Westminster Kennel Club: 148th Show features dogs and dedication

NEW YORK (AP) — Less than three years ago, Mary Ann and David Giordano took turns lying on their living room floor with their Afghan hound, Frankie, and feeding their seriously ill dog. Everything was given to him by hand.

After contracting Lyme disease, she developed severe kidney damage despite taking medication to fight off the ticks that carry the bacteria. Veterinarians weren't sure if she would survive.

Still, on Monday, Frankie Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, healthy and ready to compete. She will compete with more than a dozen other Afghan hounds, including Zaida, winner of the World Dog Show in Croatia last month, for a chance to advance to the next round of America's most prestigious canine event. There will be a confrontation.

“It's been really difficult,” Mary Ann Giordano said, her voice choking as she described Frankie's eight-month ordeal. “But she did it.”

From the pomp of Westminster's dogs to the formality of coiffed poodles, toy dogs in topknots, and dogs trotting around the ring, dog shows are about the bonds people form with their dogs, and how each It also shows what we do for each other.

Monday marked the beginning of the traditional judging that will lead to the Best of Show award, which will be presented Tuesday night at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Selection of the seven finalists began Monday night. Each represents a group of breeds, such as hunting dogs or herding dogs.

One of the dogs was Louis, an Afghan hound, who beat out Zayda, Frankie and littermate Belle to win the breed.

“This breed is supposed to be the 'king of dogs' and he knows he is,” said handler and co-owner Alicia Jones.

Other finalists include Sage, a miniature poodle who gave his “100%” in the ring, as his handler Kaz Hosaka said. Mercedes is a prize-winning German shepherd trained by Kent Boyles. Led another German Shepherd to the top trophy in show In 2017. and Comet, a Shih Tzu who took home the top prize at last year's large-scale televised American Kennel Club national championship.

“He's everything you want in a Shih Tzu,” co-owner, breeder and handler Luke Ehrlicht said Monday morning after Comet acquired the breed. The dog, whose flowing coat resembled a vanilla and caramel ice cream sundae melting on the table, looked up at his handler with the kind expression typical of the breed.

“He's a very sweet and loving dog, and he knows when to perform and when to relax and play,” said Ehrlicht, who lives in Monclova, Ohio.

Three more finalists will be chosen on Tuesday night, after which all seven will compete for the best on the show.

More than 2,500 first-round participants range from tiny Yorkshire terriers to towering Irish wolfhounds. We have a bushy Old English Sheepdog, a hairless Xoloitzcuintli, a giant Mastiff, and a skinny dog. Azawaku and newly added varieties, lancashire healer, Monday's representative was one contestant named Mando.

If he knew a lot rested on his tiny shoulders, he didn't let it show as he appeared in the televised semi-finals with his tail wagging. He also didn't seem to mind going it alone when someone in the crowd yelled “Yay!” early in the ring for the first round. history! ”

“He just has a rock star attitude,” handler Jessica Prude said later.

The show was also a first for Alfredo Delgado and Maria Davila, who traveled from Juncos, Puerto Rico with their French bulldog, Duncan.

Their path began when Delgado's brother found a lost Frenchie. He was soon reunited with his owner, but Delgado was intrigued by the breed.

Years later, he was in the Westminster ring as Duncan's breeder, owner and handler, with Davila rooting for him.

“It was a dream come true for us to come here,” Davila said afterward. “It was great to be able to share it with such experienced people in the ring.”

At a nearby grooming tent, Valarie Shamis petted Choki, a pulley, before ring time.

Hungarian herding dogs boast long, thick leashes that form naturally, but owners can aid in the process by cutting the leashes apart. The moisture can get so thick that it can take up to 24 hours for a dog to dry after a bath, which can be done using multiple box fans and sometimes a portable dehumidifier, Chamis said. .

Why would we do that?

“They're fun dogs. They're full of personality,” Chamis said. Yes, they can be stubborn and bark, but they're also adorable, Chamis said. Choki cares for the geese and chickens at his home in Kingfield, Maine, and sometimes lies next to them.

Mister the Bloodhound, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his breed on Monday, also taps into the breed's ancient instincts. Co-owner, breeder and handler Renee Wagner of Niagara Falls, N.Y., said the pup is eligible for missing person tracking, but previous calls have been resolved before entering the scene. .

The 148th Westminster Show opened on Saturday with an agility competition, which was won by a mutt for the first time since the war. Westminster added event in 2014. The winner, Nimble, was handled by Cynthia Horner, who won the trophy with her border collie last year.