National Dog Show Winners and Best of Show 2010

The 2010 National Dog Show aired November 25 on NBC right after the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. It was another parade, only this one featured 2000 trimmed, groomed and fluffed dogs prancing around the show ring, in front of a standing room only audience.

The dogs performed in groups: Sporting, Working, Terrier, Hound, Herding, Non-Sporting and Toy, representing 179 breeds, including six new breeds just recognized by the American Kennel Club. The very first dog to be judged was also the last dog to be judged: Clooney, the Irish Setter, who won Best in Show.

First, Clooney wins Best in Sporting Group at the National Dog Show

The Sporting Group was first, with 20-some dogs making a crowd-pleasing circle of the ring with their handlers. Sporting dogs are setters, spaniels, pointers and retrievers, including some of the most popular pets in America: Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and Cocker Spaniels. Even among these fine specimens, Clooney the Irish Setter seemed to shine with star quality. One of the breed standards for Irish Setters is "a rollicking temperament" and if ever a dog was rollicking it's Clooney.

John O'Hurley (remember, he was J. Peterman in "Seinfeld") hosted the show, along with expert analyst David Frei, said to be "America's foremost authority on the sport." O'Hurley had bemoaned the fact that an Irish Setter had not won in his nine years of hosting, so he was thrilled that Clooney ended that streak.

Two New Breeds are Introduced in the Working Group

Meet the Cane Corso and a gentle giant: the Leonberger, a big black and tan bear of a dog. Of the six new breeds introduced at the National Dog Show, these two were added to the Working Group. This group also includes mountain dogs and schnauzers, boxers and mastiffs, among others. There was an Akita with such beautiful markings he looked like a watercolor painting. There was a Great Dane almost as big as the judge. The Malamute is in this group as is the Portuguese Water Dog (like President Obama's family dog). I was rooting for the Akita, but the winner of the group was Scarlett the Boxer, who has a fantastic resume, having won 52 Best in Show awards in only two years of showings.

2010 National Dog Show Terrier Group Winner

For the first time, an American Staffordshire Terrier won the best in the Terrier Group. Her name is Maddy, short for "Mad About You." Maddy won over all the other terriers and the mini Schnauzers, including a Bull Terrier who is the son of Rufus, the famous 2005 National Dog Show Best of Show winner.

2010 National Dog Show Hound Group Winner

In the Hound Group, Hickory, a lean and lanky 4-year-old female Scottish deerhound, beat out the Afghans, Dachshunds, Basset, Grey, Coon, Elk, and Wolf Hounds, plus the Beagles, Whippets and others. Hickory has also won 13 Best in Show titles, and has two national specialty wins.

2010 National Dog Show Herding Group Winner

Beyoncé excelled in a group of collies and corgis, shepherds and sheep dogs. This beautiful black and white 3-year-old female Australian shepherd won the Herding Group without singing a note. She has achieved seven Best in Show wins and over 50 group first places in her career.

2010 National Dog Show Non-Sporting Group Winner

The Non-Sporting Group includes favorite breeds such as the Bichon Frise, Bulldog, Dalmation, Spitz, Lhasa Apso, and others. But the winner was Johnny the Schipperke (skipper-key), a one of a kind breed. These unique dogs are always black, lively, independent, and have no tails! Johnny won his first Best in Group prize when he was only six months old; and now at the age of six years, you can tell he still loves the show ring.

2010 National Dog Show Toy Group Winner

The dogs in the Toy Group have the adorability factor down pat. These little Chihuahuas, Pomeranians, Pekingese, Maltese, Papillons, Pugs, Shih Tzu, and of course the Yorkies, Toy Pinschers and Manchesters, a Japanese Chin and others, lost to a dog that looks like a monkey: Joe, a 3-year-old male Affenpincher who has won Best in Show awards numerous times internationally.

Introducing Six New Breeds at the National Dog Show

Six new AKC-recognized breeds made their national television debuts at the National Dog Show: The Icelandic Sheepdog, the Bluetick Coonhound, the Leonberger, the Cane Corso, the Redbone Coonhound and the Boykin Spaniel. Find out more about them at www.NationalDogShow.com,

The 2010 National Dog Show by Purina was hosted by the Kennel Club of Philadephia at Oaks/Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.

Sources:

http://www.ktnv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13536710
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com
http://www.schipperke.com/whatisaschipperke.html