Our primary breed is bearded collies but PBGVs and beardies are a good mix. PBGVs are small dogs with a big dog personality. We had a couple of show PBGVs over the years. Our breeding partner for PBGVs pass away 10 or so years ago and we are no longer doing the show circuit. My last PBGV crossed over 2 years ago.

Westminster is a big deal in the dog world and is known for favoring terriers. Buddy is the first PBGV to win Best in Show

Link to tweet

I like to see a different breed win. I tend to root for the dogs I've had, but it seems they never win - I was rather hoping it was a Brussels Griffon, like my Jack:

Norfolk, Va. – As the 2019 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show approaches, PETA is sharing the following information about the dark side of dog shows, including their contribution to the homeless-animal crisis and the overpopulation of companion animals:

The show encourages the breeding of “purebred” (genetically manipulated for long noses, big chests, hunting abilities, etc.) dogs, even though more than 6 million homeless animals end up in shelters every year and half them must be euthanized for lack of good homes.

A Salon report exposed the cruelty of the multibillion-dollar industry behind events such as the Westminster dog show, including large-scale breeding farms, puppy-mill brokers, auctioneers, and pet store owners. They all cash in on the demand for purebred puppies who are produced en masse after a Best in Show win.

Purebred dogs are at a higher risk of suffering from a variety of congenital ailments than mixed breeds are:
Last year’s winning breed, the bichon frise, is prone to hyperadrenocorticism (aka “Cushing’s disease”), allergies, patellar luxation, Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease, and liver disease.

2017’s winning breed, the German shepherd, commonly suffers from crippling hip dysplasia.
The list goes on: Labrador retrievers—America’s most popular dog breed—are prone to bone disease, hemophilia, and retinal degeneration; great Danes are bred to have such huge bodies that their hearts give out prematurely; and cocker spaniels’ long ears frequently become infected.

“At a time when overrun animal shelters are prompting forward-thinking cities such as Los Angeles to ban the retail sale of dogs, the Westminster Kennel Club is still encouraging breeders to churn out litter after litter of purebred puppies,” says PETA Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. “PETA urges everyone who cares about animals to skip the dog show, support their local animal shelter, and never buy an animal from a pet store or breeder.”

Of the dogs in my life, most have been cockers or terriers, my Dad got us a puppy when I was a kid - a cocker spaniel since that's what he grew up with - but other than that beloved pup and my Jack who was a pet shop rescue, I've adopted senior dogs. And my pups seem to find me. My eldest was my Barney who my mother saw on the local Pet Connection, animals looking for homes on the local news. He looked so much like the dog I grew up with that she immediately called me and I called before the show was even over.

And Barney needed "a special home" since they said he was 10 or 11, wasn't housebroken and had never lived with people - the perfect dog for me, LOL. We went downstate the very next day and I felt fortunate to be chosen, we brought Barney home. And he was just the best dog, with the best temperament and was such a pretty dog. He had been a "stud dog" at a commercial kennel (puppy mill ) and when he got too old, they were done with him and he was lucky to be rescued.

His foster mom did a wonderful job with him, he knew to go out and was affectionate and friendly, though he tended to ignore other dogs. And I had him for eight wonderful years, still miss him today.

Barney