Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Doggy Pageantry





This was a special week: my favorite pageant after Miss Universe took place, The Westminster Dog Show. Someday I will attend in person, but for now, the coverage on USA and internet was pretty satisfying.

I have been plotzing over the toy breeds, my favorties being the chihuahuas, Pekineses, Chinese Cresteds, pugs, Italian greyhounds, and a breed I'd never noticed before, the Japanese Chin. The Chinese cresteds are fantastic, imagine a taller chihuahua, hairless with a nice mottled pattern, but with long tufts of hair on the head, ears, chin and bottom of the legs. They left the top tuft super long and the ears too so that it looked like Loni Anderson's hair style in WKRP in Cincinnatti. Off the chain. 

Then there are the miniature poodles, shaved to the skin in parts and then the hairy bits shaped like topiary. Exquisite. OMG the grooming was a fucking masterpiece, Ivana Trump is nothing in comparison. That dog's up-do put Marie Antoinette to shame!

In general it's not surprising that I should love the toy breeds the best, like me they are: petite, highly strung, noisy, high-maintenance, extremely camp, and require a lot of grooming.

The breeders/show people whatever they are called, are hot messes in terms of grooming. There are a lot of bad polyester bedazzled dresses worn at unflatteringly ambiguous hem lengths with coffee colored hose and loafer style shoes. My favorite was one of the presenters, who was extremely butch but with a suburban Prince Valiant-style coif, and a severe suit, neutral lipstick and a very deep voice. Not sure if she was a she or a trans-woman, but she was the bomb.