Westminster Dog Show

Banana Joe the Alfenpinscher

We don't have a dog, but we watch the Westminster Dog Show every year, and this year, like many years we ground our teeth in disappointment.  A teeny, tiny Alpenpinscher named Banana Joe won best in show.  He was cute and I guess he was a good example of his breed, but he just barely qualified as a dog as far as we're concerned.  He looked like a fashion accessory, something to carry in your purse.  He represented the Toy class and that's exactly what he looked like, a toy.
We're tired of these minute examples of the canine family winning, I'm not even sure they should be in the same show with real dogs.
When I say dog, I mean a DOG, something substantial like a Boxer, a Bernese Mountain Dog, a Malamute.  We like Working Dogs, Hunting Dogs, Herding Dogs, Sporting Dogs.
The runner up to the Alpenpinscher (he was titled Reserved Best) was an Old English Sheepdog named Swagger, now that's what I call a dog.  I'm very partial to English Sheepdogs, the last dog we had was one.  His name was Charlie and he was a love, he patrolled our yard, herded the cats and was full of love for everyone.  You couldn't carry him your purse or have him sit on your lap, but he could run and romp and keep the place safe for all the critters.  He's been gone more than 20 years, but he still holds a place in my heart.

Swagger the Runner-up