HOW DO THE MOST POPULAR BREEDS FARE 

WHEN DOG SHOW JUDGES DO THEIR THING? 

Breed Popularity not a Factor in Who Gets the Ribbons 

PHILADELPHIA, PA (November 18, 2022) This year, the National Dog Show will be hosting will host over 1,800 dogs representing 194 different breeds and varieties of dogs and while the public likes their Goldens and their Labs, dog show judges rarely agree. 

The big weekend is is upon us, Saturday, Nov. 19, and Sunday, Nov. 20 at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA. The Saturday show is The National Dog Show Presented by Purina, taped by NBC for air onThanksgiving Day from noon-2 p.m.in all time zones to an anticipated total audience of over 20 million. 

Every year the American Kennel Club publishes a list ranking the breeds in popularity based on registration statistics. The American Kennel Club registered 800,000 dogs last year. The top 10 breeds for 2022 are, in order, Labrador Retrievers, French Bulldogs, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds, Poodles, Bulldogs, Beagles, Rottweilers, German Shorthaired Pointers and Dachsunds.  

However, a breed’s popularity does not necessarily translate in the show ring.  The Labrador Retriever has been the number one-ranked dog breed in the United States for the last 31 years, but has only won the sporting group at the National Dog Show once (2009). The Labrador Retriever has yet to win Best in Show in the 20-year history of dogdom’s most prominent showcase. 

There’s a reason for that.  Dog show judging is an intricate art.  Each breed is judged on its individual merit according to the written blueprint for the breed, called a “breed standard.”  Does the Coton de Tulear have a coat like a cotton ball?  Does the Pembroke Welsh Corgi have a stubby tail?  Does the Pekingese have a rolling gait? Once a dog wins against other competitors in their breed, they progress to one of the seven groups they are assigned to: Sporting, Herding, Working, Hound, Terrier, Non-Sporting, and Toy.  In the group, those unique breed characteristics are what the judge is looking for, and that enables the judges to select one breed over another when it comes down to Best in Group and Best In Show.  

Thus, a dog ranked 158th in popularity, such as the Scottish Deerhound, has a chance at winning Best in Show.  In 2020 and in 2021 a Scottish Deerhound named“Claire” (GCHS Foxcliffe Claire Randall Fraser) did just that!  

The most popular breeds have a mixed history of wins, with some winning their group several times and some never at all. The Bulldog, Thor, won the National Dog Show in 2019 and became an instant celebrity, bringing joy to lovers of the sixth most popular breed.  None of the other top-ranked breeds have won in Philadelphia since 2002, but the prominent Beagle, Uno, won the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in 2008 and became a media phenomenon, including a visit to the White House. 

Those viewing at home will most likely be cheering for the representative from the breed that they have sitting by their feet or on the sofa with them.  Co-host and expert analyst for The National Dog Show on NBC David Frei calls this “The alma mater factor.” The wonderful thing about a dog showis that there can be as many as 212 breeds and varieties in competition and each one has the chance to take the big prize! Regardless, “the best dog,” as host John O’Hurley is fond of saying, “is the one next to you.”

If you will be traveling to The Expo Center this weekend, you can see a variety of representatives from each of the top ten breeds as well as many others. Tickets are now on sale for the annual canine extravaganza atwww.nds.nationaldogshow.com.Dog show weekend is Nov. 19-20 at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaksand ticket prices are$16 for adults, $7 for children 4-11 with free admission for kids three-and-under. Parking is also free. 

Movie Review written by Jon Patch with 3.5 out of 4 Paws

She Said

Universal Pictures, Annapurna Pictures and Plan B Entertainment presents an R rated, 128-minute, History, Drama, directed by Maria Schrader, screenplay by Rebecca Lenkiewicz and based on the New York Times Investigation by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey with a theater release of November 18, 2022.

Black-naped Pheasant-Pigeon. Photo by Doka Nason/American Bird Conservancy. A team of scientists and conservationists has rediscovered the elusive Black-naped Pheasant-Pigeon, a large, ground-dwelling pigeon that only lives on Fergusson Island, a rugged island in the D'Entrecasteaux Archipelago off of eastern Papua New Guinea. Like other pheasant-pigeons, the Black-naped Pheasant-Pigeon has a broad and laterally compressed tail, which, along with its size, makes it closely resemble a pheasant. The bird has been observed several times over the years by local hunters, but the newly taken photographs and video are the first time the bird has been documented by scientists since 1882, when it was first described. Ornithologists know very little about the species, but believe that the population on Fergusson is very small and decreasing.  The research team photographed the pheasant-pigeon with a remote camera trap at the end of a month-long search of Fergusson.  “When we collected the camera traps, I figured there was less than a one-percent chance of getting a photo of the Black-naped Pheasant-Pigeon,” said Jordan Boersma, postdoctoral researcher at Cornell University and co-leader of the expedition team. “Then as I was scrolling through the photos, I was stunned by this photo of this bird walking right past our camera.” “After a month of searching, seeing those first photos of the pheasant-pigeon felt like finding a unicorn,” added John C. Mittermeier, Director of the Lost Birds program at ABC and co-leader of the expedition. “It is the kind of moment you dream about your entire life as a conservationist and birdwatcher.” The expedition team — which included local Papua New Guineans working with Papua New Guinea National Museum, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and American Bird Conservancy — arrived on Fergusson in early September 2022. They spent a month traveling around the island, interviewing local communities to identify locations to set up camera traps in hopes of finding the pheasant-pigeon. The steep, mountainous terrain on Fergusson Island made searching for the bird extremely challenging.  “It wasn't until we reached villages on the western slope of Mt. Kilkerran that we started meeting hunters who had seen and heard the pheasant-pigeon,” said Jason Gregg, conservation biologist and a co-leader of the expedition team. “We became more confident about the local name of the bird, which is ‘Auwo,' and felt like we were getting closer to the core habitat of where the Black-naped Pheasant-Pigeon lives.” The expedition was the first-ever camera trapping study conducted on Fergusson Island. The team placed 12 camera traps on the slopes of Mt. Kilkerran, Fergusson's highest mountain, and deployed an additional eight cameras in locations where local hunters had reported seeing the pheasant-pigeon in the past.  “When we finally found the Black-naped Pheasant-Pigeon, it was during the final hours of the expedition,” said Doka Nason, the member of the team who set up the camera trap that eventually photographed the lost bird. “When I saw the photos, I was incredibly excited.”  A local hunter named Augustin Gregory in the village of Duda Ununa west of Mt. Kilkerran provided a breakthrough lead on where to find the bird. Gregory reported seeing the pheasant-pigeon on multiple occasions in an area with steep ridges and valleys and described hearing the bird's distinctive calls.  Following Gregory's advice, the team set up cameras in an area of dense forest. A camera placed on a ridge at 3,200 feet (1,000 meters) near the Kwama River above Duda Ununa eventually captured the Black-naped Pheasant-Pigeon walking on the forest floor two days before the team was scheduled to leave the island.  Several members of the team have attempted to find the Black-naped Pheasant-Pigeon before. A two-week survey in 2019 by Boermsa, Gregg, and Nason didn't find any traces of the bird, though it did gather reports from local hunters of a bird that could have been the pheasant-pigeon. The results from that survey helped to determine locations for the team to search in 2022.  “The communities were very excited when they saw the survey results, because many people hadn't seen or heard of the bird until we began our project and got the camera trap photos,” said Serena Ketaloya, a conservationist from Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea. “They are now looking forward to working with us to try to protect the pheasant-pigeon.”  The team's findings suggest that the pheasant-pigeon is likely to be extremely rare. The rugged and inaccessible forest where they rediscovered the species could be the last stronghold for the species on the island.  “This rediscovery is an incredible beacon of hope for other birds that have been lost for a half century or more,” said Christina Biggs, Manager for the Search for Lost Species at Re:wild. “The terrain the team searched was incredibly difficult, but their determination never wavered, even though so few people could remember seeing the pheasant-pigeon in recent decades.”  “As well as giving hope for searches for other lost species, the detailed information collected by the team has provided a basis for conservation of this extremely rare bird, which must indeed be highly threatened, together with the other unique species of Fergusson Island,” said Roger Safford, Senior Program Manager for Preventing Extinctions at BirdLife International.  The expedition was supported by American Bird Conservancy (ABC) and The Search for Lost Birds, a collaboration between BirdLife International, ABC, and Re:wild. The Search for Lost Birds identified the pheasant-pigeon for an expedition after a global review revealed it was one of a few bird species that have been lost to science for more than a century.  The full expedition team consisted of Jordan Boermsa, Jason Gregg, Doka Nason, Serena Ketaloya, Elimo Malesa, Bulisa Iova, Cosmo Le Breton, and John C. Mittermeier. The expedition was funded by ABC and The Search for Lost Birds, with a grant from Cosmo Le Breton, who helped to support the team in the field as a research assistant.

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American Bird Conservancy is a nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving birds and their habitats throughout the Americas. With an emphasis on achieving results and working in partnership, we take on the greatest problems facing birds today, innovating and building on rapid advancements in science to halt extinctions, protect habitats, eliminate threats, and build capacity for bird conservation. Find us on abcbirds.org, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (@ABCbirds).

147^TH ANNUAL WESTMINSTER KENNEL CLUB DOG SHOW NAMES 2023 BEST IN SHOW JUDGE

Geir Flyckt-Pedersen, world-renowned judge and breeder, has been chosen

to award America’s Dog

                                                                                                                                                                  New York, NY — The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, America’s second-longest continuously held sporting event after the Kentucky Derby, announced that Geir Flyckt-Pedersen, one of the most prominent judges in the U.S., will select Best in Show at the 147th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on May 9, 2023.

Flyckt-Pedersen ascended to the highest echelon of breeders and handlers following a lifetime of involvement in the sport. Originally hailing from Norway, Flyckt-Pedersen now resides in Pepper Pike, Ohio. Throughout his career in dogs he has been awarded a slew of coveted honors which include becoming the first person to win both the Swedish and Norwegian Dog of the Year titles in the same year.

Geir Flyckt-Pedersen’s success in the show ring is extensive. Beyond piloting his Welsh Terrier to Top Dog in Norway and Sweden, he and his late wife Gerd teamed up to achieve several notable wins. The following are included among the pair’s accolades: 

●    The team received the Tom Horner/Dog World’s Award of Excellence for contributing to the British dog world;

●    The team also won Best in Show at the prestigious all-terrier competition at Skansen, Sweden three times, and the Pup of the Year twice in England;

●    Flyckt-Pedersen won Best in Show over 4,000 dogs with his Wire Fox Terrier in Helsinki, Finland, while Gerd won Reserve Best in Show with an English Cocker Spaniel at the same show; and

●    They bred more than 100 Wire Fox Terrier champions and had Best in Show winners in five countries on the same day, making Louline, his Wire Fox Terrier kennel, world-famous.

While handling dogs in the show ring, Geir owned several breeds, including English Cocker Spaniels, Greyhounds, Whippets, Airedales, Norfolk Terriers, Lakeland Terriers, Smooth Fox Terriers, Standard and Giant Schnauzers.

As a judge, Flyckt-Pedersen has officiated around the world, including Crufts in England. This will be his fifth Westminster assignment, and he has officiated at the AKC National Championship and The Kennel Club of Philadelphia events.

His professional life included farming and serving as an executive with Skandia Transport. He is now retired and living with his two Norfolk Terriers.

2023 JUDGING PANEL

Seven Group Judges will select their picks for the Best in Show competition over two nights at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

On Monday, May 8, the following judges will select four group winners to advance to the Best in Show competition: Edmund Dziuk of Columbia, Missouri for the Hound Group; Cindy Vogels of Greenwood Village, Colorado for the Toy Group; George Milutinovich of Fresno, California for the Non-Sporting Group; and Thomas W. Coen of Great Barrington, Massachusetts for the Herding Group.

On Tuesday, May 9, the following judges will select the remaining three group winners to advance to Best in Show: Frank Kane of Cleveland, England for the Sporting Group; Paula Nykiel, of Washington, Missouri for the Working Group; and Connie H. Clark of Rio Del Mar, California, for the Terrier Group.

The Best Junior Handler award will be decided on Tuesday, May 9 at Arthur Ashe Stadium by Junior Showmanship Finals Judge, Vicki Seiler-Cushman of Xenia, Ohio. The eight junior showmanship finalists will be determined in preliminary rounds by judges Lydia Armstrong Frey of Wellington, Florida, and Rachel Robertson of Charlotte, North Carolina.

The 10^th Anniversary of the Masters Agility Championship at Westminster on Saturday, May 6, will be judged by Andrew Dicker of Reading, Berkshire, England, and Lori Sage of Oregon City, Oregon. Alice A. Peterson of Boise, Idaho, will officiate the 8^th Annual Masters Obedience Championship at Westminster on Saturday, May 6, 2023.

Pending American Kennel Club approval, the judging panel for the Best of Breed or Variety competitions includes:

SPORTING BREEDS AND VARIETIES

●    Jean-Louis Blais of St. Gilles, Quebec, Canada: Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers.

●    Wayne R. Cavanaugh of Kalamazoo, Michigan: German Shorthaired Pointers, German Wirehaired Pointers, English Setters, Gordon Setters, Irish Setters, Irish Red and White Setters, Pointers.

●    Britt E. Jung of Houston, Texas: Brittanys, Lagotti Romagnoli, Spinoni Italiani, Vizslas, Weimaraners, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons.

●    Meghen Riese-Bassel of Social Circle, Georgia: American Water Spaniels, Boykin Spaniels, Clumber Spaniels, Cocker Spaniels (all Varieties), English Cocker Spaniels, English Springer Spaniels, Field Spaniels, Irish Water Spaniels, Sussex Spaniels, Welsh Springer Spaniels.

●    Dr. Michael J. Woods of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada: Barbets, Bracco Italiano, Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, Curly-Coated Retrievers, Flat-Coated Retrievers, Nederlandse Kooikerhondjes, Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers, Wirehaired Vizslas.

HOUND BREEDS AND VARIETIES

●    Mark Cocozza of London, England: Afghan Hounds, Borzois, Grand Basset Griffon Vendéens, Petit Basset Griffon Vendéens, Portuguese Podengo Pequenos, Rhodesian Ridgebacks.

●    Denise Flaim of Sea Cliff, New York: Azawakhs, Basenjis, Cirnechi dell'Etna, Harriers, Ibizan Hounds, Norwegian Elkhounds, Pharaoh Hounds, Sloughis.

●    Valerie Hamilton of Brush Prairie, Washington: Greyhounds, Irish Wolfhounds, Salukis, Scottish Deerhounds, Whippets.

●    Jason Hoke of Madison, Wisconsin: Basset Hounds, Beagles (both Varieties), Dachshunds (all Varieties).

●    Polly Smith of St. Stephens Church, Virginia: American English Coonhounds, American Foxhounds, Black and Tan Coonhounds, Bloodhounds, Bluetick Coonhounds, English Foxhounds, Otterhounds, Plotts, Redbone Coonhounds, Treeing Walker Coonhounds.

WORKING BREEDS

●    Sandra Pretari Hickson of San Bruno, California: Akitas, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs, Saint Bernards, Tibetan Mastiffs.

●    Joan Luna Liebes of Peyton, Colorado: Alaskan Malamutes, Bullmastiffs, Komondorok, Kuvaszok, Leonbergers, Siberian Huskies.

●    Denise Flaim of Sea Cliff, New York: Anatolian Shepherd Dogs, Boerboels, Cane Corsos, Dogo Argentinos, Dogues de Bordeaux, Great Pyrenees, Neapolitan Mastiff.

●    Robert L. Vandiver of Simpsonville, South Carolina: Black Russian Terriers, Chinooks, Doberman Pinschers, German Pinschers, Mastiffs, Newfoundlands, Portuguese Water Dogs, Samoyeds.

●    Ann Ingram of Rochestown, Cork, Ireland: Boxers, Giant Schnauzers, Great Danes, Rottweilers, Standard Schnauzers.

TERRIER BREEDS AND VARIETIES

●    Kathleen J. Ferris of Holland, Pennsylvania: Bedlington Terriers, Border Terriers, Cesky Terriers, Glen of Imaal Terriers, Irish Terriers, Miniature Schnauzers.

●    David J. Kirkland of Sanford, North Carolina: American Hairless Terriers, Dandie Dinmont Terriers, Parson Russell Terriers, Rat Terriers, Russell Terriers, Scottish Terriers, Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers, Standard Manchester Terriers.

●    Dr. Jerry Klein of Chicago, Illinois: Airedale Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Bull Terriers (both Varieties), Kerry Blue Terriers, Lakeland Terriers, Miniature Bull Terriers, Smooth Fox Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, Welsh Terriers, Wire Fox Terriers.

●    Louise Leone of Franktown, Colorado: Australian Terriers, Cairn Terriers, Norfolk Terriers, Norwich Terriers, Sealyham Terriers, Skye Terriers, West Highland White Terriers.

TOY BREEDS AND VARIETIES

●    Ted W. Eubank of Dallas, Texas: Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, English Toy Spaniels (both Varieties), Havanese, Miniature Pinschers, Pekingese, Pomeranians, Pugs.

●    Ann Ingram of Rochestown, Cork, Ireland: Toy Poodles.

●    Douglas A. Johnson of Bloomington, Indiana: Chihuahuas (both Varieties), Chinese Cresteds, Italian Greyhounds, Papillons, Russian Toys, Shih Tzu, Toy Fox Terriers.

●    Sandra M. Lex of Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Affenpinschers, Biewer Terriers, Brussels Griffons, Japanese Chin, Maltese, Silky Terriers, Toy Manchester Terriers, Yorkshire Terriers.

NON-SPORTING BREEDS

●    Dr. Joyce Dandridge of Washington D.C.: American Eskimo Dogs, Chinese Shar-Pei, Chow Chows, Finnish Spitz, Keeshonden, Schipperkes, Shiba Inu, Xoloitzcuintlis.

●    Ann Ingram of Rochestown, Cork, Ireland: Boston Terriers, Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, Miniature Poodles, Standard Poodles.

●    Patricia A. Sosa of Madisonville, Louisiana: Bichon Frises, Cotons de Tulear, Dalmatians, Lhasa Apsos, Lowchen, Norwegian Lundehunds, Tibetan Spaniels, Tibetan Terriers.

HERDING BREEDS AND VARIETIES

●    Peggy Beisel-McIlwaine of Ann Arbor, Michigan: Australian Shepherds, Bearded Collies, Beaucerons, Bergamasco Sheepdogs, Berger Picards, Briards, Collies (both Varieties).

●    Carrie A. Chase of Martinsburg, West Virginia: Border Collies, Bouvier des Flanders, Canaan Dogs, Cardigan Welsh Corgis, Norwegian Buhunds, Pembroke Welsh Corgis, Shetland Sheepdogs, Swedish Vallhunds.

●    Stephanie S. Hedgepath of Lexington, South Carolina: Australian Cattle Dogs, Belgian Laekenois, Belgian Malinois, Belgian Sheepdogs, Belgian Tervuren, German Shepherd Dogs, Pyrenean Shepherds.

●    Barbara A. Pessina of Putnam Valley, New York: Entlebucher Mountain Dogs, Finnish Lapphunds, Icelandic Sheepdogs, Miniature American Shepherds, Mudik, Old English Sheepdogs, Polish Lowland Sheepdogs, Pulik, Pumik, Spanish Water Dogs.

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About the Westminster Kennel Club

The Westminster Kennel Club, established in 1877, is America's oldest organization dedicated to the sport of dogs. It hosts the iconic, all-breed Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, the second-longest, continuously held sporting event in the U.S. after the Kentucky Derby, and since 1948, the longest nationally televised live dog show. The Club’s mission, which enhances the lives of all dogs, celebrates the companionship of dogs and promotes responsible dog ownership and breed preservation. The Club advocates for purpose-bred dogs, with an understanding that each breed has a legacy and history that deserves to be taught, honored, and preserved. The Club uses education to raise awareness and encourage owners to conscientiously select dogs that are the right match for their families. The annual dog show—a conformation competition for purpose-bred dogs—and the Masters Agility Championship and Masters Obedience Championship—where dogs from all backgrounds are eligible to compete—make Westminster Week with over 3,000 dogs from the U.S. and around the world, a pinnacle experience for any dog lover. America’s Dog Show has captivated canine enthusiasts for more than a century. WESTMINSTER. There's only one.® Visit us on, westminsterkennelclub.org, on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Talkin' Pets News

November 12, 2022

Host - Jon Patch

Co-Host - Karen Vance - Certified Dog Trainer and Agility Trainer, Tampa, FL

Producer - Matt Matera

Network Producer - Ben Boquist / Jayla Green

Social Media - Bob Page

Special Guest - Michael Mehta Webster author of The Rescue Effect will join Talkin' Pets 11/12/22 at 5pm ET to discuss and give away his book

Movie Review written by Jon Patch with 4 out of 4 Paws

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures and Marvel Studios present a PG-13, 161-minute, Action, Adventure, Drama, directed by Ryan Coogler, screenplay by Coogler and Joe Robert Cole with a theater release of November 11, 2022.

• Demographic Rescue: When new individuals immigrate to a small population of organisms to provide a numerical boost that prevents them from going extinct.
• Reproductive Rescue: When the reproduction and survival rates of the group of organisms increase in uncrowded condi­tions, which increases the population size.
• Genetic Rescue: When immigrants bring new genetic diversity to a small population, helping it overcome genetic disorders.
• Phenotypic Rescue: When an organism adjusts its physiology, outward appearance, or behavior to cope successfully with changing environmental conditions.
• Geographic Rescue: When a species successfully relocates to a new geographic location after environmental changes render its old location unsuitable.
• Evolutionary Rescue: When organisms evolve, through survival of the fittest, to be able to persist under newly stressful conditions.

Talkin' Pets News

November 5, 2022

Host - Jon Patch

Co-Host - Jasmine the Dog Trainer - Tampa Bay, FL

Producer - Philip Staub

Network Producer - Jayla Green / Ben Boquist

Social Media - Bob Page

Talkin' Pets News

October 29, 2022

Host - Jon Patch

Co-Host - Marcus Porter - Vet tech - Tampa Bay Veterinary Specialist, Tampa, Florida

Producer - Philip Staub

Network Producer - Jayla Green

Social Media - Bob Page

Special Guests - Hour 1 at 5pm ET - Psychic, Medical Intuitive and radio Host Julie Ryan

Hour 2 at 630pm ET - Executive Director of Suncoast Animal League, Rick Chaboudy, to discuss Dogtoberfest