oldDogblog: February 2010

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

God loves a Terrier...

Ever wonder what real dog show people think of the Christopher Guest mockumentary Best in Show?
That depends on how their breed was depicted.

"They're just like in the movie!"

said Anne Sikorski backstage at Westminster, lifting up her Norwich terrier Red Rock the way Gerry Fleck (actor Eugene Levy) does in the film when Norwich "Winky" wins the whole shebang.

"They're easy. Very active, happy, easygoing."

Sikorski's friend, Maria Sherman, actually got her first Norwich because of the film. "I liked their look and personality," she said.

"God loves a terrier," Sikorski said, referencing the song Gerry and Cookie Fleck (Catherine O'Hara) sing in the movie.

But what about owners of a dog that didn't win the cup, didn't receive a musical tribute?

Jennifer Curtis Martin holds her Weimeraner backstage at Westminster.

CAPTION

By Anne Godlasky, USA TODAY

Cue the Weimeraner, depicted in the film as a high-strung -- even disturbed -- dog.

"It shows them as a neurotic dog, but the owners projected their neuroses on the dog. The dog couldn't care less about buzzy bee," said Susan Thomas, referencing a scene in which Parker Posy's character refuses to give her dog any toy but a stuffed bee. Thomas showed her Weimeraner named Knockin' on Heaven's Door at Westminster on Tuesday. "The Weimeraner takes on the personality of its owners. They're perceptive."

She and Jennifer Martin, who showed her Weimerancer Sizzle, both say the breed is smart -- so smart it can open doors and let itself out.

"It's not like a golden retriever or a Lab ... a Weimeraner is too smart to just be," said Martin. "They're regal, fabulous and more intelligent than their humans most of the time."

Still, she said Best in Show is "hilarious."

"When the movie Best in Show came out ... we were a little worried it was going to make fun of the sport," Westminster co-host told USA TODAY in this video. "But it didn't make fun of the dogs ... it only made fun of the people and we laugh about it, we admit to being a target-rich environment."