Over 2,882 dogs and their handlers gathered at New York City’s Madison Garden this week where Scholastic News Kid Reporter Amelia Poor covered the 142nd annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.
The show is one of the oldest sporting events in the United States, and this year, Amelia met some of the top contenders and their handlers on the final day of the competition, February 13. She spoke with them about their dog breeds and how they go about prepping their dogs for the big moment.
A snippet of Amelia’s coverage of the dog show is featured below, and you can read the full-length version of her article “Hounds in Town” on the Kid Reporters’ Notebook.
Do you know a kid between the ages of 10–14 with a “nose for news” who would be interested in joining the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps? Be sure to check back as we plan to announce our call for applications for the 2018–2019 program year soon!
"Hounds in Town”
Dogs take center stage at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York City.
If New York City seemed particularly crowded this week, it was because 2,882 visitors were in town. The visitors were a lot furrier than your average tourists. They were dogs, ready to compete in the 142nd annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.
The competition took place on February 12 and 13 at Madison Square Garden. Winners were chosen in each of seven groups: terriers, toy, working, sporting, hound, non-sporting, and herding. The dogs selected as the best in each group moved on to compete for the title of top dog.
According to the Westminster Kennel Club, judges look to see which dog most closely matches a written description of the ideal specimen of each breed. As dogs enter the ring, judges observe their “general appearance, movement, temperament, and specific physical traits.”
The dogs may have different ideas about the competition. At a “Meet the Breeders” event the weekend before the judging, Pamela Isaacson of Boston, Massachusetts, spoke to attendees alongside Burton, her Leonberger.
"He loves this show,” Isaacson said. “It’s a time to be loved and admired by everyone, and honestly, he thinks everyone is here just for him.”
If you want to read more about dogs, here are a few great reads that have dogs as characters:
Tiny and the Big DigBy Sherri Dusky, illustrated by Matt Myers
A New York Times bestselling team presents a doggie, a bone, and tons of determination that remind us that going for what you want brings ginormous surprises! Tiny may be a small dog, but don’t let that fool you. He’s a pooch with power who knows what he wants. And he’s going for it. But oh, those pesky pessimists—they’re trying to rain on Tiny’s dig-parade. Thank goodness for one special boy who believes in Tiny, because in the end, this dog’s grit proves that he's the little pup who could... dig up some giant surprises.
The Puppy Place
By Ellen Miles
Bitsy, an itsy Morkie (Maltese-Yorkie mix) may be the tiniest dog Charles has ever seen. But she thinks she's a big girl and she's full of sassy attitude. Can the Petersons find her a perfect forever home?
By Dan Gemeinhart
In all the ways that matter, Mark is a normal kid. He's got a dog named Beau and a best friend, Jessie. He likes to take photos and write haiku poems in his notebook. He dreams of climbing a mountain one day. But in one important way, Mark is not like other kids at all. Mark is sick. The kind of sick that means hospitals. And treatments. The kind of sick some people never get better from.
So Mark runs away. He leaves home with his camera, his notebook, his dog, and a plan to reach the top of Mount Rainier, even if it's the last thing he ever does.
The Honest Truth is a rare and extraordinary novel about big questions, small moments, and the incredible journey of the human spirit.
Scholastic News Kids Press Corps
