a great opportunity to learn about the different breeds and their common traits and qualities. And hey, why not get the best of 1, 2 or 3 or more furry worlds? Figure out what multibreed or mutt could make up the combination for the right personality for you.