The Dog Show

I can't let it pass without comment. And there is always much to comment about, so here are a few:

The Westminster Dog Show was this week (not, as Mark has been consistently calling it, the WestChester Dog Show.) And a poodle didn't win. Nor did a terrier, not that I would have minded that so much. But there were two poodles in the final seven so it was touch and go for a while there. We hate poodles. Ridiculous hair cuts. (And have they changed over the years? I don't remember them actually looking like that.)

But instead, a beautiful English Springer Spaniel won. And what a delight he was to watch; silky coated and light of foot, enjoying his moment and sure about how terrific he was.

We were glad the Dandy Dinmont didn't win either - he has too much head and hair that makes him seem out of proportion.

We noticed, this time, that they tried to keep the camera focused on the dogs instead of the oddly-shaped dowagers with sensible shoes and formal attire who were leading them, awkwardly, through their paces. And we still miss Joe Garagiola and his off-the-wall comments on the commentary, although they did bring in an old, retired Scottish breeder/handler who rabbitted on and on about female dogs he has known, seemingly just so he could say 'bitch' on the air over and over without network repercussions. Amazing, is what the world of dog breeders must be.

It seems like all the hard work of judging is done by the time the TV cameras start rolling and the hype begins. When all the dogs of one breed are together, there is something to judge. But judging the best dog "compared to the breed standards" when a whole bunch of different breeds are in the ring is absurd. The guy reading off the 'standards' summary is talking about, for example, 'webbed feet' but the judge isn't looking at the dog's feet at all. Or the standard refers to temperament, when temperament is completely absent in the show ring - or the dog wouldn't be there in the first place. Amazing.

All of which is just a lead-in to try to get Mark to expound on learning theory and memory.

Let's see if he takes the bait...