Commentary

The blue ribbon mutt

July 2, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By Keith Schell

A little while ago, I was channel surfing and happened upon the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, the quintessential yearly competition for purebred dogs in North America.

I don’t follow the Westminster show religiously every year, but being a dog lover, if I happen to come across it while channel hopping, I usually stop and watch for a while. I find the various breeds interesting, especially the ones I’ve never seen or heard of before.
But all that night, while I was watching the Westminster Dog Show, I was quietly comparing all those dogs on TV to our own family dog, who has been gone now for many years.

And in my heart of hearts, our dog won out every time.

As the show continued, every time a new breed of contestant appeared on television, I couldn’t help thinking: “Hmph! Our dog was way better than that!”

Of course, I might have been a little biased in my opinion.

All the dogs that compete at Westminster are American Kennel Club show champions of record from around the continent and must meet strict requirements just to qualify. The canine contestants allowed to compete at Westminster are the “best of the best,” so to speak.

Using a standardized American Kennel Club points system, it takes a total of fifteen points—including individual show wins of three, four, or five points each—to qualify for the Westminster Dog Show. Those regional wins must be awarded by at least three different judges at a minimum of two major competitions for a dog to become an American Kennel Club champion. The requirements to qualify for Westminster are very strict.

So, in the interest of fair play, I decided to mentally compare our dog to the American Kennel Club’s point requirements for qualifying for the Westminster Dog Show.

One of the criteria judges use is balance, proper weight, and size. Hmm. Our dog was very well fed and, over time, got a little bit pudgy. So, we wouldn’t get any points there. (But we sure gained a lot of points from our dog every time we snuck her a treat!)

Proper breeding is critical. Was our dog a purebred? No. She was a Lab–Shepherd cross, with maybe a little bit of beagle mixed in if you looked closely at the head. But she was certainly a purebred, lovable mutt! So regrettably, no points there at all.

Grooming is important. Was our dog impeccably groomed? No, not always—especially after she was splashing around in the mud. But we always towelled her down afterward and kept her brushed and clean. Point‑wise, this would probably be a wash as well.

Intelligence is important. Was our dog the smartest? We sure thought so. She was pretty bright! Major points for that.

A good temperament is important. Was our dog the happiest? Absolutely! She loved being around her people and always had a happy little doggie smile on her face. So major points for that.

I watched the judge on TV put his hand on a dog’s snout to check its teeth. Hmm. If a stranger did that to our dog, they’d probably get their hand bitten off. So, after the judge got his hand back, we’d probably lose major points for that.

But with little kids and loved ones, our dog was playful, loving, and gentle as a lamb. So major points for that!

You know what? To heck with the Westminster Dog Show.

One time on an episode of The Waltons, Grandpa Walton, ably played by actor Will Geer, said, “The best dogs are often mixed breeds.” And he was absolutely right. A mixed‑breed dog often inherits the best qualities of both of its parents.

And as far as we were concerned, we had the best dog in the whole wide world! In our heart of hearts, our sweet, happy, lovable mixed‑breed mutt was the greatest blue‑ribbon winner of all time.

And I’ll bet all you other dog owners out there have the best dog in the whole wide world as well!

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