I love dogs; I’ve had at least one all my life and at one point had four. They swim, catch Frisbees, bark a hearty welcome when we come up the driveway, scare away religious salespeople, vie for space on our bed, play with the grandchildren (who refer to Bungee as their “grand dog”) and sometimes just gaze lovingly at us to indicate their happiness on being part of our family.
We recently watched the magnificent two nights of the Westminster Kennel Club annual dog show, and were aghast when Best in Show went to a 5 lb. Pekingese named Malachy. To be sure, Malachy is top dog as canines go, having won Best in Group two years running, but my heart went out to the other “real” dogs. Blue collar dogs who when not in shows have jobs herding sheep, cows or chickens, ridding barns of vermin, providing support to police and firefighters, corralling escapees, fetching ducks, or simply sitting in their yards braying at potential intruders. I know not what Pekingese do now, nor what they did for ancient Chinese royalty. As I watched Malachy prance around the ring looking like a mechanical long-haired wig (no legs were evident) I thought he would be better suited to a cat show. Also, how can a 5 pound dog have two co-owners? Does each owner possess 2 ½ pounds?
Anyway Malachy I applaud your ability to impress those with a different viewpoint on dogs than mine, but I have hopes next year for a large, well-bred but drooly work-a-day dog who needs a break.
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I expect some incoming flack from Pekingeseophiles, please be gentle.
