Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

So many bastards, so little time.

Let us savor the impending downfall of lawless scoundrels who richly deserve the trouble barreling their way.

They love authoritarianism, but only when they get to be the authoritarians.

Narcissists are always shocked to discover other people have agency.

These days, even the boring Republicans are nuts.

The next time the wall street journal editorial board speaks the truth will be the first.

If you are still in the gop, you are either an extremist yourself, or in bed with those who are.

FFS people, this was a good thing. take the win.

DeSantis transforming Florida into 1930s Germany with gators and theme parks.

Something needs to be done about our bogus SCOTUS.

Nikki Haley, who can’t acknowledge ‘slavery’, is a pathetic shill.

If you are in line to indict donald trump, stay in line.

Biden: Oh no. We’ve upset Big Pharma again.

Well, whatever it is, it’s better than being a Republican.

No Justins, No Peace

Republicans in disarray!

Republicans choose power over democracy, every day.

My right to basic bodily autonomy is not on the table. that’s the new deal.

You can’t attract Republican voters. You can only out organize them.

Republican also-rans: four mules fighting over a turnip.

I like you, you’re my kind of trouble.

… pundit janitors mopping up after the gop

Wow, I can’t imagine what it was like to comment in morse code.

Proof that we need a blogger ethics panel.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Congrats to Sage the Poodle!

Congrats to Sage the Poodle!

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After last night’s disappointing baseball game, I watched the finale of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show while Bill and our own two dogs snoozed. As soon as I saw Sage, a miniature poodle from Houston, prancing around the ring, I figured she’d take home the top prize:

As many a grifty preacher has demonstrated, a fancy haircut and charisma can be an unstoppable combination! In a sense, it doesn’t seem fair for other dogs to have to compete against poodles, who seem to have the most elaborate coiffure options in addition to their formidable smarts.

Last night’s outcome is also a feel-good story from the handler’s perspective. Kaz Hosaka has competed for decades and went out a winner in his final show — all thanks to Sage! That very good girl received melon and chicken plates as treats after collecting her ribbons.

Open thread!

Reader Interactions

74Comments

  1. 1.

    Elizabelle

    Sage for the win.  A friend sent me photos of her Cardigan Corgi watching the dog show.  Intensely.

  2. 2.

    TaMara

    Congrats to the beauty queen of the pup world!

    Not saying it’s a rigged competition, but Betty, when was the last time we saw a Boxer or Great Dane win…just saying. LOL

  3. 3.

    SiubhanDuinne

    That’s a charming dog, but I have to admit I lost my heart the other day to that unbelievably fast, excruciatingly agile dog who zipped through the hurdles as though they were so much melted butter. Wonderful to watch.

    And since it’s an open thread, I just want to say how much I’m looking forward to the Zoom call tonight at 7:30 EDT with the folks from VAAC (Michigan-based voter access group). They are doing really important work on the ground. Hope to see a lot of you there. Email WaterGirl (at) Balloon (hyphen) Juice (dot) com to get the link.

  4. 4.

    kindness

    My childhood dog was a poodle.  Mixed standard and miniature, about 35 pounds.  It was the 60s/70s and we groomed her ourselves.  In winter (NY so cold and snowy) we just let it grow out.  She looked like a sheepdog then.  In the summer, we’d cut it way back.  We tried to do the poodle thing with her legs, but results varied greatly.  She was a great dog who I still miss & love.

  5. 5.

    ArchTeryx

    @SiubhanDuinne: Truant the Border Collie. Border Collies are the GOATs of the dog world in a bunch of ways. They are not for the faint of heart to train and take care of, but if you’ve got the stuff to handle a Border Collie, they can just leave your jaw on the floor.

    Watching Truant make mincemeat of one of the toughest agility courses on the circuit was pure joy to me, as was her leaping right up into her caretaker’s arms at the end. That dog was having the time of her life running that course.

  6. 6.

    sab

    What a surprise. A poodle won Westminster. I even like poodles (French pond puppies or duck puppies).

  8. 8.

    sab

    @ArchTeryx: I had thought that even AKC accepted mutts when performance not appearance mattered. Agility only required that a dog looked kind of like an accepted breed to compete as that breed, even if h/she had no papers. This has been the rule for at least thirty years, as long as I have been following these things.

  10. 10.

    Cacti

    Hounds have always been my canine of choice. Good personalities.

    Terriers OTOH can fuck right off.  😆

  11. 11.

    Scamp Dog

    @ArchTeryx: My Biscuit (of beloved memory) was fairly mellow for a Border Collie. Sweet and shy around people, she transformed into the fierce and fearless defender of the flock whenever we ran into coyotes. She also helped me run a “teach your dog to jump through a hula hoop“ class I ran for a fundraiser auction.

  12. 12.

    What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?

    @TaMara: It’s Wire Fox Terrier (15 wins) then if you combine toy, mini and standard, Poodle for second most wins (10). Not sure why certain breeds win more often. Scottish Terrier is #3 in wins followed by English Springer Spaniel. Then there’s a group of dogs tied for 5th place.

  14. 14.

    Chacal Charles Calthrop

    Anyplace on the Internet where I can watch the agility trials on reply?

  15. 15.

    CaseyL

    The purity of dog emotions is a Platonic ideal.

    A sad dog can break hearts in all directions.

    A joyful dog lights up everyone around them.

    Whatever they’re feeling, they just put it out there.

    Seeing how excited the agility competitors are is balm for the soul.

  16. 16.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @ArchTeryx: You really need a passel of sheep for the border collie to herd.  They’re working dogs, and they love their work.

  18. 18.

    clay

    So, I feel a little bad about bringing up sad dog news in the middle of a happy dog post, but I’ve been thinking about the Kristi Noem thing.

    Specifically, why did she insist on including that story in her book, when by all accounts, everyone told her it was a bad idea?

    And I think she might have thought it would help her be Trump’s running mate.  After all, Trump famously hates dogs, pets, and all innocent creatures.  (His was the only White House without a pet since … ???)

    So, in Noem’s thinking, what better way to ingratiating herself to him, than by killing a dog herself?  To be fair, she’s probably not wrong; Trump probably would like her for that, but the bad publicity has now made her radioactive.  Ironic, really.

  19. 19.

    Percysowner

    @ArchTeryx: ​
     Truant won in 2023, according to my Googlefu. This year Nimble, a border collie-papillon mix, won. First mixed breed dog to win ever. First dog in the 12″ category to win agility every. She wasn’t a rescue, and was deliberately bred from both, but still the first mix.

    I had a spot in my heart for Niles, a rescue who had been deemed unadoptable by the animal shelter that had him. A horse trainer decided that she could do something with him and he has blossomed. He just started jumping with the horses that were being trained and went from there. He didn’t make the finals at Westminster, but he gave it a go.

  20. 20.

    Jeffro

    I think I need more dog videos in my life.  =)

    Anyway, I’ve been out all morning and I’m just now seeing all the swipes at trump re: the debates from President Biden.

    “I hear you’re free on Wednesdays”

    “Trump says he’ll arrange his own transportation. I’ll bring my plane, too. I plan on keeping it for another four years.”

    dead, I am DEAD, I tell you…LOLOLOL

  22. 22.

    Betty Cracker

    @TaMara: So true! 😂

    @kindness: The dog my parents had when I was a born was also a poodle of about that size. Her name was Sheba, and she lived until I was 17 years old. She was an exceptionally good, faithful and intelligent girl!

  23. 23.

    Bunter

    @Chacal Charles Calthrop: The Westminster Kennel Club doesn’t have the 2024 videos up yet, but does have 2023 and Fox Sports has winners videos and a best of compilation. Just go to the Search Bar, scroll down to Westminster and then click on “Videos”

  25. 25.

    J.

    I was disappointed with this year’s group winners and Best in Show. (So predictable*.) But I LOVED the master’s agility competition — and that Nimble, the “all-American dog” won the 12″ division. Now there’s a dog show!

    *I loved Buddy Holly, last year’s Best in Show winner. Great dog.

  26. 26.

    Barney

    @Trollhattan: yeah, one person’s “elaborate coiffure” is another’s “walking topiary”. I prefer dogs that have been left some dignity by their owners.

  28. 28.

    Betty Cracker

    @clay: The nature of the performative behavior and gestures Trump demands from minions has become ever more grotesque over the years. The parade of elected Repubs doing Trump’s dirty work at trial appearances is just the latest example.

    I read a quote from Sen. Tuberville this morning on that — Potatohead openly said the GOP lawmakers were there to help Trump evade the gag order by attacking the court on his behalf. It’s remarkable if you think about it: one of the dumbest U.S. lawmakers bragging about his personal efforts to undermine the rule of law.

    In this context, Noem’s bloodthirsty efforts to ingratiate herself have a certain logic, even if they lack all PR sense.

  29. 29.

    Anonymous At Work

    With dogs, the line between “smart” and “a-hole” can be a thin line.

  32. 32.

    sab

    @Anonymous At Work: My pitbull prides herself on trotting back and forth across that line.

    Dog trainers say she is stupid. I think she is untrainable, which has nothing to do with her IQ.

    ETA I believe the operative word is stubborn.

  35. 35.

    Trollhattan

    God help us all.

    Joe Biden and Donald Trump have agreed to a televised presidential debate on 27 June which will air on CNN.

    The network announced the event on Tuesday, and said it would take place in the key swing state of Georgia. No audience will attend the debate in Atlanta, it added, while moderators will be announced at a later date.

    The announcement came shortly after Mr Biden laid out his terms for taking on former President Trump in a debate ahead of November’s election. Mr Biden broke tradition and proposed two televised debates in June and September. His rival quickly accepted, before suggesting they debate every month.

    “We believe there should be more than just two opportunities for the American people to hear more from the candidates themselves,” the Trump campaign said.

    Both candidates have traded barbs on social media, with Mr Trump stating: “Just tell me when. Let’s get ready to rumble!!!” Mr Biden said Mr Trump was “free on Wednesdays” – a reference to his criminal trial in New York, while Mr Trump claimed his rival was the “worst debater” who “can’t put two sentences together”.

    Mr Biden’s proposal of two debates breaks several established traditions. It bypasses the presidential debate commission, which since 1988 has scheduled timings and had already set dates and locations for three debates in the autumn. According to US media, Mr Biden’s team wants the two televised debates to be conducted with no live audience – another break with tradition.

    Candidates would take turns answering question from an agreed-upon moderator from a major news network, and the non-speaking candidate’s microphone would be deactivated.

    Jen O’Malley Dillon, the Biden campaign chairwoman, said said that raucous partisan crowds were not “conducive to good debates”. The first 2020 debate between the two candidates was marred by frequent interruptions and cross-talk.

    Will they glue Donny’s shoes to the floor?

  38. 38.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @ArchTeryx:

    I’ve only ever been to one dog show live (a local-regional thing in a mid-sized Ontario town), but I was lucky enough to see the border collies compete. Years later, and I still can’t get over how focussed they were!

  40. 40.

    hueyplong

    @Trollhattan: I’d have waited until July in order to gain another month of Trumpian cognitive decline, but maybe the Biden team thinks “the earlier the better” on a Trump apoplexy.

  41. 41.

    Belafon

    @Betty Cracker: I read somewhere yesterday, I think here, that Trump can actually get in trouble for that. The gag order applies to people he gets to do violations for him.

  42. 42.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @clay:

    I keep wondering why, if she knew that Cricket was such an “untrained and untrainable” dog, did Noem even take him on the hunt in the first place? Was she actively looking for a reason to shoot him?

  44. 44.

    hueyplong

    @Belafon: I think the trick is to establish that others did it at his behest.  Otherwise, Rando Cracker in Northwest Bumblefuck, AL could gain Trump a contempt citation on his own initiative.  Or I could do it using that handle (that would be fun).

    The story about Trump editing their proposed remarks ought to satisfy any such requirement.

  48. 48.

    Miki

    Yay for Sage!

    I’ve owned poodles for 27 years, standards and miniatures (rescues and from responsible breeders) and can’t imagine having any other breed. I’m on my second miniature, Ty , right now – and he’s a perfect companion. 

    A miniature poodle also won the Senior Lap Division Dock Diving this year  – Sera, a Safranne poodle. It’s not just about hair and a pretty face.

    The hair show for conformation poodles is a shame, imo, because it turns the dogs into caricatures. They really are great dogs, and the non-shedding coat is great, even if it does need maintenance (regular brushing and clipping).

  49. 49.

    Cacti

    @Belafon:  DJT has always struck me as someone who thinks they’re a lot more clever than they actually are.  The symptom of a lifetime surrounded by sycophants, I would guess.

  54. 54.

    StringOnAStick

    @Villago Delenda Est: Agility training is what border collie owners without sheep do.  The one I knew spent at least 3 hours per day walking/training/trailing her dog, and it would have gladly done everything she asked 24 hours/day. I would sit at her dinner table and Ellie would very slowly and carefully sneak a favourite toy into my lap.  So subtle!

  55. 55.

    prostratedragon

    @SiubhanDuinne:  Or let the dog be unleashed around the neighbor’s chickens. I wonder if the untold part of the story involves words from the neighbor about that.

  57. 57.

    StringOnAStick

    Biden is being very smart with this debate stuff by taking the initiative and talking smack on social media (complete catnip to tRump, no doubt his handlers are freaking out).  He’s setting the dates and the format: total dominance which has already made tRump write checks with his big mouth that he can’t cash.   Heh!

  58. 58.

    Soprano2

    @Villago Delenda Est: I had someone tell me that the ideal thing for a border collie was 2 or 3 sheep and an acre of land. That way they can work and not be hyper all the time.

  59. 59.

    Soprano2

    @Trollhattan: I look for TFG to complain about the moderator and pull out, but we’ll see. If it happens the ratings for CNN will be pretty good, I think.

  63. 63.

    Betty Cracker

    @Soprano2: Here’s the quote from Yahoo:

    Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), the day after he attended part of Donald Trump’s criminal hush-money trial in New York—later doubting jurors’ citizenship and complaining about how the indicted former president is enduring “mental anguish” in the “depressing” courtroom—admitted Tuesday that “one of the reasons” for his appearance and comments was “to overcome this gag order” imposed on Trump.

    I agree — the judge needs to act. Tuberville is dumber than a spud, so he described the activity in a way that’s perhaps legally actionable. But they’re all dancing to the master’s tune to undermine the rule of law in an American courtroom. It’s outrageous.

  65. 65.

    emjayay

    @Cacti: How dare you?

    OTOH admittedly my dog with completely unknown heritage was written up as “terrier mix” by the vet’s office.

  66. 66.

    Elizabelle

    I wish Joe Biden would do an interview or two with some of the leading dog magazines.  As a devoted dog dad and all around good guy.

    Take that, Putz Sulzberger and Ick Noem and other cretins.

  68. 68.

    2liberal

    “After last night’s disappointing baseball game”

     

    tampa bay fan?  i grew up in new england…

  69. 69.

    Anotherlurker

    The biggest tragedy, nay a crime against humanity and Canines everywhere, is the fact that a Golden Retriever has never won best in show!!

  72. 72.

    Pete Mack

    A couple of NYT photos were straight outta Best in Show, particularly a small bulldog variant with a pug-faced lady as his human.  They called it only mockumentary but I ain’t convinced.

  73. 73.

    MinuteMan

    Why would a dog show select a walking topiary rather than a dog as its champion?

  74. 74.

    Juice Box

    @Percysowner: Mixed breeds compete as “All-American” in performance events now. They don’t have to look like any recognized breed. There are lots of them at local shows, but people who want to compete at the highest levels mostly want to start with specially selected pups of certain breeds.

    My guy loves to train and compete. He’s an un-topiaried member of the “topiary” breed, so he’s a fast learner. If he had a better handler, he’d be a real star. However, there are no professional handlers in dog sports, so he’s stuck with me.

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