Canine Confidential: The Westminster Dog Show

What's it really like at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show?

Close to 3,000 dogs representing 202 breeds are expected to participate in the 141st Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Piers 92/94 in New York in February, culminating in the legendary “Best in Show” event at Madison Square Garden. The competition, which dates to 1877, is the premier event of the year for breeders, trainers and handlers. It’s even been called the Oscars of the canine world.  

For those watching the show, it may appear these seemingly perfect pooches are simply the pick of the litter. But an impeccable pedigree doesn’t necessarily guarantee a prizewinner. “People don’t realize how much goes into training,” say Dottie Collier, a judge in the Working and Herding groups and serving at the show for the fourteenth time.

“Every breed has a standard of perfection,” she continues. “Judges study those fine points. You’re not judging one dog against the other. You’re judging a dog against the breed’s standard.” Judges don’t meet the dogs they’ll rate until the competition, so for the dog’s handlers, those few minutes in front of the judge are crucial. Read more here.

Microchip vs Smart Collar: What's the Difference?

from AKC Wanderer

Keeping track of your pet's location has never been easier. Thanks to GPS technology, the "lost dog" flyer tacked to a telephone pole is increasingly a thing of the past. With recent advances, technology can help you monitor more than just your dog's location. When you're evaluating the merits of a microchip and a GPS dog collar, there are three key considerations to keep in mind.

A pet microchip is a device the size of a grain of rice that's painlessly embedded between a dog's shoulder blades. The chip includes a unique code linked to your information that's available upon it being scanned. Unfortunately that's one of the limitations to having justa microchip; it's helpfulness depends on someone finding your dog and taking it to be scanned, more than likely by a local vet. Because the chip is not linked to one of your devices, it's impossible to independently track your pet's movements. Another important consideration of having a microchip is that you need to keep your information up-to-date. Read more here.