# Westminster Kennel Club show



## arycrest

For those who are interested, don't forget that Westminster is this coming Monday & Tuesday, February 11 & 12.
http://www.westminsterkennelclub.org/

The live Monday night telecast schedule is split between USA Network and CNBC while the live Tuesday night telecast will be shown entirely on the USA Network.
* MONDAY:* 
8 to 9 PM - USA Network
9 to 11 PM - CNBC
* TUESDAY:* 
8 to 11 PM - USA Network
http://www.westminsterkennelclub.org/2008/show/tv.html


----------



## Liesje

I gotta buy a new VHS tape tomorrow! (yes I still "tape" shows)


----------



## VKristallaugen4

I'll be watchin!!


----------



## mnm

We have a client who is showing her Weim.


----------



## VKristallaugen4

Good luck to your client!!!!


----------



## SouthernBelle

I cant wait!!


----------



## EastGSD

Ooooo I hope Army gets the breed









Cherri


----------



## SouthernBelle

So I just read that Geneva took Breed, Bandit took oposite, Vinny took an AOM and Chyna also took an AOM.

I am sooo ready to watch groups tonite!


----------



## agilegsds

Interesting that they changed the order of the groups. Herding used to be last on Tuesday and now it's on Monday with Toy on Tuesday. That should make tonight far more interesting!


----------



## arycrest

I wasn't even looking for GSDs to be judged today. Here's the link to the winners and AOMs:
http://www.westminsterkennelclub.org/2008/results/breed/germshep.html

Here's a list of all the GSDs entered including those marked <span style="color: #FF0000"> * absent* </span> 
http://www.westminsterkennelclub.org/2008/entries/breed/germshep.html


----------



## agilegsds

For the wagering fans, an article about the Las Vegas odds on who will win.







The GSD is the third favorite at 30-1:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23000396/


----------



## SouthernBelle

Poodle Schmoodle.....


----------



## VKristallaugen4

Melissa,
Is that a Shepherd/Poodle???? LOL


----------



## SouthernBelle

LOL! No, it is not.... It was a mere mockery...tehehe!


----------



## VKristallaugen4

LOL I know!!


----------



## EastGSD

Grrrr they spelled Shepherd WRONG on the Westminster site, the video page









Cherri


----------



## VKristallaugen4

Maybe we're spelling it wrong because people spell it like that more than it's spelled right.... LOL


----------



## travis_gsd27

Shame Zane [Ch. Rowland's Cezanne of Imp Cen] wasnt there this year. I met him last year and fell head over heels. He's a hunk. I believe last year was his last Showing year. [They said '06 was going to be but he was at last years show...]


----------



## denwil2007

I was really hoping that Geneva would take the group


----------



## SouthernBelle

What did I tell ya! POODLE SCHMOODLE!!


----------



## GrandJan

Is it just me, or was the Working Group judge given her honorary Oscar for this performance? I understand she is retiring after this stint, and I’m not surprised. Her examination of each dog was cursory, and I noticed that she was often looking elsewhere when they made their “down and back”. 

Could it be possible she had her final line-up given to her before the judging? I’m not saying the dogs weren’t judged by a professional, but I’m not convinced it was by her.

Am I way off in left field?


----------



## VKristallaugen4

> Originally Posted By: Travis_s_MommyShame Zane [Ch. Rowland's Cezanne of Imp Cen] wasnt there this year. I met him last year and fell head over heels. He's a hunk. I believe last year was his last Showing year. [They said '06 was going to be but he was at last years show...]


Yes, Zane is officially retired and going to different schools sharing his career with his little friends. He is one amazing dog. He is my IDEAL GSD! His owner/handler is my Koko's handler...we're gettig ready for the new show season!!


----------



## StGeorgeK9

> Originally Posted By: GrandJan
> Is it just me, or was the Working Group judge given her honorary Oscar for this performance? I understand she is retiring after this stint, and I’m not surprised. Her examination of each dog was cursory, and I noticed that she was often looking elsewhere when they made their “down and back”.
> 
> Could it be possible she had her final line-up given to her before the judging? I’m not saying the dogs weren’t judged by a professional, but I’m not convinced it was by her.
> 
> Am I way off in left field?


Maybe not, I thought she looked in pain......like just the effort to walk out there was all she could do.


----------



## EastGSD

Jan remember that all of these dogs are conformation champions and most have had extensive careers. I would think judges are not going to give them the type of individual exam you would see in a regular point show in the classes. More often than not it comes down to ring presence and type in a show of this caliber which can be readily seen.

Cherri


----------



## GrandJan

Cherri, that makes sense, but I was seriously worried about her condition. They said she was in the 'dog business' for over 60 years, so, yes, I guess you could say she would know a good one when she saw it!


----------



## Andaka

Did anyone else notice that the same guy that co-owns Geneva with Janet also owns the Akita that won the working group?


----------



## MaggieRoseLee

*Westminster Kennel Club show GSD VIDEOS*

Cool to see, especially for those who haven't seen a GSD trot around the ring before! Those handlers really have to RUN!

http://video.westminsterkennelclub.org/player/?id=216528


----------



## MaggieRoseLee

*Re: Westminster Kennel Club show GSD VIDEOS*

bump? no comments on the dogs!???? They sure are fluffier than my Bretta Lee.


----------



## kelso

*Re: Westminster Kennel Club show GSD VIDEOS*

nice video. thanks for posting it! i always wanted to see more of the gsd, than the 2 seconds they are on the show on t.v. so i was excited to see this


----------



## DianaM

*Re: Westminster Kennel Club show GSD VIDEOS*



> Originally Posted By: MaggieRoseLeebump? no comments on the dogs!???? They sure are fluffier than my Bretta Lee.


They sure also walk on their hocks more than Bretta Lee, turn sloppier than Bretta Lee, and look completely unbalanced to the point that a stray exhaled breath could knock them over. Not to mention a few of those dogs should never have been considered due to the temperament they displayed. This is the best that the American lines have to offer? Poor dogs. 

I'd like to see one of them run agility against Bretta Lee.


----------



## SouthernBelle

*Re: Westminster Kennel Club show GSD VIDEOS*



DianaM This is the best that the American lines have to offer? .[/quote said:


> Apparently. Geneva (took breed) was the #1 GSD and #1 Herding dog.
> Poor dog...shoot, I would love to have her life...


----------



## Spitfire22

*Re: Westminster Kennel Club show GSD VIDEOS*

I noticed the lady with dark pants seems to have placed. Her dog was very down in the hocks and was very awkward looking when trotting.


----------



## Andaka

*Re: Westminster Kennel Club show GSD VIDEOS*



> Quote: This is the best that the American lines have to offer?


Not necessarily. Westminster is a difficult show to enter, and an expensive one to attend. Many people with quality dogs cannot afford to go. Only the top 5 dogs of each breed get an invitation, and the rest have to hope that their entries are on the top of the pile that gets delivered the day entries open. Because of the limited space at Madison Square Gardens the entire entry is held to 2500 dogs, and that number is reached in the first hour that entries can be made. Luckily Tag was ranked as the #2 GSD so we got an invite! Hotels were $100+ per night, and the food was expensive too. Parking was $40 per day. We flew my Mom and our handler to New York, but DH, Tag, and I drove because I don't like to fly a large dog (and that was the year they lost the Whippet at the airport). So we had extra nights in a hotel (plus ice cream for Tag). 

Just getting qualified for Westminster was a lot of effort. Where Jimmy Moses and his dogs have big money backers, Tag was owned by my Mom and me (we are also his breeders, and I am his trainer). Jimmy had a champagne budget, we had a beer budget. Where Jimmy could fly his dog all around the country to pick the best line-up of judges so that his dog could place as high as possible every weekend, Tag rode around in a 3rd hand RV with his handler going to the shows she could drive to, whether those had the best judges or not. Jimmy placed in the group every weekend, making it harder for us to place when he wasn't there because judges wanted the chance to put up other dogs that often didn't get a chance when Jimmy was there. 

These aren't sour grapes, just the facts of life in the AKC show ring. Tag ended up as the #2 GSD behind Jimmy in 2004, and I am very proud of it.


----------



## Brightelf

*Re: Westminster Kennel Club show GSD VIDEOS*

Wow.. watch it a second time, without music.. watch the dogs' responses to the manual stacking, re-adjusting for forelimb-and-hindlimb, the dentition examinations, the hands being run over the dogs' bodies.... lots of licking, anxious eyes, head-turns, tail-wringing, and anxious glances. 

Nice fluffy full coats.


----------



## DianaM

*Re: Westminster Kennel Club show GSD VIDEOS*

Daphne, this is why I do wish that AKC did not do professional handling. It gets extremely hard for those who can't afford top handlers to campaign their dogs. In the long run, it IS about the dogs, right? I've seen what the small-time handlers and the owner/handlers and breeder/owner/handlers have to go through to show and then I see what the big names have at their disposal, it's ridiculous. 



> Quote:making it harder for us to place when he wasn't there because judges wanted the chance to put up other dogs that often didn't get a chance when Jimmy was there.


Is this the German shepherd breed ring or the Jimmy Moses breed ring?


----------



## Andaka

*Re: Westminster Kennel Club show GSD VIDEOS*



> Quote: this is why I do wish that AKC did not do professional handling.


I have shown my own dogs, put points on them, even Best of Breeds and group placings. But I can't show my own dogs anymore (thanks to a couple of recent falls), so am I to just give up on showing in conformation? It is actually cheaper for me to use a handler than it is for me to go to all of the shows I would need to finish my dog's championship. Handlers are more than just the people who run around the ring -- they also plan your dog's show career, making sure he is shown most often to judges most likely to appreciate his good points and maybe not mind the bad ones as much (there is no perfect dog). My handlers are also my friends -- when my Dad died suddenly, one of my dogs was at some dog shows in another state and my handler kept that dog for a week at no charge and even sent me flowers!

And how is it different from the SV shows. Most of the owners HAVE to be on the outside doubling the dogs (who do you think the GSD AKC specialty people learned it from), so they have to hire one or more people to run the dog, and then pay whoever trained the dogs (as many of the dogs in the Open class were sent away for training and titling) to do the off lead portion. Of course, you don't have to go to as many shows, and you don't even have to win to get what you came for, which is one person's critique of your dog.


----------



## DianaM

*Re: Westminster Kennel Club show GSD VIDEOS*

Good points made, but when judging a dog becomes as much judging who is handling the dog, somewhere the system has broken down. Many have said it is next to impossible to break through as a no-name owner/handler. One could have a great dog but if you're up against the handlers that make everyone swoon, what are your chances then? 

I also don't agree with a lot of owners sending their German dogs off to get titled. I think a LOT is lost in that process that is beneficial to the breed. Sure, they're titled, but do you know enough about the dog to make a sound breeding decision besides the fact that it was shoved through all its titles and returned, ready to run around a ring? It is cheaper and less time consuming but when you are not learning with the dog and going through everything with the dog and being with the dog 24/7, how can one know every little detail? 

I guess being a working dog person, I'll never quite understand the showing part of the equation. Your comment that it is cheaper to send a dog off with a handler rather than doing it yourself is quite telling. Then again, we are a huge nation so that does work against us whether we're talking show OR work.


----------



## SouthernBelle

*Re: Westminster Kennel Club show GSD VIDEOS*



Andaka said:


> Quote: Tag ended up as the #2 GSD behind Jimmy in 2004, and I am very proud of it.
> 
> 
> 
> That is quite the accomplishment!!!
Click to expand...


----------



## Andaka

*Re: Westminster Kennel Club show GSD VIDEOS*










Here is Tag from the 2005 Westminster show.


----------



## Cooper&me

*Re: Westminster Kennel Club show GSD VIDEOS*

Conforfmation is a bit crooked. More Who you are if you ask me.

Tag is gorgeous.


----------



## agilegsds

*Re: Westminster Kennel Club show GSD VIDEOS*



> Originally Posted By: mjb03
> Tag is gorgeous.


And Daphne didn't mention that Tag earned an Award of Merit at Westminster.









I had the pleasure of meeting Tag at GSD Nationals in 2005 and all I can say is "Wow, what a Dog!" I wish I had more time to hang out with him because he was so much fun!


----------



## CMorton

*Re: Westminster Kennel Club show GSD VIDEOS*

I think Tag is gorgeous and Daphne works his mind and his body ,
One day I'll get to meet them both )


----------



## SouthernBelle

*Re: Westminster Kennel Club show GSD VIDEOS*

Daphne he is a GEM!!
I hope we run into each other sometime. 
Maybe I'll look you up next time I'm in Belleville and I can meet you and the pack.


----------



## Andaka

*Re: Westminster Kennel Club show GSD VIDEOS*

Thanks guys!







He would have had more titles, except for my injuries and Tag's time on the road.







Right now we are doing Rally because it is something I can do. I can't move my jumps, etc. I also miss being able to show my own dogs in conformation -- I enjoy my relationship with my dogs which comes thru training, even for conformation.


----------



## CMorton

*Re: Westminster Kennel Club show GSD VIDEOS*

I am truly enjoying Rally right now, and it's something our club can get even the most novice of pet owners involved in


----------



## SouthernBelle

*Re: Westminster Kennel Club show GSD VIDEOS*

I am going to try Rally with Camo after I title him in Conformation.


----------



## Annemarie

*Re: Westminster Kennel Club show GSD VIDEOS*

God, Tag is a handsome dude. IMO much better looking than any of the dogs at the show this year.

We were very shocked by the whole thing. My DH and I were at the ring when they were judging the GSD's and he picked his fav and asked me to pick one. The lady standing behind us was listening and went on the inform us that the winner was gonna be Jimmy Moses, she said that it would have been decided long before today!! Boy what a let down!!


----------



## EastGSD

*Re: Westminster Kennel Club show GSD VIDEOS*

The show was not decided before hand.......however, Ginny AND Jimmy are very popular and were strong favorites to win...it was not a surprise and the win was NOT undeserved...

It would be like someone being shocked that New England went to the superbowl this year....games weren't "fixed" they were just **** good. Jimmy Moses is an icon in the breed and has been handling since he was a teen in the 60s-70s......he is well known enough that he can pick and choose who he wants to show where (meaning those that want him to handle for them.) You will find well known, favorite, popular handlers in every breed....that is why it is so very special and is clapped so hard for when you have an owner/handler win the breed or a group....Jimmy Moses wins many times because he choses the best dogs to show (in his opinion), conditions them amazingly, trains them and loves his clients (the dog) and it shows...he is VERY good at his job and what he is paid to do...... this is not something to be suspicious of.

It wasn't "fixed" but the win was a given and not a surprise. Personally I was pulling for the Grand Victor ....







But, I think Ginny is a beautiful bitch and deserved her win.

JMHO
Cherri


----------



## VKristallaugen4

*Re: Westminster Kennel Club show GSD VIDEOS*

I have to Ditto Cherri


----------



## denwil2007

*Re: Westminster Kennel Club show GSD VIDEOS*

I think she deserved more than that. I would have liked to see her go all the way. I've been told she's more stunning in person.


----------



## SouthernBelle

*Re: Westminster Kennel Club show GSD VIDEOS*

Oh yea! Shes a head turner FOR SURE! ANd so trained to the ring it make s me want to go home and cry...... Jimmy is an amazing man IMO. with an eye for an amazing GSD.


----------

