Wagger.co.uk

After being rated America’s top dog at the Westminster show Sadie the Terrier Sadie, the Scottish Terrier newly crowned as America’s top dog, opened trading on Wall Street Thursday by ringing the New York Stock Exchange bell.

The black-haired pooch is a celebrity following her triumph Tuesday as Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club contest in Manhattan.

Thursday she and her handler visited the NYSE where Sadie launched another day of trading by pressing the button that activates the traditional bell.

On Wednesday, Sadie did the rounds of the talk shows, even getting a slot on CBS’ "Early Show" ahead of Hollywood heart throb Leonardo DiCaprio.

Sadie beat six hungry rivals in the last round at the Westminster: a Doberman Pinscher, a Brittany Spaniel, a Toy Poodle, a Puli, a Whippet and a French Bulldog.

Congratulations to Sadie the Scottish Terrier for hitting top spot at the Westminster Dog Show in New York. Sadie sat on a table covered with a white cloth. Her stubby tail wagged merrily, but she said nothing. She appeared to dance in place at times, sort of a Scottish jig, especially when she saw her breeder, Mary O’Neal.  “You breed for this all your life, and you never get it,” O’Neal said.

The judge Elliot Weiss said "“This is very special,”  “A dog of this quality comes along once every 10 years,” he added, recalling the 2001 winner, a Bichon frise, as the last one of Sadie’s singular caliber. “Her breed character is fabulous — she thinks very highly of herself. Her coat is absolutely breathtaking.”

The ‘Crufts’ of North America is in full swing - the Westminster Dog Show is underway and for those of you lucky enough to attend it promoses to be a fabulous event!  To enjoy some of the stunning entrants from its 145th show have a look at these pics.   We have our own Crufts to look forward to in just one months time which we will visit and report on in detail.

Do you truly believe that the day of judgement is coming?  That you and your fellow devout believers will be swept up into the loving arms of the Almighty?  Good for you, BUT what about your faithful hound?  He doesnt have a soul does he?  No soul, no salvation!  You go to heaven and Rover goes/stays…

If this is all too much to deal with then according to Business Week, help is at hand - an organisation exists called ‘Eternal Earthbound Pets (in America of course) that will arrange for an atheist to take care of your pooch whilst you spend eternity at God’s side.  Only prob seems to be to find dog-fearing (if not God-fearing) atheists you can trust your pet to.  Buy, hey, if you have $110 to pay the subscription then its another weight off your mind.

The star of this year’s Superbowl in New Orleans was an enthusiastic beagle called Jerry.  Jerry has become an overnight sensation on youtube with a video of him barking the Saint’s winning chant.  You can see all this on youtube 

I think it is absolutely wonderful and the beagle actually looks like he is having as much fun as his human supporter friends.

A really nice book has landed on my desk it’s by Wendy Diamond and called ‘10 ways to help dogs in need’.  Ms Diamond is a Dog lifestyle expert who previously published ‘It’s a dog’s life’ now she shares tips on how dog lovers can help locally unfortunate dogs.  Here’s an excerpt:

Every Dog Has Its Day
At the end of the day, a dog is a dog! And as much as we want to indulge our canine counterparts with the finer treats life has to offer, pure joy to a dog is socializing and playing at the local park or dog run, drinking plenty of water, consuming healthy meals, joining parents on a daily walk, and a cozy home where a sleeping dog can lie.

Here are some ways you can help local animals in need:

1. Consider being a foster parent to pet in transition. There are many local organizations that specialize in placing animals in loving, temporary homes.
2. Do you know how to sew, knit, or crochet? You could make and donate sweaters, blankets or even toys to help keep the animals cozy and entertained while awaiting adoption.
3. Throw a party! You can introduce your friends to your local Humane Society or SPCA and then ask for donations. You’d be surprised how generous people can be after a few glasses of wine …
4. Use the power of your vote! Let your local and state representatives know that caring for animals is a priority for you. Write an email that clearly states your views and forward it to your friends and acquaintances to pass on.
5. Volunteer to use your special skills to support your local shelter. Can you design a flyer, write an article, or analyze a legal brief? These (and many other) skills can be invaluable to an underfunded and understaffed non-profit.
6. Be vigilant! Pay attention when you see signs of animal abuse and report suspicions to an animal protection agency.
7. Be generous! Monetary donations to the general operating funds of local organizations keep the shelters alive. The holidays are a great time to make a gift.
8. Consider adoption and check out your local shelter. Many of these animals have suffered terribly and desperately need your love.
9. Join up! Become a member of an SPCA, Humane Society or another local shelter in your community. Many offer newsletters and invitations to events where you can meet other animal lovers in your area.
10. Persuade your friends and co-workers to join you

This all seems to make good sense and if it encourages people to get involved in dog rescue or send a few bob to Battersea Dogs Home then Ms Diamond will have made a good contribution to pet literature.

So here we  are in February and Crufts is looming in mid-march.  I’ve got my blogging hat back on after a long Xmas break.  We have been working steadily on developing the wagger site and we hope to be in top show condition in time for Crufts.  I will also be running a twitter feed from Birmingham during crufts so you can follow me at waggernews on twitter.

Just had a splendid Xmas lunch at the Kennel Club in London.  Their building in London’s Mayfair is a shrine to pedigree dogs.  There are pictures of the royals with their corgis and wonderful pastoral settings with game dogs.    This is the ‘Bullingdon’ of Dog Clubs.  Tradition shines through every wood panel.  It is wonderful that England gives such reverence to dog ownership and breeding.  Whilst it might seem a million miles from your mongrel pooch it does provide a structure for dog ownership and welfare and the kennel club does a lot to help educate non breeders on doggie subjects.  We should be proud to have such a well run and serious governing body that also cooks up a great Xmas lunch!

Brave laura Hughes saved gthe lives of her 9 Rott puppies when her yacht capsized off the Turkish coast.  She was a strong swimmer and she placed the 9 pups in a crate and swam with them on her head - amazing!!!

What a great weekend for wagger at Discover Dogs.  We had a a wonderfully strategic stand just across from a busy coffee and food stand.  Not that anyone could have missed us with our giant posters and welcoming smiles.  At the peak we had 5 of the team distributing leaflets to a very responsive crowd.  The result being that our site has gone into turbodrive with dozens of new sign ups.   I was a bit apprehensive since it was our first major dogshow but other exhibitors were truly welcoming and we felt that by the end of the weekend wagger had earned its spurs in the UK dog community.  If you visited our stand thank you for passing by, if you didnt make it to the show we hope to meet you on another occasion.