At Westminster dog show, a display of dogs and devotion
NEW YORK (AP) â Less than three years ago, Mary Ann and David Giordano were taking turns lying on the living room floor with their Afghan hound Frankie, hand-feeding the desperately ill dog anything she would eat.
She had developed severe kidney problems after contracting Lyme disease, despite being on medication meant to repel ticks that carry the bacteria that cause it. Veterinarians werenât sure she would survive.
Yet on Monday, Frankie was at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show, healthy and ready to compete. She would face off against over a dozen other Afghan hounds â including Zaida, the winner of last monthâs World Dog Show in Croatia â for a chance to advance to the next round of the United Statesâ most prestigious canine event.
âIt was really tough,â Mary Ann Giordano said, her voice halting as she described Frankieâs eight-month ordeal. âBut she made it.â
For all the pooch pageantry of Westminster â the coiffed poodles, the top-knotted toy dogs, the formality of dogs trotting around a ring â itâs also an illustration of the bond people form with dogs, and what each will do for the other.
A dog is groomed during the 148th Westminster Kennel Club Dog show, Monday, May 13, 2024, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Monday marked the start of the traditional judging that leads to the best in show prize, to be awarded Tuesday night at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Selection of seven finalists began Monday night; each represents a group of breeds, such as hounds or herding dogs.
One is Louis, an Afghan hound that bested Zaida, Frankie, her littermate Belle and others to win the breed.
âThis breedâs supposed to be âthe king of dogs,â and he knows he is,â handler and co-owner Alicia Jones said.
Other finalists include Sage, a miniature poodle who gave â100%â in the ring, as handler Kaz Hosaka put it; Mercedes, a big-winning German shepherd whose handler, Kent Boyles, led another German shepherd to a best in show trophy in 2017; and Comet, a shih tzu who took the top prize at last yearâs huge, televised American Kennel Club National Championship.
âHeâs just everything you would want in a shih tzu,â co-owner, breeder and handler Luke Ehricht said after Comet won his breed Monday morning. With a flowing coat like a vanilla-and-caramel ice cream sundae thatâs melting onto the table, the dog looked up at his handler with the tender expression thatâs prized in the breed.
âHeâs a very sweet, loving dogâ who knows when itâs time to perform and when itâs time to relax and play, said Ehricht, of Monclova, Ohio.
Three more finalists will be chosen Tuesday night before all seven vie for best in show.
The 2,500-plus first-round entrants range from tiny Yorkshire terriers to towering Irish wolfhounds. There are bushy old English sheepdogs, hairless Xoloitzcuintlis, massive mastiffs, lean Azawakhs and a newly added breed, the Lancashire heeler, represented Monday by a single contestant named Mando.
If he knew a lot was riding on his little shoulders, he didnât show it as he made a tail-wagging appearance in the televised semifinals. Nor did he appear to mind going it alone earlier in the first-round ring, where someone in the audience yelled, âYay! History!â
âHe just has a rock-star attitude,â handler Jessica Plourde said afterward.
The show also was a first for Alfredo Delgado and Maria Davila, who had traveled from Juncos, Puerto Rico, with their French bulldog, Duncan.
Their path started when Delgadoâs brother found a lost Frenchie. It was soon reunited with its owner, but Delgado was intrigued by the breed.
Fast-forward some years, and he was in the Westminster ring as Duncanâs breeder, owner and handler, with Davila cheering him on.
âWe made a dream come true to be here,â Davila said afterward. âTo share with experienced people in the ring â that was awesome.â
In a nearby grooming tent, Valarie Cheimis petted Csoki, a puli, ahead of ring time.
The Hungarian herding breed sports long, thick cords that form naturally, though owners aid the process by separating them. They become so dense that the dogs can take 24 hours to dry after a bath – and thatâs with an array of box fans and sometimes even a portable dehumidifier, Cheimis said.
Why go through all that?
âThese are fun dogs. Theyâre full of personality,â Cheimis said. Sure, they can be stubborn and barky, Cheimis said, but theyâre also endearing â Csoki looks after her geese and chickens at home in Kingfield, Maine, even lying down next to the goslings.
Comet, a Shih Tzu, right, competes in breed group judging at the 148th Westminster Kennel Club Dog show, Monday, May 13, 2024, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Mister, a bloodhound who won a merit award in his breed Monday, also puts his breedâs ancient instincts to work. Heâs qualified to trail missing people, though his calls so far have been resolved before he got into the field, said co-owner, breeder and handler Renee Wagner, of Niagara Falls, New York.
The 148th Westminster show kicked off Saturday with an agility competition â won by a mixed-breed dog for the first time since Westminster added the event in 2014. Nimble, the winner, was handled by Cynthia Hornor, who took the trophy with a border collie last year.
A dog walks through the grooming area during the 148th Westminster Kennel Club Dog show, Monday, May 13, 2024, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)