Wednesday, May 14, 2014

You Can't Blame Westminster for these Breeds


What do these seven breeds have in common?
  • Chihuahua
  • American Staffordshire Terrier (aka the Pit Bull)
  • Dalmatian
  • Dachshund
  • Rottweiler
  • Golden Retriever
  • Labrador Retriever 
Answer:  none of these breeds has EVER won "best in show" at Westminster.

The first two breeds and their crosses account for about half of all dogs killed in American shelters today.

The last two breeds -- the Golden Retriever, and the Labrador Retriever -- account for over one-quarter of all dogs registered by the American Kennel Club.
.

1 comment:

Peter Apps said...

I wonder if what they also have in common is breed standards that are worded in such a way they extremes are not encouraged ? So they converge on the standard instead of deviating from it. Consequently, the best of breed that goes through to best in show lacks the extreme features that allow a judge to pick them out of a crowd. The answer will need a lot more familiarity with breed standards than I have.