How About A Mixed Breed Dog Show?

Last night the Westminster Kennel Club awarded it’s 136th “best in show” to “Ch Palacegarden Malachy,” a fluffy pekingese with an adorable black face and impeccably groomed coiffure. Westminster was founded in 1877 and is the oldest organization in the country dedicated to purebred dogs. The show is actually billed as “America’s Dog Show.”

I would agree that the show is a spectacle and a great deal of fun to watch. But I would argue with the fact that it is called “America’s Dog Show.” Granted I don’t have the longest of vantage points as our clinic as only been open since August and granted I only see a certain slice of “America” in the folks who come through our doors everyday. But, I would suggest that “America’s Dog Show” should really exalt the virtues of the mixed breed dog.

And, why there isn’t a dog show for mixed breed dogs? Did I just miss it? How fun would that be? A dog show where the pups were judged not only by appearance (you could have creative categories like, best ears and most original mix) and for other criteria that make these animals the most remarkable pets.

-Cary Bernstein, Executive Director