As a dog breeder, aside from the love of the breed, there is the prestige of being recognized for producing dogs closest to the breed standard. Nothing says prestige quite like the Westminster Dog Show. As it says on the brochure "There's only one."
Tomorrow kicks off the 136th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Be sure to watch it on USA network. For us it means packing up the van around 4AM and heading for New York. Breeders from around the country are making this annual pilgrimage as we speak. If you happen to be in New York City and see people carrying around a bunch of gold a purple paperwork, they are there for the dog show.
It's not all on TVWhat you see on TV is really just the tip of the iceberg for this show. There's a lot going on behind the scenes and it's also what's known as a "benched show". At most dog shows, dogs and their owners come and go. At benched shows, dogs are required to…