Peanuts Forever

Today, Peanuts would have been 18. It's hard to believe that she's been gone for two and a half years already. While not the "Mother of All Schnauzers" (that was Schatzie, my dad's schnauzer), Peanuts was their Queen.

Although it may not be entirely fair to all other schnauzers that they should be compared to the greatness that was Peanuts, there is no shame in falling short of her standard of perfection. Indeed, Westley found it liberating. He knew it was an honor to be able to bask in Peanuts' glorious schnauzerness. So maybe he wasn't as much of a fool as he'd have had us believe. Well, yeah, he was but nonetheless he knew enough to appreciate Peanuts' (relatively) benevolent reign.

Remembering Westley

Today would have been Westley's 17th Birthday. Although I called him the "Supplemental Schnauzer" to Peanuts' greatness, he never let that get him down. He was great in his own goofy way and I miss him.

Rest in Peace, Little Guy.
(1990-2006)

The Cuteness

Kerry found a cute website about a little white miniature schnauzer puppy. Lots of cute pictures and articles about a puppy's life.

Schnauzers on Parade

Went to the Internation Kennel Club's (IKC) dog show at McCormick Place in Chicago. I don't know the difference between the IKC and the AKC as far as standards and whatnot. In any event, we got to the Saturday, February 24, 2007, event at around 10 am in order to see the 11:45 am miniature schnauzer competition. We wanted to make sure we got ring-side seating. Which we did.

Unfortunately, the judge was delay in attending allegedly due to the weather. She was an older woman with harsh and angry gray hair. In short, the 8 and 9:30 am competitions could not proceed at Ring 13 (where the miniature schnauzers were scheduled). When the judge finally arrived around 11 am they were running way behind. From our seats we got to watch neighboring rings and so got to see the Yorkie, Bichon Frise and whippet competitions. And Ring 13 was also home for the Giant Schnauzer competitions which was delayed.

When the miniature schnauzers finally took the ring it was almost 3 pm. But like the gritty little dogs themselves the wife and I persevered. It was comical to see how the miniature schnauzer competitors sized each other up (not the handlers). None of the other breeds we saw that day did that. The schnauzers yapped at each other, at passing people, and inanimate objects. Anything to assert schnauzer dominance. I wonder if that counts against them in judging. It really shouldn't since that is a trait of the breed.

I got lots of miniature schnauzer photographs. They all had docked ears for some reason. I had heard that undocked ears had become more common at competitions. We also saw the rumpled Neopolitan mastiffs, Black Russian terriers and the best in show puppy competitions.

Didn't stick around to see the Best in Group competitions or Best in Show since it is a given that the miniature schnauzer will get snubbed again. So why ruin the moment?

All in all, a great time was had by all. Despite the weather which put a damper on our departure from the Chicago Lyric Opera's presentation of Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte due to the wife's open toed footwear not being resistant to the 3 inches of slush that had to be negotiated before we could catch a cab. But that's a story for another day.

Need to Fear

Well, Hollywood has gone and done it again. Summer of 2007 heralds the release of the Underdog movie. Apart from the fact that it emphasizes how there is no creative juice left in Hollywood, a movie about Underdog sounds good, no? Well, the loveable Shoeshine Boy turned superhero ain't what you remember.

Nope, he isn't animated anymore. Rather, they've gone "Babe" on him. Still, would have been interesting to see how they would get a real dog trained to shine a shoe or open a ring with a pill compartment (or even wear a ring). Of course, they'll work around this and make some sort of experiment gone awry be the cause of his superpowers. So he'll just be a regular dog. And Sweet Polly Purebred won't be an ace reporter, I'm guessing. She'll probably be some tarted up poodle. If they wanted to "improve" the original, they could have at least made Underdog a schnauzer!

Speed of lightning, roar of thunder,
Fighting all who rob or plunder
Underdog, Underdog!


See the Underdog movie trailer: http://home.disney.go.com/movies/

Anti-Schnauzer Snobs

Once again the miniature schnauzer gets hosed at the Westminster Dog Show. The bias against this noble breed is absolutely mind-numbing. Since the miniature schnauzer was first shown at Westminster in 1927, the breed has NEVER won Best in Show. ONLY ONCE has a miniature schnauzer won Best in Group (1947). Supposedly, the dogs are not compared against other breeds but against the standard for the dog's own breed. And not once has a miniature schnauzer been the best as compared to the standard for a miniature schnauzer? Unfathomable. Inconceivable. I guess it's alright. The Westminster and other dog shows are judged by elitist dog snobs who try to impress themselves with their choices every year (they have to do something when soccer season is over). But the miniature schnauzer is the PEOPLE'S CHAMPION and no amount of snobbery can take that away. So, ptttttt on you Westminster. You can take that Dandie Dinmont Terrier, polish him up real nice, turn that sumbitch sideways and shove him straight up your candy-$%#!