The Superbowl of Dogdom
I wonder if it is purely accident that the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is just a couple of weeks after the Super Bowl? I doubt it. Could it be true that football fans and dog people have many things in common?
Let’s talk about passion and dedication. Spending many years with my husband has truly opened my eyes to the loyalty and passion that football fans possess. Every wintry Sunday at our house it is truly a day of worship, in what I like to call the “football shrine.” You know, the kind of place that men dream of…big screen TV, surround-sound, huge sectional sofa, and of course Direct TV’s Sunday Ticket.
That’s right, a high-tech pass into every single football game occurring anywhere in the country. The seemingly endless games magically appear on the big screen once a week for an entire day. Did I mention that I hate football? Hours and hours of that low-pitched roar emitting mercilessly out of the black box. Why me?
I do tease my husband a little about his dedication to the sport. The cheering, the swearing, the yelling, and the unmistakable disgust uttered throughout these long games is sometimes humorous to those of us on the outside. At times throughout football season, I wonder if my husband secretly suffers from Tourette’s syndrome.
It is all in good fun, and after many years he has learned to accept my dislike of the sport, as I’ve learned to accept his passion for it. I breathe a sigh of relief after the Super Bowl every year because I know that I now have a few months of reprieve.
Every February, it is my turn. 159 different dog breeds, all in just two nights…Westminster, the ultimate in the dog show world. The event had arrived. There I was, curled up in the football shrine, hypnotized by each glorious creature as it glided across the screen. And my husband (and fellow dog fanatic) was right there with me. Yes, for all of us “dog people” this is the event of the year.
We have our favorite picks, our breeds that we cheer for and desperately want to win. We do know that we’ll never actually meet these dogs, and in the end it really doesn’t matter, but for that brief moment perhaps our support will somehow nudge them over the edge to win.
Choosing the winners seven different AKC groups must be a lot like the play-offs. The winners of each individual dog breed then compete in their respective groups, hoping to win the group to go on to the final round. During this portion of the excitement, I heard myself uttering in disgust at the judge’s choice. “How could he have picked that Welsh Corgi over that German Shepherd? Doesn’t he have eyes?”
Then, at that moment, the truth is carefully revealed by my husband. He assures me with a smile that I truly could be a football fan, cheering on her team in the last final moments! He’s right; I’m begging out loud, “please, please let that beautiful black miniature poodle win…” That same dedication and loyalty is all right there. This, this is my Super Bowl.
The moment of truth has arrived. The Best-In-Show round, and oh the suspense. It couldn’t be more real if I were standing in Madison Square Garden; I am there, in spirit. Praying for that touchdown, I am holding my breath. Will it be my favorite pick, Champion Surrey’s Spice Girl?
We are into overtime, folks, and the score is tied. It is time for the coin toss. The judge pulls a few dogs out of the line-up and tells them to go around the ring once more. Did he pull them out in the order that he is going to place them?
The judge walks to the podium and signs his judge book. Who will it be? Suddenly, at that moment, “Spice,” the carefully-coiffed running back prances past the Rhodesian ridgeback linebacker, and the Brittany spaniel free-safety, to the Westminster end zone.
TOUCHDOWN! She scores! The game has been won.
Shannon Lynnes Heggem is an international speaker with a strong background in the pet care industry.
In the 1990’s, she established an upscale boarding resort and grooming spa in Havre, Montana. She then founded the Fast Track Institute of Pet Careers, a vocational school focused on pet-related careers.
Shannon quickly became one of the top experts in the pet care industry, as an educator, business consultant, speaker, and contest judge. She was the first Certified Master Groomer in Montana, and went on to become a Certified Kennel Operator. Only four people in the world actually hold both of these certification titles!
In 1998, Shannon’s life was forever changed when she narrowly escaped death. She was viciously attacked in her kennel by a Rottweiler, and amazingly, survived.
Since then, Shannon has overcome incredible obstacles to continue her life’s journey. The trauma was a turning point for her; she has now dedicated her life to writing and speaking, to help motivate others to succeed beyond their own experiences.