Editorial: January 28, 2022

The American Kennel Club has announced its judging panel for next year’s AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin, to be held on Saturday and Sunday, December 17 and 18, 2022. The panel has a few surprises, and the regulars that seem to appear on a regular basis. Starting from the top, a well-deserved Best in Show assignment for Desmond Murphy. Born into the sport, the Murphys flourished in it and were associated with the great kennels of their day. Desi is a living example of the adage “He has forgotten more that you ever knew” – a true walking encyclopedia of the sport whose enthusiasm remains as strong today as ever. He has truly done it all, from traveling to shows as a child to breeding and showing his own dogs to working for the American Kennel Club to his success in Chow Chows. His career as a judge has taken him around the world, and he is repeatedly asked to return to those faraway lands. These pages feel that a Best in Show assignment at the Westminster Kennel Club and more recently at the AKC National Championship are a thank-you and a tip of the hat to those who by their knowledge, contributions and support of the sport are rewarded. Have a great time, Desi, you deserve it. As for the rest of the judging panel, we leave it to our readers to decide the hits and misses.

While we tend to pat ourselves on the back for a job well done, and we hang ribbons for all the wins in the show ring, let’s remember the dogs that never see the inside of a show ring but help make our lives, safer and richer for what they do to protect and serve us. So here is chance to thank them publicly, and recognize them for making a difference in our lives through their work. The AKC Humane Fund’s ACE Awards “celebrate dogs who do extraordinary things in the service of humankind …” It is time to nominate a dog, one of five who will be honored in these five categories: Uniformed Service K-9, Exemplary Companion, Search and Rescue, Therapy and Service. The winners will receive a year’s worth of dog food, a sterling-silver trophy and a $1,000 donation to a dog-related charity. Nominees will be accepted through July 1, 2022, and should be submitted to communications@akc.org along with a digital photograph, 500 word or less description of how the dog demonstrated excellence, call name, breed, age and sex of the dog, and the owner and nominator’s name, address and phone numbers. A worthy recognition for our dogs. Let the best dog win.