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National Dog Show Trivia

National Dog Show Trivia
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December 26, 2023
in Humane Education Column
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By: Judy Hamontre, AVHS Vice-chair & volunteer

Thanksgiving day this year I watched the National Dog Show. It is a happy way to digest that big turkey dinner. The dogs display such personality as they prance around the ring. The number of different breeds continues to amaze me, and I always learn such great bits of trivia about “man’s best friend.”

I became so fascinated with the information NBC’s show statistician, Steve Kormacki was reporting, that I thought this would be a great article for The Mountain Mail. I hit “record,” started taking notes, and what follows is the result.

Each dog’s nose print is unique, just like each human’s fingerprint.

The biggest dog is the Mastiff at 230 pounds, and second is the Boerboel at 200. The St. Bernard weighs in at 180 pounds and the Great Dane at 176.

The smallest dog is the Chihuahua at 6 pounds who joins the Basset Hound as the slowest at 6 mph. The fastest is the Greyhound at 45 mph, outrunning a gazelle. I was surprised that the Jack Russell Terrier who I knew was energetic, runs between 40-42 mph.

Although as a dog lover, I see all dogs as potentially friendly and each with a unique personality, those considered most friendly by the American Kennel Club (AKC), are the Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen, the Beagle, the Poodle, the Labrador Retriever, and the Boxer. However, if you Google “friendliest breeds,” you will find some differences and from some pretty reliable resources. “Measuring” personality is not quite the same as measuring size nor speed.

Measuring popularity became disappointing to Labrador Retriever owners this year, because the lovable labs lost their number one spot to the French Bulldog. Every year the AKC releases their ranking of most popular dog breeds based on AKC registration statistics for the previous year, and for the first time since 1991, based on those results, the French Bulldog who had been number 2, became number 1.

Also disappointing is that some of the most popular breeds have seldom won Best In Show. The Labrador Retriever, the Golden Retriever, and the German Shepherd have each won only once.

The AKC, founded in 1884, reports on purebred registries and has the largest registry of purebreds in the world. However, many of our dogs are mixed breeds, estimated to be around 53% by the American Veterinary Medical Association. They are not included in the trivia I am reporting, but there are dog shows now for our lovable “mutts,” which may produce some fascinating details about them.

Mixed Breed Dog Clubs of America is a national organization that hosts dog shows for mixes and mutts, and runs them in much the same way other competitions are run.

The National Dog Show, sponsored by Purina, is run by the Kennel Club of Philadelphia and has been in existence for more than 125 years. Inspired by the 2000 film Best In Show, NBC began broadcasting it on Thanksgiving Day in 2002. This year’s show featured 199 breeds and over 1,850 dogs. It was the perfect day and way to celebrate “man’s best friend.”

 

 

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