Clearly, you will all see this ex post facto, but the show results are here, with photo links. For video, you'll have to go elsewhere. Sorry, I don't know how to do simulcast yet.
Dwayne, that's a challenge.
I just started now, in the Working Group.
This is, of course, all based on my own two eyes. I'm not a AKC certified judge of dogs. But I've probably logged more hours at AKC events than most.
- That Weimaraner is beautiful.
- The view from the back of the Black Russian Terrier is a bit, let's say, ample. And his name was ridiculous. And the whole 'not for the first time dog owner' commentary was a bit Cold War, wasn't it?
- That is a beautiful boxer. Especially in profile. I'm not sure that I don't think it's facial markings aren't a bit distracting from the geometry of its head.
- It's true. The Doberman is beautiful. The coloration, especially is so velvety and rich.
- Dogs of French origin are hilarious. Dogue de Bordeaux? Hilarious. PBGV? Hilarious.
- Am I the only one who thinks that the Great Dane is a bit pigeon-toed? And perhaps a pound or two thin? Nice gait, though.
- I'm not into the facial geometries of the Great Pyrenees. Too pinched around the eyes, and too trapezoidal of a muzzle.
- Komondor are awesome. Anyone who doesn't agree is crazy. I can't possibly imagine what their undercarriage must be like filth and dander-wise.
- The Mastiff, as Foucault would've seen it, is an initiator of discursive practice. If we're talking dogs, of course. They're all amazing.
- The Neapolitan Mastiff is pretty wild. The skin distribution on that thing is akin to a Shar Pei, which makes me wonder the extent to which the Venetians, Sig. Polo particularly, can be blamed.
- That Portuguese Water Dog was too spazzy. Leaning in the stack, shaking, and running diagonally.
- Rottweiler. Shout out to Kingston.
- I'm not really into white dogs, but I think the Samoyed might be the coolest of the bunch. Interesting how the olive-brown tones of the handler's shoes draws the eye to the ways in which a white coat actually contains sweeping color gradations. I wonder if she planned that.
- Siberian Huskies are great because they remind us that so many breeds still have a little wolf in them.
- I love the facial coloration on this Standard Schnauzer.
- Tibetan Mastiffs have the most beautifully emotional faces. So many different states of mind simultaneously.
- I just saw the cut. I'd go with the boxer. The Doberman is also great. That Akita would be in my top four. And the Kuvasz would round it out. In that order. There, I said it.
- But I feel bad about the Tibetan Mastiff.
- Yeah, I don't get the Portuguese Water Dog or the Malamute.
Congratulations to Aaron Bradshaw, winner of Junior Showmanship.
May We have the Terrier Group in the ring please...
- Dandie Dinmont Terrier. That's what I'm talking about.
- Am I the only one seeing a weird groom on this Airedale that makes it look like the line of its rib cage carries across its back leg?
- That Am Staff doesn't really want to be touched, does she?
- People think that they look weird, but Bedlington Terriers are quite beautiful if you stop expecting a round headed dog and look at its ovoid rectangularity instead. It's a geometric divergence from the norm, but quite elegant nonetheless.
- If I were you, I wouldn't piss off a Border Terrier. You'll lose. Look at that little bastard. Pure killing machine. That's the thing with Terriers. Up close, you're lunch.
- I don't really know the standard, but that Bull Terrier (Colored) looks like it has extra long front legs. And the Bull Terrier (White) needs to gain weight in its front legs. This makes me think that I really need to read the standard.
- Holy Shit! That's Cathy. Pennywise Kennels, people. Dandie Dinmont Terriers. The best of the best. Don't even ask twice. 2004 AKC Breeder of the Year. She's the best.
- For once in my life, I actually like the coloring on a Smooth Fox Terrier. That's a pretty damn nice dog.
- This Wire Fox Terrier wouldn't be my 14th Best in Show winner. It wouldn't even be in my cut, so far.
- The Glen of Imaal Terrier is really wild. Makes me think of how that's an Irish line of Terrier and not Scottish.
- It's really too bad that Joe Garagiola isn't doing the color commentary anymore. He was amazing, and, for those of you that have seen Best in Show, the prototype. Fred Willard owes him a ton. Tamron Hall, bless her heart, just can't fill those shoes. If anyone knows anyone who works at USA, tell them I'll do it next year.
- So far, I'm going with the Dandie, the Smooth Fox, and the Bedlington. I hope this judge doesn't do something corny and go with one of those breeds that always wins just because they always win. Not that I begrudge the dog the win, but Terrier judging can be a bit traditionalist for my tastes.
- I sort of think that this Parson Russell is ok, but I really don't know the standard at all. Mainly because most of the ones you see running around aren't up to the AKC standard.
- Shit, man. That Scottie is really pretty textbook. I can see why she's winning everything. Gonna be hard for anyone else to beat that. Whoever groomed that dog needs a little credit as well. Propers.
- Speaking of white dogs, but not really all white, the Sealyham Terrier is pretty great.
- The Skye Terrier is proof that judging a dog is a tactile experience. How the hell am I supposed to judge that dog's bone structure on TV?
- Clearly, this judge and I have very different tastes in Terriers. Excepting that Smooth Fox and the Scottie, who will probably win this sucker. This is actually a sort of interesting dilemma. Dogs are judged according to individual breed standards as adopted by the AKC. However, in an ideal show, each dog would be a perfect manifestation of its breed. Thus, the dilemma of taste in relation to a preordained canon. Perhaps this interestingly problematized Greenberg's notions as discussed in 'Can Taste Be Objective?." I've never thought of it that way before.
- If I were handling that Sealyham, I'd be pissed at the woman with the Westie for crowding me.
Best in Show
- Turn the damn lights on. This is about evaluating dogs, not theatre.
- After the first go around, the Brittany is my dark horse candidate, with the Scottie looking best, essentially even is the Doberman.
- Every year this guy has a great poodle, but I'm just not into poodles at all.
- I have absolutely no idea who I'd give this to. Every year it's impossible. I think I'd go with the Doberman, to be honest, but I'd feel really bad about not giving it to the Brittany, and the people who say I should give it to the Scottie have an indisputable argument.
- I hope I'm not the only person that gives that French Bulldog a lot of credit. That's a beautiful dog.
- Well, you can't argue that.
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