Madison Square Garden has gone to the dogs, with the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show taking over the place through Tuesday. Stay tuned: We'll be following all the excitement right here:
7:55AM: Differences between today and an ordinary day: "NO DOGS ALLOWED" sign on the employee entrance, packed elevator this early in the morning.
8:30AM: I can't believe there are this many people at MSG at this hour. Also, it smells like a dog farm.
8:48AM: A toy poodle just walked under a much bigger dog. The handler was horrified, but the big dog didn't even notice.
9:10AM: Of course the dogs are trained and well-behaved, but they appear to have no idea where they are or why they are here.
9:25AM: Overheard in The Garden: "Whenever you see Dog Show written like that, don't you think 'DOG SHOW!,' like the 'Saturday Night Live' sketch?"
9:30AM: People are dressed better here than they are for a Broadway show. Some people are decked out.
9:37AM: You know what? People really do look like their dogs.
10:00AM: Yikes. It certainly is crowded backstage. There's all the spectators, all the people getting ready to show (way more hairspray than you could imagine) and a lot of people and dogs still loading in.
10:09AM: I don't know what type of Stepford hounds I expected to find here, but I'm taken by surprise when a crated dog starts barking. It sounds like "I hate this. Ack!" to my untrained ear, but I'd bet it's really "Yay, we're here! Let me out!"
10:15AM: There are a lot of children here. It is a school day isn't it? I wish my mom had been that cool.
10:24AM: Fluffy butt, brush. Fluffy butt, brush. Fluffy butt, brush. It's really all the same in the grooming area, but navigating back there is similar to walking though the Union Square Greenmarket at noon on Saturday.
10:35AM: Overheard in The Garden:
"I'm not stupid. I know how to do this. And that's what I'm going to show her."
"Did you remember the bows?"
"Yes. I have the bows."
10:42AM: There are six rings holding competitions all at once. This is much harder to follow than hockey.
10:54AM: All the oohs and aahs and giggles are beginning to be a bit much. Yes, those are my oohs, aahs and giggles.
11:12AM: The run around the ring appears to be a lot more physically taxing in person than it looks on TV. And they are running fast.
11:18AM: A word of warning: Look down. There are dogs resting all over the place while they await their turn.
11:21AM: Overheard in The Garden: Woman looking at a fantastic ball of fluff (with a dog in there somewhere): "Ugh. That is just so unnatural."
11:42AM: Ooh, one border collie just got a treat and a kiss. She must be a very good girl.
11:51AM: Poodle fans are really loud. The contest in Ring 1 just erupted in a foul-shot-at-the-buzzer outburst, but the dogs look completely unfazed by the noise.
12:02PM: Visible ribs on a greyhound look much better than ribs on a starlet, but you might still want to offer the beautiful thing a sandwich. (Don't do it.)
12:05PM: Do people bet on this? The man next to us is jotting notes in his program that look a lot like the doodles you'd see in an OTB parlor — and we are at the greyhound ring, hmm — but he's speaking to his friend in super-fast Italian, so we don't ask.
12:18PM: There are
two judges named "Trotter" on the floor right now. Married or related? I can't
tell.
12:24PM: Body
Glitter! On a person.
12:33PM: The German
Shepherds are competing in front of Judge Trotter, and they're beautiful and
feisty. They do not understand having to stand still, and they definitely don't
like it. One of them lets out a little "woof" and there's an audible gasp from
the onlookers.
12:36PM: There are
about 10 Bichon Frises lined up in a row, like 10 little cotton puffs. This is
like watching cuteoverload.com's rule of cuteness #9 in
effect: Piles of a cute thing jack up a cuteness rating
exponentially.
1:45PM: I've seen several dogs attempt to eat a microphone and a camera lens. I'm guessing they might be hungry at this time of day.
2:11PM: It looks like a post-college party back in the bench area. Every dog is wiped after competition and is snoozing away.
2:23PM: It's amazing, when you ask a dog a question, how often their owners respond in what is supposedly their dog's voice.
3:20PM: I think the dogs in the ring are just in it for the snacks. I was asking a man if he thought they would run around so obediently without food coming. I know I wouldn't
4:07PM: Surprisingly, I'm seeing my very first bit of dog pee on the floor backstage.
4:50PM: People are buying those little doggie fans like they are going out of style. I think we're in the wrong business.
6:05PM: Here come the group competitions. It's definitely less crowded from earlier today, but plenty of noise and hustle. I bet the dogs that are still in the competition are jealous of those who were eliminated and went back to the Hotel Pennsylvania. Have you seen the hotel?! It's Dog Heaven.
9:15PM: A beautiful Beagle takes the Hounds group, but they're all winners to us.
9:50PM: The Sealyham Terrier is a new one for me, but I'm already in love. So is the judge. Group first.
10:15PM: Judging these things can't be easy. The breed competitions are tough enough — which of these is truly the best Beagle? Who can say?! — but choosing between a Beagle and a Saluki or a Bichon Frises and a Bulldog? That's just too tall an order.
10:20PM: Last year's non-sporting champ, a standard poodle named Brighton Minimoto, takes it again.
10:29PM: The announcer dashes my dreams, announcing that a Border Collie is not right for apartment living. I'd been meaning to look into relocating to a farm anyway.
10:53PM: The Australian Shepherd wins ... and jumps for joy!
10:57PM: We're out. See you tomorrow!
Photo: David Atlas
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My First Westminster: An Owner's View
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These Dogs Have Made Millions
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