The Boca Raton Dog Club donated pet oxygen masks to Boynton Beach Fire Rescue.
Pictured are firefighter Rubin Lopez and Jackie Allen of the Dog Club with Sir Lancelot.
Photo by Michael Landress
By Arden Moore
Among all the species on this planet, canines truly rank as top dogs when it comes to diversity. Think about it. There are very few species with such size, look and temperament differences. In the dog kingdom, there are itty-bitty breeds like the Yorkshire terrier and the Chihuahua, which are small enough to ride in purses, and there are mammoth-sized breeds like the Bernese mountain dog and the Saint Bernard, which easily take over any bed with their size and stretch — and with enough discarded fur to knit a sweater.
There are breeds with easy, short names, like the pug and the collie, and others that would challenge even stellar spelling bee contestants, such as the Xoloitzcuintli and the Coton de Tulear. The American Kennel Club officially recognizes a whooping 180 different breeds.
It’s easy to suffer from canine confusion by all these diverse breeds, but fortunately, Palm Beach County is home to the Boca Raton Dog Club, a group of dog enthusiasts who are more than happy to serve as a canine resource center.
I recently caught up with Debbie Roberts, president of the local club. This Boca Raton resident happily shares her home with a pair of Norfolk terriers answering to the names of Maggie and Lilly. The latter is a retired show dog champion and the former prefers participating in the earth-dog sport rather than being in a show ring.
If you get confused about the difference between what a Norfolk terrier looks like versus a Norwich terrier, Roberts offers this fun way to remember:
“The main difference in looks is the ears, she says. “The Norfolk’s ears are down while the Norwich ears are up. Think of a pointed witch hat and you will always remember that the Norwich ears are up,” she says. “Our dog club members enjoy providing education to people about dogs of various breeds.”
And this group likes to make Palm Beach County a safer place for all dogs — and yes, even cats. Each year, the club donates a portion of proceeds collected from its annual dog show held in June at the South Florida County Fairgrounds. This year the money raised went to purchase pet oxygen masks for the Boynton Beach Fire Rescue. Firefighters, many of whom have pets, can use these masks conformed to fit the muzzles of dogs and cats and immediately provide life-saving oxygen to pets rescued from burning homes.
The Boca Raton Dog Club’s main mission is to promote responsible dog ownership. Members accomplish this by not only hosting dog shows, but also being available to answer questions about specific breeds, offer advice on dog training and help people find responsible breeders. In recent years, they have provided blankets and bedding and other needed supplies to local animal shelters coping with a spike in the number of dogs housed during hurricane seasons.
The club’s next big dog show is June and Roberts welcomes any and all who love dogs to attend.
“People at dog shows — the owners, the handlers — are very friendly and are usually more than happy to answer questions about their breeds,” she says. “Proper etiquette is to always ask first before touching a dog and to wait until the judging is done to speak to someone who has a dog in the show ring. It takes a lot of training before a dog is ready to compete in the show ring.”
To learn more about this club, visit www.bocaratondogclub.org.
“This is an all-breed club,” adds Roberts. “And you don’t even have to own a dog to belong to our club. All people who love dogs are welcomed.”
Westminster is the big dog
On the national level, the AKC’s Westminster Show held each February in New York City reigns as Super Bowl of K9 dog show competitions. The top dog is crowned Best in Show and is presented with a gold/purple ribbon. The champion and his/her handler then immediately hit the talk show circuit and make personal appearances for the year — much like Miss America duties.
Here are a few fun Westminster show facts:
And, you are HOW old? The oldest dog to win Westminster was Stump, a Sussex spaniel who was 10 years, 2 months and 9 days old when he took Best in Show in 2009. The youngest was Laund Loyalty of Bellhaven, a rough collie, who won in 1929 at the age of 9 months.
Don’t touch that dial! The Westminster show first aired on television in 1948 and has been a must-view special each year. In 2014, the two-day broadcast drew more than 3.5 million viewers.
All hail the terriers! Among the seven different breed groups, the terrier group has won Best in Show at Westminster the most — a whopping 45 times.
Meet the face — and voice — of Westminster. Host David Frei aims to extend his announcing streak to 25 years when he hosts the 139th annual Westminster show on television Feb. 16-17.
Arden Moore, founder of FourLeggedLife.com, is an animal behavior consultant, editor, author, professional speaker and master certified pet first aid instructor. Each week, she hosts the popular Oh Behave! show on PetLifeRadio.com. Learn more by visiting www.fourleggedlife.com.
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