#dog-contest

#dog-contest

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Franklin D. Roosevelt's German shepherd, Major, allegedly bit the United Kingdom's prime minister and tore his pants. (Major Roosevelt was sent away from the White House grounds shortly thereafter.) Theodore Roosevelt's bull terrier, Pete, chased a French ambassador up a tree. (Pete was also removed from the White House.) And Calvin Coolidge's fox terrier, Peter Pan, ripped the skirt off of a woman, and was eventually given away to Coolidge's secretary.

If a dog could compete in the Winter Olympics, which disciplines would it be best at? This age-old question took on new relevance Wednesday, when a Czechoslovakian wolfdog dashed onto the cross-country skiing course during the women's team sprint qualifiers. "So I'm going to say that it's domesticated. Wants to enjoy the finish as well," said commentator Duane Dell'Oca as the canine interloper, a local pooch named Nazgul, raced Croatia's Tena Hadzic and Australia's Phoebe Cridland across the finish line.

Careful kinematic research, such as that done by a Japanese team headed by Naomi Wada, has determined that the dog's tail was designed to assist the dog with balance. When a dog is running and turns quickly, he throws the front part of his body in the direction he wants to go. This causes his back to bend; however, the forward velocity is such that his hindquarters will tend to continue in the original direction.

Lee Cox guided Clumber spaniel, Bruin, to the top spot at the famous dog show in Birmingham on Sunday, beating out around 18,000 competitors. But the champion handler was previously found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to a dog in his care, The Independent can reveal.

The rankings - based on dog license records maintained by Boston's Animal Care and Control Division - found Luna to be the most popular dog name in Boston, appearing on 137 licenses. Charlie ranked second with 118, followed by Bella with 94.

A Doberman pinscher named Penny won best in show Tuesday night at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, netting U.S. show dogs' most coveted prize and giving veteran handler Andy Linton another win after nearly four decades. Linton got best in show in 1989 with another Doberman, named Indy. Penny "is as great a Doberman as I have ever seen," Linton told a supportive crowd. Despite health problems, he guided the 4-year-old dog through an impeccably crisp performance.

Dogs can have wildly different personalities, which often vary by breed and size. Although individual temperament matters most, larger trends can help predict which pooch will be meek and mild and which is most likely to bite the postal worker. The Dog Aging Project, a long-term study on canine aging, has collected data on dog behavior from more than 50,000 owners, distilling the results into scores for traits such as trainability, excitability and aggression.

Picture this: Your new puppy is pressed against the corner of the room, trembling slightly as you call their name. Their tail, which should be wagging with excitement, is tucked firmly between their legs. You've done everything the books told you, bought all the right toys, followed the feeding schedule perfectly, yet somehow your furry friend seems more nervous with each passing day.

The dogs come to be judged. The owners and handlers come to uphold breed standards. And, almost as reliably as the movie references and the best-in-show ribbon, Peta arrives ready to dominate the conversation. If there is one certainty about the Super Bowl of canines, it's that the protest will share the stage with the pageantry. Westminster is an annual collision of tradition, spectacle and dissent, and Peta has become exceptionally good at owning that moment.