Westminster dog show 2011 | westminister dog

Westminster dog show 2011 - Today marks the first day of the 2011 Westminster Dog Show, which is going on at Madison Square Garden. A Chinese Crested backstage during the 135th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Madison Square Garden in New York, February 14, 2011.
It takes a lot of work to be a Westminster show dog.

The Westminster dog show, for the fifth consecutive year, has been handicapped by Vegas odds-maker Johnny Avello (see his odds in PDF format) -- but America's top-ranked show dog in 2010 may have just thrown a wrench into the works.

Avello -- who lists odds on the breed, group, gender and age of the winning dog, but doesn't call out individual dogs by name -- gave the smooth fox terrier 6-to-1 odds to win Best in Show this year. Dodger's show career has included more than 100 Best in Show wins at dog shows around the country -- and he isn't even 4 yet.

Adam was the country's 10th-ranked show dog of all breeds in 2010 and won the terrier group at the prestigious AKC/Eukanuba National Championship dog show last year.

The bearded collie has 15-to-1 odds; a beardie named GCH Tolkien Raintree Mister Baggins, who ranked ninth among all show dogs in 2010, won the herding group Monday night.

Avello correctly predicted that a Scottish terrier would win Best in Show last year.
source: latimesblogs.latimes.com, pawnation.com