Kentucky Frenchies in the Big Apple
The Examiner newspaper ran a story on popular French Bulldog breeder Bill Schaefer, of “RB” French Bulldogs. Bill, who is from Kentucky, sold French Bulldogs Oliver and Rocky to owner Stanley Zirlin, of New York City, where they lead dual lives as pampered house pets and competitive show dogs.
Bill traveled to NYC to be present for Rocky and Oliver’s debut at the Westminster Kennel Club show at Madison Square Gardens.
Rocky (aka Ch. RB’s Big City Boy) and Oliver (aka Ch. RB’s Navigator) didn’t place at the Gardens, but with a record breaking entry of 42 French Bulldogs, neither did a lot of other worthy Frenchies. Their photos show two happy, adorable, well loved Frenchies, who will no doubt be just as happy to slide back into a life of dog parks, long walks and occasional snacks.
As owner Stanley Zirlin puts it:
“They’re my pets that I show,” says Mr. Zirlin. “Rocky is the mellowest dog that ever lived. He loves everybody and everything. He doesn’t even bark.”
Oliver, he says, is the clown. “He’s more attached to me, ” Mr. Zirlin says. “There is not an aggressive bone in their body.”
Read the rest of the story here. A video of Oliver and Rocky is at the end of this entry.
In other Westminster coverage, French Bulldog breeder Monica Schott, of HotSchott French Bulldogs in upstate New York, will forever after be known as the handler who was “munching on a hot dog” backstage at Westminster. Poor Monica – she takes a ten minute break to scarf down an over priced hot dog, and the moment makes it onto Fox News, the AP Wire Service, and the London Times.
NEW YORK — Munching on a hot dog, Monica Schott surveyed the row of French bulldogs backstage at Madison Square Garden.
Pretty sparse, by Westminster Kennel Club standards.
“It’s very noticeable,” the longtime handler from upstate New York said Monday. “I was hoping to see that a lot of people would spend their money to come here, to give them some outlet from what’s going on with the economy. I guess not.”
Apparently the benching at Westminster this year was almost tolerable – a huge change from years past, when the aisles were so narrow that every passing spectator risked knocking into your dogs and your set up, and airflow was virtually non existent. Perhaps the sparse crowds also helped.
