Westminster Dog Show 2011 - Don't Miss It

No one knows exactly what will happen in the Westminster Dog Show 2011, but according to Vegas gamblers at Wynn Las Vegas, certain breeds have a better chance than others. The fox terrier (smooth) is a favorite with odds of 6 to 1, while the Saluki dog and Bassett are more shots to 135 to 1. (These courses are for entertainment purposes, reports the casino, so do not go crazy.) But I do know is that all the best dogs in the country will be under one roof.


The what, where and when
The 2011 show, taking place April 14 and 15 at Madison Square Garden in New York is the 135th Westminster Dog Show. About 2,600 dogs (plus an additional 128 entries Junior Showmanship) representing 179 breeds will participate. Dog breeds, toy, non-sporting and herding groups will compete for Best of Breed on Monday, with the best group to be tried at night. Working, Sporting and Terrier groups will compete for Best of Breed on Tuesday, with the Best in Group Judging underway last week, after which it will be the final award, Best in Show, awarded.
Judge race highlight videos will be available all day Monday and Tuesday at the Westminster website. You will be able to see these videos after the show too. Television coverage begins Feb. 14 at 8 pm on USA Network and continues from 9 am to 11 pm on CNBC. On 15 April, the entire show emissions in the U.S., starting at 8 pm and culminating with the announcement of Best in Show at around 10:30 pm Please check local listings for broadcast times in your area.

What not to miss
Six races will join the Westminster dog show ring for the first time this year, so keep your eye out for the Boykin Spaniel, Leonberger, Cane Corso, Icelandic Sheepdog, Redbone coonhound coonhound bluetick and as they do its debut. In addition, a number of dogs with interesting stories submitted this year, as Inge, a poodle who flew to Westminster in a private jet, Harley, a Belgian Malinois whose driver is a trainer at SeaWorld, Wes, a black Labrador retriever who spends his free time helping kids learn to read, and elk, a retriever Chesapeake Bay, which I use as a lifeboat.
If you are attending Westminster, do not miss the bench area! Westminster is one of the few benched shows in the country, which means that dogs are not displayed, prepared or take a potty break can be found in the area of bank. And that means that viewers (like you!) Can reach close to the competitors.

Westminster Fun Facts
Westminster is the second oldest continuous sporting event in America, having been founded in 1877. (The Kentucky Derby is the oldest.) This makes it older than the bulb, the automobile, construction of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Washington Monument, the invention of basketball and the establishment of the World Series.
The Rhodesian Ridgeback is the dog to enter the program in 2011, with 56 entries. Three races have only one entry for each one - the American Water Dog, Neapolitan Mastiff and the English toy dog (Blenheim / Prince Charles variety).
Westminster's first show donated a portion of the proceeds of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) to establish a home for abandoned and disabled animals.
The oldest dog to win at Westminster was 10 years, 2 months and 9 days (Cap. Clussexx Three D Grinchy Glee, a Sussex Spaniel, in 2009). The youngest was just 9 months old (Loyalty of Bellhaven Launder, a rough collie in 1929).
According to David Frei, longtime host of the Westminster Dog Show, almost all the dogs that win Westminster withdraw immediately, because once you have achieved the advanced degree, there is no place to go. Just a dog in recent years has sought a repeat.