Oscar The Grouch appears in this week’s AKC Weekly Winners Gallery showing off his six back-to-back Best of Breeds at the Florida Cluster. The AKC emails the Weekly Winners to over 100,000 dog show fanciers globally.
Ranny Green, a long time Seattle Times feature writer/editor and Dog Writer’s Association of America Hall of Famer has published a feature story about Oscar The Grouch with his friend Juliette, the Bernese Mountain Dog. Keaton the Tibetan Terrier, Steed the Borzoi, and Indy the Dalmatian were also mentioned in the article. The story symbolizes the mark that the five Westminster Kennel Club participants leave outside of the ring. The feature story can be accessed on the Seattle Kennel Club’s web page here. Once you read Ranny’s article, you may fall in love with his monthly feature. He also wrote a book “Good Dogs Bad Habits: The Complete A-To-Z Guide for When Your Dog Misbehaves“.
If you live near Seattle, we encourage you to attend the dog show on March 9th & 10th at the Century Link Field Event Center. Activities include the dog show, obedience, rally, and agility.
New York Times columnist Mary Pillon wrote a front page story about Cruz The Samoyed after learning about it a few days earlier from CentralBark.com. We conducted a ten minute phone interview with her prior to the story. We informed her about what we learned from Cruz’s owner and some of the history of poisonings both in NYC (at dog parks in Sept) and at dog shows. During the interview, we stressed that Cruz’s death occurred during the Denver cluster of the dog show, and not to sensationalize the Westminster aspect of the story, which she did anyway. Unfortunately, she also did not give us the proper attribution or credit in her article. A search on the web revealed that this type of behavior occurs frequently. Ms. Pillon owes Oscar a nice-sized bone as an apology!
Thanks to a random youtube user, we were finally able to see Oscar’s appearance on televison. The segment had aired during the Westminster Kennel Club broadcast while I was at the show. I am very proud of how well Oscar looked on television.
During the segment, I was asked what’s the difference is between the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog (Swissy) and Bernese Mountain Dog (Berner). I responded by saying that they are very similar in many ways but the Swissy is around 10 lbs. bigger with a haircut. If you look at the standard there are overlaps, as bigger Berners are being produced which overlap with smaller Swissies. Swissies are a touch more muscular, powerful with a little protector in them. But they both do drafting, carting, and sheep herding work. Berners have health issues such as cancer, but Swissies have been getting epilepsy problems, possibly a result of breeding issues. However, I believe that a sound bite is not the proper place for this information to be discussed. The personalities of each dog are different, so it is not right to generalize. Both the similarity and the confusion have been around for many years, as swissies were re-discovered at a dog show in 1908 when someone entered them into the show as odd Berners.
The answer I gave has produced some negative responses to include the following: we should get shot, we set the breed back 20 years, and now everyone will want a Swissy. The first response is unacceptable. In light of what happened with Sandy Hook and the possible intentional poisoning of Cruz, I believe this is very wrong as the website is about the pleasures of owning a dog. As to everyone wanting a swissy, what’s wrong with interest in the breed? Swissies cost around $2000-$2500 along with most breeders having a questionnaire and a long waitlist. It’s not like they will be flying off shelves during Black Friday! Lastly, having a dog should be a fun but constant learning experience including mentoring new people. New dog owners will be scared off by random swissy breeders and owners posting threatening messages to an audience of over 80,000 off a sound bite. As a question to all of Oscar’s fans, what do you think is the difference between a Swissy and Berner?
When Oscar is home he eats 3-4 lbs. raw food a day from Tefco, which is one of the best quality raw foods around. However, it can be messy for a dog show handler, so when he travels I started sending him with Nature’s Variety Frozen Raw Food. It is more expensive ($20 for a day’s supply), but it is easy to travel with. For the two and half weeks Oscar was in Florida, I sent him with sixteen bags of food. After reading the alert below from a fellow swissy owner, I am not sure if I will buy food from them anymore. This is very scary, and I am wondering if any of their food is safe. For now on, Oscar will just be getting his Meat Eater from Tefco.
“Nature’s Variety has announced a voluntary recall of one batch of Instinct Raw Organic Chicken Formula with a “Best if Used By” date of 10/04/13. This action is being taken because pieces of clear plastic may be found in some bags and could cause a potential choking risk to pets. The source of plastic has been identified and the issue has been resolved.” (Thank you Carol Gehret for passing on the recall)
Oscar’s Website was mentioned and linked to in a number of media publications recently including the LA Times. We are so grateful for the support. Please keep visiting the site as we have many more surprises to come including thousands of behind the scenes Westminster Kennel Club pictures from our photographer who was on-site. Professional cameras put the images into very large files so there’s post-processing required before the pictures can be posted.
Oscar was selected yesterday to come to Central Park to film in a segment called “Best in Snow”. As you can guess, Oscar was shown enjoying the snow with some new friends including Juliette the Berner. It’s set to air on NBC during the Westminster Broadcast. Here are some behind the scene photos. The woman in the photo is Mary Carillo, who is the co-host of Westminster, a sportscaster and former French Open Doubles winner with John McEnroe. Oscar enjoyed getting to know her and gives her two paws up.
Oscar participated in a press conference yesterday with over 50 reporters to mark the beginning of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show week. The Swissy’s accomplishments over the past year were highlighted, which include being a hurricane survivor and the top show dog on Facebook with 80,000 fans. Next to the Oscar is Juliette a Bernese Mountain Dog who served as a therapy dog after the Sandy Hook shooting. We still have many pictures to post, stay tuned to CentralBark.com.
*Please come out and cheer for NYC’s Oscar the Grouch, Greater Swiss Mountain Dog (Swissy) #20 at the Westminster Kennel Club. Pier 94, Ring 10, Tuesday February 12th at 1 PM!
The NY Post with a combined circulation of a million readers, today profiled Oscar calling him “The Man About Midtown” and “A Fashion Hound”. The opening of the story reads “Attention follows this 2 ¹/₂-year-old Greater Swiss Mountain dog wherever he goes, and how could it not — he weighs 125 pounds and is prone to wearing argyle sweaters around town and dressing up for the holidays…At least when he’s not traveling the show circuit: Oscar just returned from a string of seven shows in Florida with handler Ashley Cuzzolino, and won seven Best of Breed awards.” Pick up a copy of the paper to read the rest of the story. That is if you can find one (since we already bought 12).
Oscar appeared with two other dogs on the WPIX morning show today with David Frei (host of the Westminster Kennel Club) and Richard Simmons (star of Sweatin’ to the Oldies). Living only two blocks away from the studio, it was just a normal walk for Oscar. The swissy could not fit through the revolving doorway into the studio, which was not big enough for a greater swiss mountain dog. Maybe Oscar should be sweatin’ with Richard Simmons? Luckily we found a hidden elevator (aka VIP entrance) a little further down the street that took us right upstairs to the studio. When we walked into the green room, the other two dog owners commented about how they woke up at 5 am to get there.
Click the links to watch each video: Westminster Segment and Oscar Meets Richard Simmons
Oscar will be participating in a Westminster television segment on New York’s WPIX (Channel 11), tomorrow morning between 8 and 8:30 am. A short two block walk to the studio, the swissy passed on his chance to take a limo. Tune in and cheer on New York City’s Oscar the Grouch, who thanks his 80,000 fans for helping him become the top show dog on Facebook. Also, stay tuned for an expanded website, with an easy to remember name, www.CentralBark.com!
If someone has a DVR, please help us record this segment!
Oscar had a fun weekend meeting many new friends at the National Dog Show! The swissy was in demand with only a few Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs in attendance. Oscar entertained his new friends with his sit/paw/speak/catch routine along with a few rollovers mixed in. The event served as a defacto Meet The Breed with so many people asking questions about Swissies. Of course the first question was “Is he a short-haired Bernese?” which was followed by “How to they differ from Bernese Mountain Dogs?”. Many people are probably familiar with the dog show as it airs on NBC, Thanksgiving day with John O’Hurley.
Living only a few blocks away from the United Nations, there is always something happening. Today, there were Israelis and Palestinians protesting on opposite sides of the street. Oscar walked on one side of the street where a bunch of Palestinians played with him and said what a handsome dog he was. As he crossed the street, Oscar gave his thoughts to a Channel 5 TV reporter, who is interested in getting a Swissy of his own. Then while walking home, Oscar was petted by Israeli protestors. If both sets of protestors can agree on Oscar, perhaps there is hope for a Mideast peace accord!
Oscar The Grouch has been inducted into the 2012 AKC/Eukanuba National Championship Honor Roll. Oscar made the Honor Roll for two different achievements: by being in the top 25 of his breed (Greater Swiss Mountain Dog) and for becoming a Grand Champion last year.
Oscar The Grouch appears in this week’s AKC Weekly Winners Gallery showing off his Best of Breed win in his hometown of Long Island, NY. The AKC emails the Weekly Winners to over 100,000 dog show fanciers globally.
After speaking with LA based producers, a new primetime tv show that will be airing on one of the big three networks came out to follow Oscar around earlier this week. This swissy is keeping his paws crossed. Stay tuned…
Oscar The Grouch appears in this week’s AKC Weekly Winners Gallery showing off his Award of Merit at the Connecticut River Working Dog show. This is the second straight year Oscar was awarded an Award of Merit at these shows!
Freshpet has featured Oscar’s review of their ready to make cookies on their website, twitter and facebook. Oscar The Grouch is a grateful swissy for his new status as a food critic.
Alpen Schatz has featured Oscar The Grouch as a model in their newsletter promoting their Red Swiss Cross Collar and Swiss Carting Harness. The website AlpenSchatz.com features original handcrafted collars, leashes, and other dog products in traditional European Alpine style, especially for the Entlebucher, Bernese, and Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs.
Oscar The Grouch will be on page 73 of this month’s issue of ShowSight Magazine. ShowSight is a full color monthly show dog magazine, that has been awarded the “Most Beautiful Dog Publication In The World.” There hasn’t been a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog in their magazine in a few years.
Enjoying a Peter Luger’s steak as a reward for his Award of Merit, Oscar The Grouch can be found in this week’s issue of Dog News, on page 151. More importantly, on the page opposite Oscar is a mention of a great charity. Take The Lead provide direct services, support and care for all qualified participants in the sport of dogs who suffer from the devastating realities of life-threatening or terminal illnesses. It’s a great organization and you can check out more at the below link.
Oscar The Grouch appears in this week’s AKC Weekly Winners Gallery showing off his four day Best of Breed sweep at the Florida Cluster. The AKC emails the Weekly Winners to over 100,000 dog show fanciers globally.
Oscar The Grouch will be in this week’s issue of Dog News on page 89. Dog News is the oldest and largest published weekly dog magazine, distributed globally.
Below is a screen grab of Oscar The Grouch from the opening credits of the Westminster Kennel Club’s TV Show which aired on NBCUniversal USA. Notice Oscar’s doberman like focus on the camera man, a standout trait from a typical swissy.
Another major business publication picks up on Oscar The Grouch at Westminster 2012. The International Business Times profiles Oscar (#3 Swissy for 2012) as the dog that the entire neighborhood knows in NYC. Oscar’s competitor George (#2 Swissy) is profiled as the mascot for the UVA women’s Rugby team. Ava and Gabby, two female swissies are mentioned as well.
The article also has Oscar in a wet down (not a cape) which keeps the dog cool under the hot Madison Square Garden lights.
Fins.com a financial website wrote a blurb about Oscar. (A dachshund is a German dog)
One asset manager at AIG is showing Oscar (full name: Oscar the Grouch), his Greater Swiss Mountain dog, at this week’s Westminster Kennel Club dog show. We hope a representative from Deutsche Bank is showing up with a dachshund.
http://www.fins.com/Finance/
Oscar The Grouch thanks Marriott Hotels for their good luck wish. Road life is tough on a dog. Residence Inns (owned by Marriotts) have refrigerators (perfect for storing raw food) and are like a NYC apartment which makes for easy adjustment. Certain Ritz Cartlons also allow dogs.
Today, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) published a followup article commenting on Oscar The Grouch. Oscar is very grateful the WSJ, with 3.5 million daily readers, had previously named Oscar as the dog to root for at Westminster Kennel Club on their front page. Being the youngest swissy entered by 1.3 years gives Oscar time, so he hopes the WSJ will continue their support of him for Westminster 2013.
http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2012/02/14/westminster-dog-show-an-underdogs-moment-in-the-ring
Below is the link for the original article.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204795304577219643566702620.html
NBC Universal USA Network (yes it’s one company) who airs the Westminster Kennel Club has asked to meet with Oscar and David for an interview that would air during tonight’s show.
Thank you to the Times-Picayune for suggesting to read up about Oscar to learn about Westminster. Oscar’s owner David was offered a job near New Orleans a few years back. It’s possible Oscar might of ended up as the dog from New Orleans instead of NYC if David had taken that job.
http://www.nola.com/tv/index.ssf/2012/02/tv_linkzilla_daily_westminster.html
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