This little dog is from B.C., Canada
Victory would appear to be sweeter for having survived Merriam’s judging routine. First he walked alongside the seven dogs, stopping at each one; then he implored them to trot, one after another, around the ring. In the next phase, he examined them, one by one, leaning down to the bigger ones, and assessing the smaller ones on a table. After checking each of them out, he told some, “Well done” and others, “That’s good,” and then told them to trot up and down a straight path along the carpet. No dog or handler could possiblly discern from his words or actions the direction he was headed in.
But one thing was certain: Every time he focused on Swagger, the crowd erupted, shouting his name. The same never happened for Miss P or, for that matter, any of the other dogs.
With the clock ticking toward 11 p.m., Merriam was still undecided. He walked past them again and again, looking, seeking help in his decision; the only help he got, over and over, were the cheers for Swagger. He backed away, took one last look at the seven dogs, and pivoted toward the judges’ table, where he recorded his decision. He returned, but was still not ready to announce the winner. He made a little speech, a rather unusual interlude, extolling the Westminster club as a “bulwark and pillar in the sport of purebred dogs” and offering tribute to the owners, handler and breeders of the seven finalists.
Quiz: Westminster Dog Show Look-Alikes
Do dogs really look like their owners? Put the theory to the test by trying to guess which dog from the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show belongs to which owner.
And then, he finally chose Miss P, who quickly found herself at the center of a mid-floor celebration, navigating her way through a bunch of dangling ribbons.
Miss P, who is retiring to motherhood, did not exhibit the palpable charm of Uno, who howled at strategic points when he was judged at Westminster. Miss P is adorable, of course, but lacks the almost overwhelming charisma of her more famous relative, who became the most famous of all Westminster Best in Show winners. She has not met Uno, who lives in retirement in Austin, Tex., and will soon turn 10.
Credit Fred R. Conrad for The New York Times
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