Dot Would Win Miss Congeniality

Okay. I fear that I am beginning to sound like one of those crazy spinster ladies who loves dogs just a little too much, you know what I mean? The kind who dresses the dog in little sweaters every day, uses her special baby voice to call the pooch “my widdle cuddle wuddles” and uses only the best sirloin when preparing the puppy’s meals. So in case you’re wondering, I haven’t reached this point….YET. Just ignore the fact that I do have a tendency to put hats on Dot and I use a pretty distinct baby-talkesque voice when addressing her.

But while I manage to keep it in the realm of reality, there’s no denying that I do love dogs. They didn’t earn the title Man’s Best Friend on a fluke, you know. It’s a proven fact.

So I’m a real sucker for watching dog shows on TV. I LOVE them. I love watching the dogs, the obsessive owners and handlers, the overly serious judges, the completely over-the-top gayness of the commentators and the pre-produced video stories about wonder dogs that do amazing things that bring you to tears. Good stuff.

“Best in Show” couldn’t be a better movie because it totally captures the goofiness of the dog show extravaganza.

This past weekend was the annual AKC/Eukanuba National Championship and I watched every minute of this 6 hour canine love fest. This was a 2-parter and required me tuning in both Saturday and Sunday night but heck…I was home, wasn’t I? (But I’m really NOT one of those crazy spinster ladies who doesn’t have anything better to do on a weekend… ).

The best part? I was right - I actually picked the dog who would be Best in Show! I’m very seldom right about anything, but out of the 100+ dogs I saw in the competition, from the first minute I saw this guy I just knew he was going to win. Plus, he was on Saturday night, so I hadn’t yet seen the dogs that would compete on Sunday. But I just had a feeling and I am shocked that I was right.

He is James – the English Springer Spaniel. The picture on this post is him, although not a particularly good image because you can’t see his whole body. He has the most beautiful, shiny coat I’ve ever seen and he just had a confident, kind demeanor about him that was undeniable. I just fell in love with this guy, and so did the judges.

And I think Dot agreed with me. Dot was pretty calm throughout the show until – I kid you not - the toy poodle pranced around the ring, and then she went absolutely super nova and wouldn’t stop barking at the TV until that poodle was out of sight. Seeing that guy touched a nerve in the Dotopotamus and she was having none of it!

For the record, I also thought the Tibetan Sheep Dog and the PBGV were adorable… both of who, I might add, made it to the Best in Show round. I am good!

"And to think", as Buck Laughlin said in the movie Best in Show, "in some countries these dogs are eaten!”