In dog show world, details obvious and subtle rule the day

By ANNA FURMAN
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Doe-eyed dachshunds, push-faced French bulldogs and other nonsporting breeds circle the hallowed rings at one of the world’s biggest dog shows. A Bracco Italiano receives a jowl massage. Spaniels get blow-dried. At the Westminster Kennel Club dog show, held for the first time on the grounds of the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York City’s Queens borough, judges are selecting the best breeds to go on to compete in Best In Show. Started nearly 150 years ago, Westminster brings the rarefied world of purebred breeding to viewers around the world for three days each spring. It’s a beloved, if idiosyncratic, subculture.