# Westminister...



## Countryboy (May 16, 2011)

Is anybody watching the dog show? It's quite the production.  
The personalities are, ummmm..... really peppy! lol 
Informative and enthusiastic. Really enthusiastic.
Actually, it makes them fun to watch.

Last night, or day, was Agility. I saw a few rounds of that. 
Tonight they go into the ring. 
And they've just finished singing the Anthem.


----------



## Dianaleez (Dec 14, 2019)

Our puppy is watching - some dogs rate a bark, others just ennui.


----------



## Fenris-wolf (Apr 17, 2018)

I don't have cable???????????????????? I was really hoping to watch it.


----------



## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

I've got it recording to watch tonight! So sad I missed agility.


----------



## scooterscout99 (Dec 3, 2015)

Poodles make the NYT photos.









Westminster Dog Show Photos: Almost Ready for Prime Time


A field of hundreds will be narrowed to seven by Tuesday night, but on Monday it is still any dog’s game.




www.nytimes.com


----------



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Agility was yesterday and obedience was today. A few people I know are among those at agility every year, but also people I know are in obedience every year. My private trainer has been there and her private trainer has won all four years prior to this. I look forward to watching live tomorrow night


----------



## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

We’re watching too. Babykins gets excited when she see poodles.


----------



## spindledreams (Aug 7, 2012)

The Toy Poodle won a group 3rd


----------



## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

Standard poodle came in first in non-sporting. Gorgeous dog.


----------



## Streetcar (Apr 13, 2014)

scooterscout99 said:


> Poodles make the NYT photos.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


ScooterScout, you probably already noticed this, but that first Poodle is our very own Terry's FarleysD Santiago ???. (The apricot)


----------



## Carolinek (Apr 2, 2014)

Congratulations Farley’sD Santiago! Beautiful boy.


----------



## scooterscout99 (Dec 3, 2015)

Yep, yep, Streetcar. I love it because he’s a tall boy, like my own spoo.


----------



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Umm the Breed winner in Standard Poodles is GCHP CH Stone Run Afternoon Tea

The person who I traced the training connection back to through my trainer won obedience for the fifth time. Her score was 397.5 out of a possible 400. Congratulations to Linda Brennan and Heart, more properly known as OTCH18 Rhumbline's Once In A Blue Moon UDX12 OGM BN GN VER RE JH ACT1 SWN CGC TK, a truly great team, very accomplished on both ends of the leash.


----------



## Streetcar (Apr 13, 2014)

Streetcar said:


> ScooterScout, you probably already noticed this, but that first Poodle is our very own Terry's FarleysD Santiago ???. (The apricot)


To clarify, I was talking about the NYT photos posted, not the placements ☺. Sorry if I confused anyone.

Hoping the club posts videos...


----------



## Applecelery (Dec 9, 2019)

So happy to see the standard poodle win the group can wait for bis I feel like it should be the year for the poodle they are just too awesome yay Siba


----------



## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

Thoughts on the miniatures at Westminister:
Fronts are still very straight. The dog that appeared to have the best front angulation is Reignon Top Banana. Several dogs had rather flat feet. The brown dog (Penchant Phor Pete's Sake At Kalein) had good bone and was well balanced. I also liked the Danfour Keep the Madness Rolling dog. All the white dogs lacked muscle and angulation in the rear - that might be a lack of exercise as opposed to basic structure.


----------



## scooterscout99 (Dec 3, 2015)




----------



## scooterscout99 (Dec 3, 2015)

Poodles Toy | Breed Judging 2020







www.westminsterkennelclub.org


----------



## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

Streetcar said:


> To clarify, I was talking about the NYT photos posted, not the placements ☺. Sorry if I confused anyone.
> 
> Hoping the club posts videos...


I was annoyed that the NYT credits didn’t include the breeder. When I saw the apricot, I was dying of curiosity. Appreciate your discerning eye Johanna.


----------



## farleysd (Apr 18, 2011)

Streetcar said:


> ScooterScout, you probably already noticed this, but that first Poodle is our very own Terry's FarleysD Santiago ???. (The apricot)


Thank you Streetcar, just got home from NYC, had a great time. Was exciting to watch Santiago in the ring


----------



## farleysd (Apr 18, 2011)

Carolinek said:


> Congratulations Farley’sD Santiago! Beautiful boy.


Thank you Carolinek


----------



## Streetcar (Apr 13, 2014)

farleysd said:


> Thank you Streetcar, just got home from NYC, had a great time. Was exciting to watch Santiago in the ring


He is stunning. What a standout with that color and conformation combined.


----------



## scooterscout99 (Dec 3, 2015)

Santiago also made the CNN web site!


----------



## fel (Jan 8, 2014)

Congrats to Connie Unger for best in show. Amazing.


----------



## Applecelery (Dec 9, 2019)

Woot woot way to go Siba I said I had a feeling lol


----------



## Countryboy (May 16, 2011)

Awwww.... the Leafs were playing tonight so I missed most of the show. So thanks for the videos, SS. I think there was a Poodle that took BIS about ten years ago???
Good to see us get there again.


----------



## Carolinek (Apr 2, 2014)

Great to see a poodle win BIS! And many congrats to all who competed, making it to that level is an achievement in and of itself.

My trainer had an extra ticket for the agility finals so I decided to take a ride down in the last minute. It was exciting to be there....and Pink was amazing. An Aussie from my immediate area (LiliAnne) won the 20 inch class, wonderful to see that. My trainer had some great runs, but unfortunately didn’t make it to finals this year. She did win the masters agility in 2016 with her Aussie Holster.
Also some amazing poodles competing in agility. I was pleased to meet two dogs from Gracie’s breeder. They had nice runs, but didn’t make it in the finals. Still good to see them there, and I got to meet the dogs and their owner. I’m hoping Gracie will be at Westminster in the future!


----------



## Tikkadog (Jul 24, 2019)

The best in show line up was lovely. I have followed Bono for 2 years now and I was hoping this was his year. Since I've had a havanese or 5 years I was sort of prejudiced. I would have been happy with any of them (except the wire-haired) and was fine with the poodle winning BIS. She was stunning and showed flawlessly.

I've been to Westminster twice and it truly is an amazing experience.


----------



## Carolinek (Apr 2, 2014)

Word has it that Siba is on her way to the Today show in an Uber! I may have to be late for work lol.


----------



## Countryboy (May 16, 2011)

Carolinek said:


> Word has it that Siba is on her way to the Today show in an Uber! I may have to be late for work lol.


Haha....

There's a good piece from NPR on the show.

With a bit of humour too. lol

Siba the poodle wins best in show at Westminster


----------



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Well we were watching and Lily was paying particular attention to Siba. When I starting clapping along with the crowd reaction she started barking, so of course Javelin started barking too even though he was on the floor and hadn't been watching. It was pretty funny.

But that is seriously one beautiful girl for sure!


----------



## Dogs4Life (May 27, 2018)

Siba is just stunning! I love also how they highlighted that poodles are really good family dogs.


----------



## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

One of my news feeds had some dude ranting about how much it sucked that an elitist rich folks dog like a poodle would win over the common man's golden retriever. Sigh. Haters gonna hate. Trolls gonna troll.


----------



## Christina_ (Mar 20, 2017)

Yay Siba! My Rosie is related to her, distantly - Rosie's father is Siba's great grandfather.


----------



## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

I was thrilled that a poodle won. The crowd wanted the GR, but they don’t get a vote. I loved pictures of Siba surrounded by all of her trophies, looking so regal. She apparently only eats chicken, and McDonald’s chicken nuggets were a default meal. Everyone can relate to that


----------



## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

When it comes to winning a Best in Show - or even a Group 1 - personality counts for a great deal. You will hear judges say that a dog "asked for it" - in other words some dogs love to show and really revel in applause. Siba certainly knows how to please the crowd. Those bows are just the thing to endear her to people.

Enjoying being the center of attention can be a problem if you are showing in obedience. I once had a dream of breeding an owner-handled dual-titled poodle. She finished her championship in spite of my not-so-great handling skills, so we went for an obedience title. I did a couple of matches and thought she was ready for a trial. On lead heeling went well, but shortly after removing the lead she detoured into the center of the ring and did a "sit pretty" in front of the judge. He was amused. I was not. I told the judge, Merrill Cohen, that I was entered under him again in three weeks and he would see a reformed poodle. Well, for her second performance she went around the outside edge of the ring and offered to shake hands with the onlookers. When I had her OFA x-rays done, they were not good enough for her to be bred, so I gave her to the woman who was the obedience chair of our club. That woman had some dachshunds with UD titles, so I figured she could certainly put a CD on a standard poodle. Her dachshunds had some strict house rules - no messing with the trash can, no stealing food from the coffee table or the counter, no sleeping in people bed. Poodle moved in, rules went out after poodle greeted her new owner's ex husband with all her teeth. That dog never got even a CD, but she sure was loved!


----------



## katmcg86 (Apr 23, 2019)

Johanna said:


> Thoughts on the miniatures at Westminister:
> Fronts are still very straight. The dog that appeared to have the best front angulation is Reignon Top Banana. Several dogs had rather flat feet. The brown dog (Penchant Phor Pete's Sake At Kalein) had good bone and was well balanced. I also liked the Danfour Keep the Madness Rolling dog. All the white dogs lacked muscle and angulation in the rear - that might be a lack of exercise as opposed to basic structure.


Johanna, can you elaborate/educate me on how you can tell the mini fronts are too straight? I can’t tell for the hair [emoji2374]

And how do they accomplish their fabulous free stacks?! I have watched all the videos and still can’t figure this out!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

Also interested in the fronts “ tells” with all that coat. You can see the hindquarters, fronts not so much.


----------



## Jbean (Feb 18, 2019)

cowpony said:


> One of my news feeds had some dude ranting about how much it sucked that an elitist rich folks dog like a poodle would win over the common man's golden retriever. Sigh. Haters gonna hate. Trolls gonna troll.


My husband is very distressed by all of the anti-poodle sentiment in his Facebook feed. We're pretty certain that Daniel wasn't a rescue dog from a backyard breeder and may have had just as fancy a background as Siba, even without the spiffy haircut. My husband keeps saying, "It's just a haircut!" Even my mother, who often babysits her other daughter's GRs, was sad that the GR lost even though she has grandpoodles too. I just put my fingers in my ears.


----------



## farleysd (Apr 18, 2011)

Streetcar said:


> He is stunning. What a standout with that color and conformation combined.


Thanks Streetcar, he is a fun dog to live with as well!


----------



## farleysd (Apr 18, 2011)

scooterscout99 said:


> Santiago also made the CNN web site!


Hi ScooterScout99, I missed that one. Other than Siba, I believe Santiago was the second osteoporosis photographed poodle at Westminster.


----------



## farleysd (Apr 18, 2011)

Tikkadog said:


> The best in show line up was lovely. I have followed Bono for 2 years now and I was hoping this was his year. Since I've had a havanese or 5 years I was sort of prejudiced. I would have been happy with any of them (except the wire-haired) and was fine with the poodle winning BIS. She was stunning and showed flawlessly.
> 
> I've been to Westminster twice and it truly is an amazing experience.


Hi Tikkadog, Bono is a very magnificent dog. I judged Havanese Club of America Sweepstakes about three years ago, out of an entry of about 80 Havanese, I gave him best in sweeps!


----------



## mashaphan (Sep 4, 2014)

I had no complaints-my two breeds BIS and RBIS! Next year Bourbon or Whiskey!!


----------



## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

Actually, poor front angulation is a problem in many breeds. I have a theory that people nowadays lack the ability to recognize good angulation because most people no longer ride horses. A horse with poor shoulder/upper arm angulation is a miserable ride, especially at the trot. 

How can I tell if a poodle lacks forequarter angulation? Looking at a dog from the side, the elbow should be under the highest point of the shoulder, that puts it rather far back, so essentially you look at where the front legs are in relation to the neck since you cannot see the shoulders on a dog with a long coat. The ideal is the ridge of the shoulder blade should be at about 90 degrees to the upper arm. 

When I watch someone judge poodles, I pay attention as to whether or not s/he uses his/her hands to trace the shoulder blade and upper arm. 

Incidentally, Ch Stone Run Afternoon Tea, the bitch who won Westminster, has better shoulders than most.


----------



## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

mashaphan said:


> I had no complaints-my two breeds BIS and RBIS! Next year Bourbon or Whiskey!!


Absolutely! They are both really, really beautiful. I'd give either of them space on my bed!


----------



## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

katmcg86 said:


> And how do they accomplish their fabulous free stacks?! I have watched all the videos and still can’t figure this out!!!
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Free stacks are a matter of training - lots and lots of training! A poodle who will do well in conformation shows needs to respond to you with tail-up enthusiasm. You reward your dog's attempts to stack himself with a really yummy treat. It's like training any desired behavior, but there must be a strong emphasis on "this is fun!"


----------



## Carolinek (Apr 2, 2014)

I think that’s part of preparing a dog for conformation, but I’ve also learned that some dogs naturally “stack”. My Gracie is one of them, so many people have commented on it. Maybe it’s because she’s from generations of show dogs that nurture somehow becomes nature...or her conformation just lends itself to a natural “stack”. I don’t know much about showing in conformation, but her structure does lend itself very nicely to zipping around the agility ring, so I’m happy!


----------



## Carolinek (Apr 2, 2014)

That’s very interesting Johanna, that the awareness was lost once we got away from horses. Thanks for presenting an expert’s perspective on this.

I’d like to learn more about how to evaluate a dog against the standard. I’m looking at Gracie and wondering If she has a good front, as I have no idea how to assess that. This pic is the best recent pic I have from the side. It may not be helpful, and you won’t hurt my feelings






if you say she doesn’t have a good front. In my mind, she’s already perfect no matter what. ?


----------



## reraven123 (Jul 21, 2017)

Carolinek said:


> I think that’s part of preparing a dog for conformation, but I’ve also learned that some dogs naturally “stack”. My Gracie is one of them, so many people have commented on it. Maybe it’s because she’s from generations of show dogs that nurture somehow becomes nature...or her conformation just lends itself to a natural “stack”. I don’t know much about showing in conformation, but her structure does lend itself very nicely to zipping around the agility ring, so I’m happy!


I believe the reason they want to see the dogs free stack is because if a dog has a sound structure they will naturally stand four square, but if they are unsound or have conformation faults they will not. I saw this in a video about choosing a puppy. It said to watch the puppies playing and moving around on their own, and see how they look when they are standing still. Choose the puppy that stands four square. Also choose the puppy that can stand still, as puppies that are not comfortable standing still probablly have some kind of structural problem.


----------



## Carolinek (Apr 2, 2014)

Good points reraven, and reinforces that the main purpose of conformation is to evaluate breeding stock. A dog with sound conformation and temperament, that reflects the breed standard, should be able to fulfill its original purpose.

They also should be able to compete in performance sports if they have sound conformation.One of the things I found in looking for Gracie, is that some breeders will say they are breeding for performance, and that’s great and indicates that the dogs have high drive and energy. However, any poodle with good conformation and temperament should be able to do performance sports. Certain personalities in a litter may be better suited, but a healthy structure and a sound temperament are foundational.


----------



## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

Carolinek said:


> I’d like to learn more about how to evaluate a dog against the standard. I’m looking at Gracie and wondering If she has a good front, as I have no idea how to assess that. This pic is the best recent pic I have from the side. It may not be helpful, and you won’t hurt my feelings
> View attachment 464549
> if you say she doesn’t have a good front. In my mind, she’s already perfect no matter what. ?


I cannot tell all that much from the picture, but Gracie appears to be "square" (height at withers matches length from forechest to point of rump), and her coat looks very correct. I really cannot tell if she has a good front because the photo is taken from above. 

I am attaching a copy of the Illustrated Breed Standard that shows all the important points on which poodles are judged. This is actually the booklet that conformation judges study in order to judge our breed.


----------



## Carolinek (Apr 2, 2014)

Johanna said:


> I cannot tell all that much from the picture, but Gracie appears to be "square" (height at withers matches length from forechest to point of rump), and her coat looks very correct. I really cannot tell if she has a good front because the photo is taken from above.
> 
> I am attaching a copy of the Illustrated Breed Standard that shows all the important points on which poodles are judged. This is actually the booklet that conformation judges study in order to judge our breed.


Thanks Johanna, that Is very helpful. In reading through the standard, it does appear Gracie is very square and pretty much meets the breed standard, at least from my novice eyes. She does have a beautiful coat, her adult coat is now in and it is thick, dense, tight curls. Color wise, she has the white blaze, which would be a disqualifier in conformation though.

She measures about 14- 14 1/2 inches at the withers and is about as long. This means she probably will wind up jumping 16 inches. It’s hard to say because I was measuring her with a measuring tape so we’ll see what the official measurement is. Hard to get a good measurement as she is always moving.

Interesting to compare her to the standard. When I was searching for poodles, I was able to pretty quickly tell the difference between a breeder that is breeding to standard and who is just producing poodles. Where I live, I rarely see a poodle of any type, much less one that is even vaguely to breed standard.

Some pics, just because I am completely obsessed with this girl.

ETA: do you think her feet are turned out just a tad?


----------



## Streetcar (Apr 13, 2014)

farleysd said:


> Hi Tikkadog, Bono is a very magnificent dog. I judged Havanese Club of America Sweepstakes about three years ago, out of an entry of about 80 Havanese, I gave him best in sweeps!


Bono seems precious. His owner handler and her DH were so kind to me over a couple years when I attended a number of local shows (not with an exhibit; just as a spectator). I would absolutely love to see Taffe McFadden on a Westminster winner. Of course, I was also team Siba!!! At times like this week, I kinda miss having television.


----------



## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

Streetcar said:


> At times like this week, I kinda miss having television.


Me too! I haven't had one for 46 years! And I seldom miss it but this would have been a great one to watch for sure.


----------



## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

Great interview with Siba's handler, Connie Unger. Photos to drool over. Connie says about the grooming "It’s all scissors. I do everything myself. That’s the nice thing about poodles: the hair will just grow and grow and grow. So she gets trimmed like this for every competition but in between, we don’t really bother. She can get pretty scruffy. "

She can get pretty scruffy! Yeah, she is really a dog.

I really cracked up when the interviewer commented "Siba is a 3-year-old black standard poodle, though from far away and also from up close, she doesn’t resemble a dog as much as a topiary somebody wished would come to life. Every sculpted fur tuft is as close as one can come, mathematically, to a perfect sphere." 

I couldn't help it, laughed out loud. It made my arthritic hands hurt though, just to think about brushing her. Sigh.

What a gorgeous and amazing poodle Siba is. And they obviously love each other









The Grooming and Diet Secrets of the Fancy Poodle That Won the Westminster Dog Show


Siba the poodle takes 2 to 3 hours to get ready and loves chicken and attention.




www.gq.com


----------



## fel (Jan 8, 2014)

So that was a cute interview, but GQ made a MAJOR faux pas. Connie Unger is the owner, not the handler. Siba lives with the handler, Crystal Murray-Clas. They basically misattributed both the picture and the name of the interviewee. Shocking error for a real journalist to make: seriously how can they not know who they interviewed?


----------



## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

Oh my! Thanks for pointing that out! Still enjoyable though.... It would be interesting to have an interview with Crystal Murray-Clas also.


----------

