Behind the Scenes at the Westminster Dog Show
Posted in Pet Stress on 02/12/2009 04:36 pm by cporter
Behind the Scenes at the Westminster Dog Show
The less glamorous “backstage” areas of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show are open to spectators and offer a rare opportunity to see and learn about the breeds, meet owners, handlers and breeders, learn about dog shows and watch dog grooming. For some of us, back stage was the best part of the show.
The Grooming Area was the place to see different breeds in various stages of grooming. The smell of coat conditioners, hair spray and talcum powder mixed in the air as hundreds of dogs were bathed, clipped, trimmed, shaved, blow dried, brushed, buffed, fluffed, smoothed, powdered, sprayed, and pedicured. 
The Benching area was arranged in rows and aisles. Breeds and varieties were grouped together, with multi-breed areas for exhibitors who showed four or more breeds. Exhibitors stacked an amazing amount of dog paraphernalia (plastic crates, wire cages, dog treat-filled coolers, grooming tool tackle boxes, special dog blankets and bottled dog water) on Westminster purple and yellow wooden benches that looked like oversized kindergarten cubbies. Additional grooming tables were set up in the aisles along with fans to help keep the dogs cool and comfortable.
The “Exercise Pens” or dog comfort areas were at the ends of aisles and were divided by chain link fences. The dogs could choose between paper and shavings, and separate areas were designated for “bitches in season.” Owners chatted over the fences like suburban neighbors in backyards while they waited for their dogs to find just the right spot. One owner downed a ketchup-covered concession hot dog while waiting patiently for his dog to circle numerous times before settling down to business.
The dogs all looked relaxed and some managed to nap in between grooming sessions. There was only occasional barking and no growling or whining. Many of the dogs seemed to enjoy meeting spectators and each other.
There are more photos below of the beautiful Westminster dogs I saw in the grooming area.
“I’m the first bitch in line,” the beautifully dressed women said calmly. She was holding a well-groomed beagle and the other beagle handlers and spectators politely parted to allow her to pass into the judging ring, as the last of the basset hounds were simultaneously exiting. At the Westminster Dog Show you can make statements like that in a crowd without provoking the riot that might ensue if you said it anywhere else in New York City.
At the show, approximately 2,500 purebred dogs representing 170 different Breeds or Varieties compete for high prestige prizes. It is the most widely-watched dog show in the world and the second longest running sporting event in the U.S., hosted each year since 1877 by the Westminster Kennel Club. One could reasonably expect to find signs of pet stress somewhere at such a high stakes competition and I admit I went expecting to see stressed out dogs as well as stressed out owners, handlers, groomers, judges, and organizers.
If you watch the show on television or from the seats in Madison Square Garden, everyone looks well-dressed, well-groomed, professional, polite and well-behaved, especially the dogs. Perhaps the stress was there, but was invisible from the viewing distance of a sofa or the arena seats. I went to the judging rings and the benching and grooming areas and discovered less stress, more nice people and nice dogs, and more fun than you could ever imagine.
It is hot, crowded and wonderfully exciting to stand by the ropes that surround the six judging rings on the floor of the Garden. The dogs are brought from the benching area, where they spend most of the day, into waiting areas at the outer edges of the arena shortly before their competition. Some dogs have large entourages attending to them, while others have just a few people. The dogs are held, stroked, brushed, spoken to affectionately, and given treats and water spritzes while they wait to go into the rings. The dogs are in an unfamiliar environment filled with other dogs, strangers and noise, but they seem calm, happy and engaged. No one is barking, panting, whining, growling, scratching, flank licking or displaying any other typical signs of dog stress, and they seem to love all the attention.
When it is time for them to compete, groups of dogs are brought into a judging ring. You can feel the excitement when you’re close enough to see the dogs getting a last-minute fluffing up or smoothing down, and watch the handlers tuck the silver dog grooming combs back in their own coiffed hair, straighten their own coats and take a deep breath. Handlers keep dog treats in suit coat pockets, fanny packs and even in their own mouths for convenience in the ring. The dogs are given treats and praise constantly during the judging.
The show is a conformance competition in which purebred dogs compete against each other based on written standards of the idealized version of each breed. The judges judge body parts and physical characteristics as well as gait and attitudes associated with breeds. The winners ultimately compete for the coveted “Best in Show” award.
The handlers seem business-like but relaxed in the ring. They chat quietly with each other and sometimes with well-wishers lined up along the ropes while waiting to show their dogs. The dogs are judged, a Rosette and Medallion are awarded for Best of Breed and Best of Opposite Sex, and breed judges sometimes select Award of Merit winners. The spectators always applaud with dignified enthusiasm. Photos of winners are taken in the rings. I overheard one handler exit a ring consoling her dog with a stage whispered “what did that judge know anyway, you are the best doggie,” and another owner/handler congratulating his terrier and saying “You are a good girl, let’s go find Mommy.”
What happens in the judging rings is what the show is all about, but in the next blog post I’ll share my favorite part of the show: behind the scenes in the benching and grooming areas, where you can watch groomers trim, blow dry and coif dogs, hear exhibitors’ accounts about dog show experiences and “shop” for the breed you might like to own by chatting with breeders and owners.
