Who let the dogs out?
Feb. 10th, 2004 10:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gwynI do not know why I am so into the Westminster Dog Show, but I am. I watch this stupid thing every year, and get all upset at the dogs that don't win that I think should win. Last night my sister phoned me right after the standard poodle had been chosen as best in class for the big show, and I had to vent my outrage before finding out she had a serious health problem. Fortunately she laughed. (I have nothing in particular against poodles, I will say up front-- I just get tired of every year, the damn poodles taking the non-working class, because I hate the stupid show cuts on those lovely dogs, and I just think the joy should be spread around, you know?).
Evil Twin laughed because she knows where I'm coming from -- we're not dog people, we're not cat people, we're all-animal people. Neither of us even knew there were other kids like us until we started pre-school, because we were somewhat isolated, and my dad raised and trained Brittany Spaniels (no Brittany was chosen this year! Stupid judges), and our house was filled with pets of every stripe. We just thought we were animals ourselves. I've been around dogs most of my life and am somewhat dog deprived now, because I know dogs, and they need more attention than I'd be able to give them what with long hours away at work. And cats are easier to care for in most ways, so I've had a cat household as an adult.
Since both Gilmore Girls and 24 are disappointing me so much, it was easy to flip back and forth between Westminster and the shows. I'm now waiting for Best in Show. Fortunately adorable little Kevin the Welsh Corgi won best in herding dogs. I was crushed last night when Smudgie, the adorable beyond belief English Bull Terrier, didn't even place for the final. Stupid judges. (Plus?No dachshunds won! Grrr) I get far, far too wrapped up in this thing, almost as much as I do my fannish shows. But there are things I don't get that are never explained, things that to a child of a field dog trainer, just don't make sense. Like the stupid show cuts. I do not get the purpose of those frigging poodle balls. I do not get the purpose of stupid bows and weird shaved areas. I also don't understand why the show person slaps the dog in the face most of the time. What are they trying to get the dog to do? Is it a signal? Some of those slaps looked really hard, and maybe because I grew up with hunting dogs, slapping seems really... not productive and kind of dangerous. I'dlove it if someone could enlighten me.
Okay, gotta go send mental signals for Kevin or Bunny to win (even though I know they won't, I have to root for them). Go, dawgs!
Evil Twin laughed because she knows where I'm coming from -- we're not dog people, we're not cat people, we're all-animal people. Neither of us even knew there were other kids like us until we started pre-school, because we were somewhat isolated, and my dad raised and trained Brittany Spaniels (no Brittany was chosen this year! Stupid judges), and our house was filled with pets of every stripe. We just thought we were animals ourselves. I've been around dogs most of my life and am somewhat dog deprived now, because I know dogs, and they need more attention than I'd be able to give them what with long hours away at work. And cats are easier to care for in most ways, so I've had a cat household as an adult.
Since both Gilmore Girls and 24 are disappointing me so much, it was easy to flip back and forth between Westminster and the shows. I'm now waiting for Best in Show. Fortunately adorable little Kevin the Welsh Corgi won best in herding dogs. I was crushed last night when Smudgie, the adorable beyond belief English Bull Terrier, didn't even place for the final. Stupid judges. (Plus?No dachshunds won! Grrr) I get far, far too wrapped up in this thing, almost as much as I do my fannish shows. But there are things I don't get that are never explained, things that to a child of a field dog trainer, just don't make sense. Like the stupid show cuts. I do not get the purpose of those frigging poodle balls. I do not get the purpose of stupid bows and weird shaved areas. I also don't understand why the show person slaps the dog in the face most of the time. What are they trying to get the dog to do? Is it a signal? Some of those slaps looked really hard, and maybe because I grew up with hunting dogs, slapping seems really... not productive and kind of dangerous. I'dlove it if someone could enlighten me.
Okay, gotta go send mental signals for Kevin or Bunny to win (even though I know they won't, I have to root for them). Go, dawgs!
