The National Dog Show

Thanksgiving has morphed for me. As a child it was all about going to Grandma's for eating. And eating, And eating. After dinner the adults would play pinochle and the kids would watch The Wizard of Oz on TV. (This is probably where my unreasonable fear of tornadoes originated.)

When Hubby was in the Navy, Thanksgiving involved single sailors and/or other military families. It was a big deal. Then my kids got older and worked retail and Thanksgiving became a small celebration before Black Friday madness. Now we're empty nesters and prefer to keep things low-key.

A fairly new addition to Thanksgiving is the National Dog Show. I was never one for the Macy's Parade, football or combat shopping, But dogs . . . oh, yeah! The Washington Times has a nice article about How the National Dog Show Became Your Favorite Thanksgiving Tradition. It's worth reading.

I watch the show differently since I've entered the world of showing. It's more than just gorgeous dogs for me now. I pick up weird things. For example, this year I noticed that:

• The announcers stated that the 2000+ dogs in the show came from 15 different countries. That's a lot of potential cooties and the reason why I fully vaccinate my dogs. Screw the anti-vaxers. (Yes, they exist in the dog world too.)
• I found myself watching the handlers as much as the dogs: What are the women wearing? How are they holding leashes? What are they doing with the bait?
• A majority of the dogs in the ring were three, four and five years old. This is actually comforting for me. I look at my nine-month-old spazzy pup and remember he needs time to mature. There's no need to rush!
• Many of the dogs had other titles as well -- farm dog, field trials, dock diving, lure coursing, rally. This made me smile. I'm not the only one who feels that a well-rounded dog has titles on both ends.
• I found myself recognizing most breeds before the announcer named them. Who's a good ACO? Seriously, I should be able to write off dog shows as a "work-related expense" on my taxes!
• I recognized the Border Collie from the Westminster Dog Show. He's the guy I was rooting for back in February. Stupid Bichon Frise.

An interesting fact about the National Dog Show: Unlike Westminster, it's pre-recorded. The show was actually held last weekend yet nobody leaked the results during the 4-day interim. (FYI: I was scouring my regular FB groups looking for the info all week!) To fit the 2-hour slot, the dog show is heavily edited. Not all dogs are shown, but you can see the individual group winners online. The one I care most about is the German shepherd (of course) who came in 4th for the herding group. In case you're interested, that dog was CH PEAKES BROOK NONNA'S LITTLE LADY V CATIVA (call name: Capella).

I'm still planning on attending the German Shepherd Dog Club of America's National Shows in Colorado next October. (Thanks Mom for all your love and support.) However, the National Dog Show is on my GSD bucket list. And to be honest, that show would be easier for me to swing than Westminster or GSDCA Nationals. The National Dog Show is in Philadelphia every year. I have family in Baltimore, and could probably make it a Thanksgiving with the In-Laws twofer. Hmmm . . . it's a thought!

But for now, I need to get off the computer. My dogs are feeling neglected -- and they're not shy about telling me so. What kind of dog mom spends her day looking at dogs on TV and blogging about dogs online, while ignoring the real dogs in front of her? A bad one! Catch you later, -- K