11 | February | 2009

The Good Dogs, the Bad Dogs and the Best in Show

Uno - Last Year's Big Dog

I found myself last evening in one of those unfocused stream of consciousness modes. Perhaps it was the direct result of my decision to split my television viewing between the Westminster Kennel Club Show, (Lots of top dogs on their best behavior) and President (The top dog…behavioral attributes yet to be determined) Obama’s first official news conference. I scanned the crowd at Madison Square Garden looking for our associate editor and photographer, Kathleen Connally, (A well bred lassie) who was collecting images for her upcoming photoblog in American Public House Review.

Sea Dog As I watched the handlers reward their canine charges with goodies from their pockets after each successful turn around the green carpet, I decided that I also was in need of a treat in keeping with the occasion. The question before me now was would I open a bottle of Sea Dog Old East India Pale Ale from Topsham, Maine or would I pour myself a glass of Chocolate Lab Red Wine from the Finger Lakes region of New York State. As is most often the case, I chose the grain over the grape; but the consideration of the wine did trigger a recent memory.

On this past Sunday afternoon while keeping watch over my patrons at the Barking Dog Saloon at the Indian Rock Inn I met one George McGonigal, (An extremely kind and well mannered dog) from Ithaca, New York. We spoke at length about our favorite places to imbibe while traveling the Finger Lakes. It was a great pleasure speaking with someone that also appreciated the beer from Roosterfish Brewing in Watkins Glen, dockside cocktails at the Showboat on Seneca Lake, and the tubular delights (A very good hot dog) served from the cart outside of Maloney’s Pub in Hammondsport.

At some point during this bit of recollecting I switched back to our Commander-in-Chief just in time to hear his opininion on steroids and Alex Rodriquez, (A very bad hot dog). While I appreciated Mr. Obama’s thought provoking gravitas on all sorts of matters, when all was said and done his performance did not garner a best in show for the evening. That honor would go to the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain for their rendition of The Good the Bad and the Ugly. I thank our creative director, Ed Petersen, (A really fine dog) for sending me the late night You Tube that rescued this dog from the proceedings at Westminster and Washington.

This just in…Stump, the ten year old Sussex spaniel has been named Best In Show at Westminster.

Photo by Barton Silverman/New York Times

I love this dog; but personally I would have picked either Lilly, the Airedale that protected our marketing director, David McBride, ( A very loving and loyal dog) during his Gettysburg campaign, or Fancy, the Himalayan that is presently asleep on my couch.