Note: This blog was originally drafted last Tuesday 2/15, but due to me trying to figure out how to get pics off my phone, it took me this long to add the pictures and post.  I really wanted to post this so I didn’t discard the post.  Also….as we all know the Duck Hound won the Westminster this year.  Congrats to the owners and handlers. This week the Westminster Kennel Club dog show is airing on the USA network.  Last night Kristian and I was rooting for Molly, the 15-inch Beagal, to win the Working Dog category.  She lost to the Duck Hound. 😦 It’s interesting because our family attending a dog show this past Saturday at the fairgrounds.  Our family is currently looking to purchase a new family pet.  It has been three years since our beloved Solomon died and we areal ready to open our hearts to another four-legged family member.  Although we have pretty much decided to go with a Weimaraner this time around, we thought it would be a good idea to talk with some breeders/owners and look at what other breeds are available (who knows I might be able to convince my husband that a Newfoundland is not too big and hairy for our family. :)).  

The Indy Winter Dog Show is not as grand as the Westminster, but our family was awe-struck just the same.  If you are a dog lover and get the chance to attend a dog show, GO.  It was the most amazing thing.  We saw some beautiful dogs, some I was familiar with and some new breeds.  I fell in love with all of the big dogs, like the Newfoundland’s, (He’s only 6 months old & look at that face.)    (this one is full grown) , the Bernise Mountain dog  and St. Bernard’s.  I know they have way too much hair for me to be comfortable with, but they are soooo cute and cuddly and they are really good with children.

Unfortunately I did not remember to bring my new fancy-schmancy camera.  So I had to use my phone to take pictures.  I still haven’t figured out how to remove photos from my camera to use in this blog; but I’m hopeful.  We talked with different breeders about their dogs and was particularly interested in talking to the Weimaraner breeders.  We found our first owner and the things she told us had my husband walking away saying there was no way we could get that dog with the lifestyle that we had.  It required too much work.  According to her, they needed at least 2 hours of exercise daily (I had originally read 1 hour), and if you do not keep your dog properly exercised they will have a tendency to chew.  Chewing is typical of any dog that is not properly stimulated, but Weimaraners seem to be very analytical; and apparently they will think of ways to get into stuff if their minds are not occupied.  These two facts had my husband shaking his had, “No.” 

Later we talked to some other breeders/owners and heard some contradictory information from the other owner, but it left us thinking, “is this the dog for us?”  We saw some other really pretty breeds, the Flat-Coated Retriever,  Dalmation (one of Kristian’s favorites),   the Irish Setter (my family had one, that was stolen),  Giant Schnauzer ,  the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever,   the Clumber Spaniel,   and the Springer Spaniels  (this was another family favorite that we may actually get if we do not get the Weim). 

It was a great family outing.  We learned a lot about the different breeds out there – like did you know that the Pug is the most shedding breed (those short hairs can drive you crazy), and apparently the poodle is one of the smartest if not the smartest dog around (I don’t care how smart they are, a poodle is not the dog for us).  It gave us something to think about as we search for the next Cork family dog. 

What about you?  Do you have a dog?  Are you watching the Westminster Dog Show?  Who is your favorite?