The Gossip Column, December 10, 2021

One of the highlights of the year end is the AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB’S announcement of the seven group honorees for the BREEDER OF THE YEAR AWARD. The honorees for this year include DYANE BALDWIN of POND HOLLOW CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVERS representing the Sporting Group, SUSAN LACROIX HAMIL of QUIET CREEK BLOODHOUNDS representing the Hound Group, CATHY & MIKE DUGAN of AVIATOR PORTUGUESE WATER DOGS representing the Working Group,  MARY REMER of BANBURY BEDROCK BULL TERRIERS representing  the Terrier Group, DAVID FITZPATRICK of PEQUEST PEKINGESE representing the Toy Group, CONNIE WAGNER of SPOTLIGHT DALMATIANS representing the Non-Sporting Group, and GUY & THELMA WAULDIN of KISMET SHETLAND SHEEPDOGS representing the Herding Group. Congratulations to all the honorees: Their dedication to their respective breeds only enriches our sport. Each of these breeders elevated to the AKC VARIETY GROUP HONOREE is recognition enough and should end there. All are worthy of being Breeder of the Year. An apple is an apple and an orange is an orange; they don't have been compared, just appreciated on their own merits. Nonetheless, it is wonderful that the AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB recognizes the years of dedication that these breeders bring to the sport. The BREEDER OF THE YEAR will be announced on Sunday evening, December 19, at the AKC NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP dog show. While the humans were being rewarded, our four-legged friends were honored by the AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB’S HUMANE FUND for Canine Excellence. For Exemplary Companion Dog CHERYL DELSANGRO’S Labrador Retriever BENNY; for Search & Rescue Dog SINEAD IMBARO’S Belgian Malinois MAGNUS; for Service Dog BRANDON HOLIDAY’S Labrador Retriever SSD DYSON; for Therapy Dog CALEIGH BROWN & PAMELA BROWN’S Bernese Mountain Dog TEDDY, and for Uniformed Service K-9 a German Shepherd Dog named K-9 MATTIS handled by SGT. MARK TAPPAN. We congratulate all these outstanding dogs who help make all our lives better. Just in time for the holidays, former handler and now judge GREG ANDERSON is selling his cookies online. He has been baking cookies for years. Now, anyone who remembers what GREG could do for a Cocker Spaniel won’t be surprised by what he can do with cookies. You can find him on Facebook at THE GQ BAKER, where you can see his cookies (the baking kind) and order form. Go on, order some – you know the diet doesn’t start until after the new year.