Rottweilers Ate My Laptop

As mentioned earlier in the week, there are only a very few times over the long history of Westminster that Rottweilers have placed in group competition. Unfortunately, 2010 would not be one of those times. But it was still so exciting to see Julia and Patrone on TV, and what a wonderful team they made.

I’m not one who yells at the TV very often during sporting events. But last night, there was clapping and cheering (and barking) for Julia and Patrone, as if they, or the judge could hear us. And when they made the cut and got pulled into the line at the end, we got even louder. Alas, Patrone would not follow in his great-grandfather’s pawprints as one of the very few Rottweilers to place in the group. Still, a beautiful showing and very excited to see a friend in the spotlight at the Garden! Just a little disappointed that the commentators did not mention Julia by name, as they did with some of the other handlers.

I was pulling for the Whippet for Best In Show, but the Doberman should have had it. Sadie, the Scottish Terrier favored by many to win, did in fact prevail. But you all knew that, too!

I was a little surprised to find myself liking Tamron Hall as co-host. She spent quite a few years on the Chicago Fox affiliate’s morning news show, and I didn’t particularly care for her in that spot. Upon reflection, perhaps it was that I didn’t care for her teamed with David Novarro, or more likely, it’s David Novarro that I still don’t like in that morning spot. Anyway, good job, Tamron! Way better than last year’s co-host.

Oh, yes. I am sure you were hoping I’d forget, but guess what came in the mail recently, and that I finally got around to scanning? That’s right, Axel’s Canine Good Citizen certificate!

I know those of you who knew him as “Junior Gang Member” or “Junior Sex Offender” from puppy classes or as the unruly adolescent who tested me constantly are laughing at the idea of him being a good citizen. Well, there’s the proof. So there!

(NaBloPoMo | February ’10: 17 of 28)

I had just arrived at work this morning when I got the wonderful news that Julia had gone Best of Breed with Patrone at Westminster. Yes, that would be Axel’s beloved handler, Julia Foster, and Rottweiler CH Chancellor’s Gorgeous Patrone, TT!

I can only imagine how much more interested in the show Axel will be tonight, when he sees “his” Julia on television!

Obviously, Julia’s win today is a big part of Westminster getting personal for me. But there is more.

Axel has actually been in the ring with six of the Rottweilers who were shown today. They were all Champions competing in Best of Breed during the time he was out getting his Championship. As Winners Dog from the classes, he went back in the ring with the specials dogs, or more specifically, to be defeated for Best of Breed by the specials dogs (it’s okay, that’s usually what happens). One of the Award of Merit winners is the son of Freya’s half-brother. His handler owned Freya’s sire. His owner once owned Freya’s littermate.

So, yes, I watch with a bit more interest each year, because there are more and more personal connections.

I was surprised to see the number of searches on various Rottweiler-ly Westminster topics leading here to the blog today. Here are some answers to the questions posed in those searches.

• A Rottweiler has never won Westminster. A Rottweiler has won the Working Group only once, in 2006: CH Carter’s Noble Shaka Zulu. I so hope to see that happen again tonight.
• Rottweilers have placed in the Working Group only four other times.
• All of the Rottweilers, and in fact all of the dogs entered at Westminster, are Champions. Westminster entry is limited to Champions and it is currently the only AKC show with this requirement.
• The Westminster website and its associated Facebook page and Twitter stream are being updated lightning fast. The Rottweiler winners are here and the list of Rottweiler entrants is here. If you are not a Rottweiler person, the “2010 Show Results” link on the Westminster website will take you to information on how your own breed of choice is doing. The only thing that seems to be taking a little longer is the videos. I so want to see the Rottweiler breed video before the groups tonight!

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Of course we are watching on television right now, and even more important (because the Working Group is tomorrow), tomorrow night!

In fact, I had been watching the breed judging videos as time permitted during the day. We do not block websites at my workplace, because we are all adults here and know when the work has to be done. But we all have our favorite sporting events that run during work hours, and we do abuse the streaming video as we gulp down the bandwidth. Westminster and pro surfing are my personal bandwidth suckers.

Axel is actually watching the show. He usually watches television shows featuring dogs or other animals, but he seems especially into it tonight. Maybe because he’s now been there, done that? Well, obviously not to a huge and prestigious show such as Westminster, but still, he has done the showdog thing.

I was going to write a post about how to watch a dog show. But it’s been done. And done, and done. Seems a little silly, too, now that we’re into the last hour of tonight’s broadcast. Play-by-play? Or results? Plenty of places for you to find that, too. So for now, I will give you Axel’s version:

Hi. I’m Axe. I was in some dog shows and I became a Champion. Here is what we do at the shows. We go kind of fast, and turn left. Sort of like NASCAR. But with paws and only once around. We also go up and back. Then we do the NASCAR thing again. Then someone wins. Sometimes me.

There you have it!

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No, we won’t be there in person this year (February 15-16 if you’re watching on USA and CNBC as we are). But if I had a bucket list, a trip to Westminster Kennel Club’s dog show would surely be on it, with or without a canine family member participating.

Can I say it will be just a little bit more exciting for me to watch from here on out, knowing that technically, I could have my dog in the game? Axel is now an AKC Champion of record and would be eligible to enter in the future (only Champions of record are eligible to enter Westminster, which I think is the only AKC show with that requirement at this time). The chances of us ever participating are still almost nil. Entries are limited to 2,500 and fill up incredibly fast. This is also a show we would have pretty much no chance of winning. This will be the 134th year for this show, and in that time, a Rottweiler has never won Best in Show at Westminster, and has won the Working Group only once, in 2006.

So Westminster dreams are really just that: dreams. But still. Wouldn’t it be nice?

Ever since the dogs started working on titles, I’ve had to explain more than a few times what dog shows and trials are about. I’m wondering if those of you who visit here would be interested in some “dog stuff basics” posts? I know at least some of you are psycho dog people yourselves and could probably recite the AKC “Rules Applying to Dog Shows” in your sleep. But as many times as I’ve had to explain points and majors and how Axel’s shows are different from Freya’s trials (that got really confusing last month, when they were both competing in Rally Obedience, but in different organizations), maybe some of you would like to know more?

(NaBloPoMo | February ’10: 4 of 28)