The family that Echo leaves behind

The Westminster Dog Show opens Monday, February 11, and a few local dog owners will have their best friends at the Madison Square Garden event.


Echo, a black Labrador Retriever owned by Jeff Moore of Felton, is headed to New York next week ranked sixth in the entire country. While taking a few pictures of Casbor's A Hart Act to Follow (Echo's real name), I couldn't help but notice his brothers, sisters, cousins, friends--whatever--  next to his room.

Yep, Echo has his own place. Moore doesn't have his prize canines stuffed in some small backyard shoebox.   Oh, no.   Theirs is a two-story doghouse, with 24-hour security, radio and bright lights. And it's cleaner than some people's houses.

The rest of the canine family looked as much a prize winners as Echo, but I wouldn't know a good Lab from a bad one.  Much like the cows, chickens or pigs at the State Farm Show--they all look good to me.

 The Dog Show introduces two new breeds this year, the Treeing Walker Coonhound (Hound Group) and the Russell Terrier (Terrier Group), bringing the total breeds to 187.