# Westminster Kennel Club



## Gibbs Mom and Dad (Jun 3, 2013)

The Havanese finished 4th in the Toy Group


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## MarinaGirl (Mar 25, 2012)

The top four in the Toy group out of 23 entrants:

1st GCH Hallmark Jolei Rocket Power
Breed: Shih Tzu

2nd GCH Hitimes What The Inferno
Breed: Pomeranian

3rd GCH Trio's Big Shot
Breed: Yorkshire Terrier

4th GCH Love's Havaheart Los Goodfellas
Breed: Havanese


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

MarinaGirl said:


> 4th GCH Love's Havaheart Los Goodfellas
> Breed: Havanese


He's a Pan son. What a cutie!


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## 31818 (Oct 29, 2014)

I watched the Toy group judging on TV. But what I liked best was the Buick commercial with all the dogs barking the dialog. I started ARFing along with the dogs. Mi Popi says, "Ricky, you are making a terrible racket! :brick: This is not the way you get on TV!" :suspicious: I can ARF as good as any of those TV dogs. :thumb:

I thought mi amigo Havanese champion was really beautiful, but I thought the handler made a tactical error by grooming him to look like a Sheatzpu wannabe (like where's the wavy hair?) and failed to bring out the playful and friendly temperament of the Havanese breed while in the ring. But that is just mi doggie opinion. :croc:

besos, Ricky Ricardo


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## MarinaGirl (Mar 25, 2012)

Emmie loved watching the agility finals on Sunday! She stood with her front paws on the TV stand, then looked up and barked at her favorites!


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## parrotfeathers (Sep 15, 2014)

I'm thrilled the beagle won!! A true upset. The PWD has tried 3 times for best in show and last year was the winningest dog of all time. The beagle had a mere 19 or so best in shows. But she also edged out Nathan the bloodhound who was also favored.

You just never know.


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## Hsusa (Dec 21, 2014)

I kind of agree with Ricky about the super smooth Havanese coat. I thought that wavy was preferred, according to the breed standard.


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## Hsusa (Dec 21, 2014)

I don't know how this picture will turn out and with yo luck, it will be upside down. But it shows Sheba watching the Toy group judging. She stared up at the big screen the whole time.


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## Wags Mom (Dec 15, 2013)

What a cute photo!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Hsusa said:


> I kind of agree with Ricky about the super smooth Havanese coat. I thought that wavy was preferred, according to the breed standard.


The problem is, you want your dog to be clean for a show... Especially for a HUGE big deal show like Westminster. And if you blow dry (who has time to keep them from getting dirty and tangled while they air dry?!?!) you end up blowing out the waves.

Kodi definitely has a wavy, silky coat, but right after he's blow dried he looks fluffier and the waves go away... At least until the next day! 

I'm on my iPad, so I can only post one photo at a time. This is in his "everyday" wavy coat...


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

And this is what he looks like right after he is washed and blow-dried:


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

Cute picture of Sheba!


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

What a beautiful boy Kodi is If Scout's not brushed he get the wavy look also.


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## AnnaM (Jun 2, 2012)

What if you lightly mist with water after blowdrying? Won't it then l look wavy? I agree with Ricky Ricardo... I totally prefer the ragamuffin look than the spruced up one. I saw on Facebook that in UK they are shown with a natural looking coat...


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## parrotfeathers (Sep 15, 2014)

I don't have my havanese yet and am commenting probably out of ignorance. I really like the long groomed coat. I look forward to the beautiful coat flowing in the breeze as she runs. That really sound comical in the throes of our weather now. The dogs go outside, roll in the dead leaves and bring them all back in the house. Our roads and drives are gravel and they walk through the puddles and have their favorite digging and "munching" spots in the dirt.

I do have a borzoi and brush her long coat every day. I am in the process of semi retiring from the birds but will keep my old ones who no longer produce so life will become less complicated. 

I spoke with a maltese and shih tzu person and asked her if my friend should keep her shih tzu in natural coat. She replied if she had 3 hours a day it would be fine. This lady has the most beautiful coat on her maltese for show. She does keep it in rollers a lot.

I just figure dog hair will be a part of my life until the day I die. And now that the Pope has assured everyone animals will be in heaven there will be some there too.


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

I overheard some pro handlers talking at a show seven or eight years ago when there was a discussion about over grooming and trimming. One said to the other, "It doesn't matter what they do. We can control what the breed looks like." I thought at the time that they were right. Both were some of the top handlers of Havanese.


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

Also, a Judge told us years ago that we wouldn't start seeing them winning in Group until more grooming was accepted. I expected that he was right too.


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## 31818 (Oct 29, 2014)

Tom King said:


> Also, a Judge told us years ago that we wouldn't start seeing them winning in Group until more grooming was accepted. I expected that he was right too.


It's all politics (look what happened in my ancestral land) and that is why I am not a big fan of Conformance......just too arbitrary and subjective. It is easier for me to get excited about Obedience, Agility, and Rally, more objective judging.

besos, Ricky Ricardo


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## 31818 (Oct 29, 2014)

krandall said:


> And this is what he looks like right after he is washed and blow-dried:


Mi amigo, Kodi, es mui guapo (very handsome) either way, but I prefer the wavy, tousled look. It looks like he has just come back from a playdate or just won a Rally competition.......when us Havanese are happiest. The wavy look expresses the true temperament and traditional look of our breed. But I can understand why others might disagree. I love all opinions eace:

besos, Ricky Ricardo


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

AnnaM said:


> What if you lightly mist with water after blowdrying? Won't it then l look wavy? I agree with Ricky Ricardo... I totally prefer the ragamuffin look than the spruced up one. I saw on Facebook that in UK they are shown with a natural looking coat...


It's sort of a vicious cycle. The standard says they are not supposed to be over-groomed. But a certain "look" wins in the show ring... Not under ALL judges, but under many. So people feel the need to make their dog conform to that look. So dogs that have curly coats get straightened. Dog who have a lighter coat have product applied and are back-blown to make them "fluffier". Dogs with thicker coats sometimes have them thinned. So judges see very "styled" dogs and put them up... And people contiune to do it. We just have to hope that the structure under those beautiful coats is excellent too... That you can only tell by by an expert putting their hands on the dog. A lot of sins can be covered with a pretty drop coat.

And although I don't show in confirmation, in my heart, I can understand why people do it. EVERYONE loves their dogs, and want to present them at their best. And while most people would never do anything that HURT their dogs, this type of grooming obviously doesn't harm them any more than a puppy cut does. The dog could care less. But almost no one enters dog shows and doesn't WANT to win... So they engage in the same practices, whether they would prefer to or not.

That all said, I DON'T think it is wrong to have your dog, even a Havanese, freshly bathed and blow-dried to go into the ring. If that takes out the wave for the day, so be it. It's disrespectful to the show and the judge to bring a less than clean dog into the ring.

And no, spritzing them with a bit of water after drying is not enough to get the waves back. With Kodi, it takes a couple of days, unless he gets soaked to the skin. The waves aren't just on the surface, they go down through the whole coat.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Also remember that the coat is only one of the things the judge is assessing. HOPEFULLY, they are judging more on great structure and type than on whether the coat has waves or not. We can see type and outline from ringside, but we can't fully judge structure on a coated breed. That takes hands-on.


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

It only takes a couple days at the park and on the hiking trails to get the wavy tousled look after a day grooming. I like to keep them clean and brushed though. My husband says they are dogs and its's more important for them to have a happy life. I understand why people want to present their dog at their best at Westminister. Probably some of them are looking like little ragamuffins today


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## AnnaM (Jun 2, 2012)

So, I guess it's not like human hair... If I even think of water after blow drying, my hair tends to revert to curls... 😏


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## SJ1998 (Feb 4, 2013)

I thought the dog looked beautiful. I love the havanese in the show ring look. But I think I like the extremes in dog shows...not unlike fashion shows for humans! 

Did anyone here ever see Los Perritos Laredo in the ring?


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## Hsusa (Dec 21, 2014)

Kodi is so beautiful. I love his coat. Even blown dry, it is silky, but has some wave.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Heather Glen said:


> It only takes a couple days at the park and on the hiking trails to get the wavy tousled look after a day grooming. I like to keep them clean and brushed though. My husband says they are dogs and its's more important for them to have a happy life. I understand why people want to present their dog at their best at Westminister. Probably some of them are looking like little ragamuffins today


I bet you're right! When we went to the national specialty 2 years ago in Chicago, the dogs all came in looking like&#8230; pet dogs.  By the time they were presented in the show ring, they were all spiffed up.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

AnnaM said:


> So, I guess it's not like human hair... If I even think of water after blow drying, my hair tends to revert to curls... &#128527;


Even that depends on the hair. Mine gets straight and then frizzy on the ends in humidity. A truly lovely look!  Kodi looks much better "natural" than I do! ound:


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Hsusa said:


> Kodi is so beautiful. I love his coat. Even blown dry, it is silky, but has some wave.


Thanks. I love his coat too. It's not as dense as a lot of show ring dogs, but that also makes it easier to care for on a pet dog.


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