One always has to wonder, how a judge can pick best in show/group when doing so pits a multitude of breeds against each other. Do you really feel that the winner is actually clearly better than the others? I understand that it is alledgedly based on which dog is closest to the particular breeds standard, but can't help but notice that in many years past the winner of the best in show is very often a breed in which that years judge has worked with in the past. Also, on another topic, does anyone know who the favorite(s) are/is to win this years competition?

I am not sure who the "favorites" are this year, but by the time you are entering a dog in Westminster, your dog has been seen by many judges throughout the previous year so it is often hard to say.

I think BIS is determined by which dog is "ON" that particular day or evening as the case is for Westminster. Last year's winner, Uno, clearly was running around the ring and "asking" the judge to put it up over all the other group winners. He had an attitude that was in your face. All of the dogs that make it to the BIS ring desrve to win, so the only thing that differeniates the winner from the others in the ring is that pizzazz that says "PICK ME, PICK ME!!!"

The cynical side of me also says that it is political and who wins is determined by who is on the end of the lead along with the clout that the dog's owner might have or the prestige of giving the BIS to a particular dog.