Viewpoint by Michael Arnold Glueck
Here’s the straight poop on the dog business. We love our pooches in Orange County.
Last month, the best, most beautiful and balanced rovers gathered at center ring in Madison Square Garden for the doggie Oscars,the 129th gathering of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, the second oldest continuous sport event in the nation.
Unlike the Oscars, the dogs are real and approachable. Plastic surgery isn’t allowed.
The virtues of our dogs as pets, saviors, hospital workers, eyes and ears for the disabled, cancer seekers, sniffers of suspects, drugs, explosives, hunters, searchers and rescuers have been well extolled in the past few years.
Westminster is the final common pathway for the $34 billion dog industry.
The business includes pet stores, breeders, puppy mills, owners, trainers, handlers, groomers, sitters, walkers, boarders, hotels, agents, vets, hospitals, clinics, show fees, food makers, doggie bakers, clothes, jewelry, charms for every breed, toys, stationery and even personalized dog cards.
Said the pink-laced Poodle to the blue-ribboned Westie: “May I have your card please?”
Make no mistake about it. The dog business is a big industry.
So off to the big onion we went. Everyone in town seemed aware of the big show and had a favorite. In NYC as in the OC it seems every other person has a dog or two!
What did we see and hear that you can’t witness from the hammock at home?
The beauty, coats and poise of the dogs is breathtaking. The first canine we encountered was a long-haired collie backstage. The colors were spectacular and the face sculptured like a work of art. My jaw actually dropped.
Dog people are among the friendliest on earth. Backstage we didn’t encounter one owner or handler that wasn’t willing to talk, allow you to pet their dog or take a picture. The owner of the winning Pomeranian actually passed me her dog while laughing saying, “Here you hold her.”
Unlike cat shows, owners aren’t worried about viral transmission of disease.
The “Best of Breed” judging (not shown on TV) is in the afternoons with the center ring divided into five or six judging areas for different breeds. The judges spend the most time in these competitions as there may be 30 to 40 dogs of one breed.
Sitting next to the ring in the afternoon one handler whose dog won the best of breed for the Irish Setters was so happy she actually grabbed and hugged me as she left the ring,just like on TV.
The participants all commented on the movie, “Best of Show” saying it really helped their business. While only a small part of the movie rung true, it captured some funny moments, they said.
Conventional knowledge is that only half of the handlers are pros. The “buzz” is that it is more like 80%.
A number of owners said that even though the competition is extreme, the best part of the show is seeing old friends and dogs,like a family reunion.
Backstage is organized chaos with groomers, walkers and dogs moving in all directions. There are roped off areas with sawdust, whee-pee trees and poop and pee spots. I asked several groomers with trimmers if they would straighten my sideburns. They reluctantly declined,as to not contaminate the dogs!
There are booths for trade groups for owners, groomers, handlers, agents, event organizers, and promoters. There is a whole lot of dog business going on.
We were rooting for the liver-colored Bloodhound that won at Eukanuba last month in Tampa. But when the German Shorthaired Pointer went into a 60-second free point the crowd took over. What a bitch!
Glueck, M.D., of Newport Beach, is a writer and frequent contributor to the Business Journal.
