The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show has long served as an unofficial national championship for the nation's dog-show competitors. The two-day show is always held in New York's Madison Square Garden, kicking off this year on Monday, Feb. 14.

Westminster is a special show where only champions can compete. At all other dog shows, most competitors are trying to earn their dogs' championships. And that's when following the action can get confusing.

Dog shows are supposed to be about evaluating breeding stock, with the goal of preserving and improving the dog breeds involved. But over the years, the sport has become a high-stakes and high-cost endeavor that's perhaps the most difficult of all canine competitions for beginners to break into successfully.

Even if you have a "show quality" dog with no disqualifying or major problems in appearance, winning is tough. Getting a dog to look his best in the ring is a subtle art that's difficult to master. In many breeds, the work of getting a dog groomed for the show ring takes years to learn.

A dog must match up favorably to the ideal of his breed, called "the standard." Judges mentally compare each dog to the standard, choosing the one who most closely conforms to their vision of a "perfect" dog. Even with a near-perfect physical appearance, a dog needs a skilled handler. Winning isn't easy in a sport where amateurs must compete against expert professional handlers.

At every show, one male dog and one female dog will end up with "points" toward their championship in each breed, with the number of points determined by the popularity of each breed in a given region. A dog must get two "major" wins of three points or more and 15 total points to become a champion -- a process that can often span months or even years.

Showing dogs isn't cheap, by the way, and thousands of dollars can be spent trying to earn a dog's championship. The dogs who make the cut to compete for Best in Show at Westminster often represent a small fortune invested, with little payoff for the owners except to their pride.

All of which goes a long way to explain why most dog owners will watch Westminster from their couches, with their own family champions by their sides.

(The group and Best-in-Show finals will be aired on the USA Network and CNBC on Feb. 14 and 15, starting at 8 p.m. ET with a time delay on the West Coast. For more information or for breed-ring results and videos throughout the show, visit WestminsterKennelClub.org.)

Q&A

Dog-chewed toy may

pass without problem

Q: I think our dog swallowed the head from one of my daughter's Barbies, since the doll is now headless and we can't find the missing piece anywhere. The vet said unless there are symptoms, not to worry. Really? -- via e-mail

A: If your dog is eating, drinking and eliminating normally, there's probably nothing to worry about. The piece may have been chewed to bits before the bits were swallowed, or never swallowed at all. And if swallowed, you may have already missed the head's re-emergence, because, well, how many people want to examine a dog's feces all that closely in a search for missing objects? So be alert for symptoms, but your dog doesn't need to see the veterinarian unless you notice problems.

Labradors are well-known in veterinary offices for their eagerness to consume just about anything that's not nailed down -- and even some things that are. Socks, underwear, rocks, keys, toys, cell phones -- if it can fit in the mouth, there's a Labrador who will swallow it. The best cure for this is preventive, especially with young dogs. Keep anything that can be swallowed picked up and put out of reach of your dog. (Labradors are also well-known for their appetites, which earn them the veterinary nickname of "Flabradors.")

While many swallowed objects will pass through without causing problems, others can be deadly. If a pet vomits, loses interest in eating or drinking, or otherwise seems "off" after ingesting a foreign body, you'll need your veterinarian's help. -- Dr. Marty Becker

THE BUZZ

Stress from change

may sicken cats

-- Cats under stress from change can become physically ill, according to a study conducted by veterinarians at Ohio State University. Researchers found that healthy cats were just as likely as sick cats to refuse food, vomit frequently and miss their litter boxes in response to environmental changes. The findings highlighted the need for environmental enrichment for cats, as well as the importance of routine when it comes to feline care.

-- Dogs have developed larger brains than cats over millions of years because they are more social. A study published in the Proceedings of the National Science Academy analyzed brain and body size in more than 500 mammals, finding that animals living in stable social groups have relatively bigger brains than less-social animals. The study suggests cooperation and coordination needed for group living may cause the brain to grow to cope with the increased demand for problem-solving.

-- Only one-fifth of law enforcement officials have received formal training on recognizing animal cruelty. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals recognized three major obstacles law enforcement officers face when responding to animal abuse cases: 1. Cases are considered low priority by leadership; 2. Law enforcement lacks staff with special knowledge in animal cruelty; and 3. No facilities exist for long-term impoundment of animals kept as evidence. The majority of officers polled (78 percent) believe dog and cat abusers are more likely to be involved in interpersonal violence or other violent crimes. -- Dr. Marty Becker and Mikkel Becker

ABOUT PET CONNECTION

Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet-care experts headed by "Good Morning America" and "The Dr. Oz Show" veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and award-winning journalist Gina Spadafori. The two are also the authors of many best-selling pet-care books. Dr. Becker can also be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker.

Even as public health experts report with alarm that human weight averages are increasing, veterinarians have long been worried about the same trend in our pets.

Dogs and cats are getting larger for the same reasons that people are: too much food and not enough exercise.

And obesity in pets causes a lot of the same problems it does in people. An overweight pet is prone to a host of related issues, including diabetes, joint, ligament and tendon difficulties, and breathing and heart challenges. Overweight cats can even develop skin problems from not being able to groom themselves properly. The overall impact on comfort and longevity can be dire.

But the truth is that it's not as difficult to trim down pets as it might be to fight your own battles with the bulge. What pets eat depends on what we give them. And although we might groan at the thought of exercise, our pets are always up for a brisk walk, a game of fetch or some play with a toy on a string. They love to move, especially if we're moving with them.

Simply put: There's no excuse for an overweight pet. Especially not today, with veterinarians well-armed not only with advice but with special foods that can help you trim the excess from your pet. These products were well-represented at the North American Veterinary Conference, which recently wrapped up its 25th annual convention for veterinarians in Orlando, Fla.

Healthy pets have some padding on them, but a little padding is plenty. Rub your hands over the ribs of your dog or cat. The skin should move easily back and forth, and you should be able to feel the ribs. Your pet should have a definable "waist" at the bottom of the rib cage. Take a look from the side: If your pet looks pregnant, he's fat.

Crash diets aren't good for pets, especially not for fat cats, who can develop a fatal liver problem if forced to reduce too quickly. A pet doesn't get fat overnight, and he shouldn't be forced to change course any more rapidly. What you'll need to do is change your pet's eating and exercise habits gradually. Your veterinarian is your partner and resource in this lifestyle change, so enlist her aid early.

Carve out some time out in your schedule to walk your dog or play with your cat -- three times a week, at least, daily if possible. Exercise has an added bonus: In addition to keeping your pet healthy, regular activity helps to correct many behavior problems caused by boredom.

Whatever regimen you and your veterinarian decide on, be determined to stick to it. Get out of the habit of expressing love for your pets by constantly offering treats, and use lower-fat treats such as carrots when you do hand over the goodies. And remember that exercise is good for you both.

Yes, it'll be hard in the beginning, what with those begging eyes and all. But don't give in. Your pet's life will be happier and longer if he's kept fit. And yours will be, too.

Q&A

Ask questions before

breeding your pet

Q: I bought a poodle, and I would like to get into breeding. Can she be bred on her first heat, and how many times in a row can I breed her? She's a great pet and I know her puppies will be popular. -- via e-mail

A: Before I answer your questions, I have some questions for you to think about:

Has this dog been certified clear of genetic defects? Does she have a stellar temperament -- friendly, calm and trainable? Is she a good example of her breed in terms of her appearance? Can you say the same of the stud dog?

Do you have money set aside for routine prenatal veterinary care and puppy care, and even more money at the ready if something goes wrong with the dog or the puppies? Are you prepared for the dog's death as a result of pregnancy or the rigors of giving birth? What about the risk of cancer or deadly infection common in unspayed dogs -- are you willing to lose her to these diseases?

Will you have a waiting list of responsible, prescreened homes for her puppies before they're born? Are you prepared to spend countless hours caring for and socializing the puppies in the first seven weeks of their lives? Will you be willing to take back any puppy you sell no matter what, no matter when?

If you cannot answer "yes" to each of these questions, then your dog should not be bred at all. Reputable, responsible breeders rarely breed a female more than twice before spaying her, and many of the promising dogs they have are not bred at all because they are not of breeding quality in terms of health, temperament and (in some breeds) working ability. These breeders also take lifetime responsibility for any dog that they bring into the world.

I realize those are not the simple answers you wanted, but the responsible breeding of dogs is about more than mechanics of reproduction. -- Gina Spadafori

THE BUZZ

Tabby cats come

in many colors

-- "Tabby" is a general term for striped cats, and tabbies come in many colors and patterns -- more than 40 varieties in all. Red tabbies seem to have a special following and mythology, perhaps because in male cats, the red-orange gene is almost always connected with tabby markings, while among females, red-orange cats can be tabbies, tortoiseshells or calicoes. (About one calico in 3,000 is male, but he's not your usual male, in that he carries an extra "X" chromosome.)

Tabbies can be further distinguished by differences in the patterns of their stripes. For example, a spotted tabby has gaps in the striping pattern, making the dark color appear as spots. The most recognizable is probably the "mackerel" tabby, with parallel lines placed like the ribs of a fish -- hence the name. All tabby cats carry a special mark in common, an "M" on the top of their heads.

-- A dog's heart normally beats between 70 to 180 times per minute, with little dogs having a faster heart rate. A puppy will also have a faster pulse -- up to 220 beats per minute. You can take your dog's pulse at home, by the way, but not by putting your fingertips on your dog's wrist, as you would with a person. Instead, check the heart rate in one of two places:

Choice 1: Put your hand over your dog's left side, behind the front leg. You'll feel the heart pulsing beneath your fingers (if you can't, you might talk to your veterinarian about getting some of the fat off your dog).

Choice 2: Put your fingertips on the femoral artery, on the inside of the leg just where it meets the body, right in the middle. (It's a pretty big blood vessel, so you shouldn't have any problem finding it.)

Either way, count the beats while 15 seconds click off your watch. Multiply by four to get the BPM, or beats per minute. Do it when your dog is healthy and relaxed, so you'll know what's normal. --Dr. Marty Becker and Mikkel Becker

ABOUT PET CONNECTION

Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet-care experts headed by "Good Morning America" and "The Dr. Oz Show" veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and award-winning journalist Gina Spadafori. The two are also the authors of many best-selling pet-care books. Dr. Becker can also be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker.

By Mikkel Becker

Do you click with your pet?

No, I'm not talking about getting along well, although I sure hope that you do. When I say "click," I mean a training technique that's easy and fun for all.

Clicker training is a no-force technique that works on animals of all sizes, ages and abilities. And that's also true of the people who would administer clicker training, since it doesn't require strength or much coordination on the part of the trainer.

A clicker is a small plastic box that fits in the palm of your hand. You press down on the metal strip inside the housing and quickly release it -- click-click!

The clicker itself doesn't have any magic powers. What it provides is timing -- it allows a trainer working with a pet who understands the game to let the animal know the behavior he's doing right now is the one that's being rewarded. And that means the behavior will be repeated. The clicking noise becomes a reward because in the early stages of training, the sound is linked to the delivery of something a pet wants, usually a tiny but yummy treat.

Does this sound familiar? Like from a psychology class, perhaps? It should ring a bell, because the underlying principal of clicker training is scientific and is called "operant conditioning" (Pavlov's drooling dogs, and all). But you can be excused if you don't want to know the ins and outs of the science and just want to cut to the chase.

After all, your pet is just as eager as you are to get to the good part, too.

You start by teaching your pet that a click means a treat. Pick a time when your pet isn't sleeping (though, not just after a meal) and is a little hungry (a couple of hours before a meal). Choose a relatively small, quiet place you can work without too many distractions, and prepare a pouch or bowl of tiny, yummy treats (diced hot dogs are popular, as are pieces of cheese or chicken). For the next few minutes, click and treat. One click, one treat. Again and again and again. Eventually your pet will show you he understands that the sound means food. For example, he may look immediately to the source of the treats after hearing the click.

When that happens, you're on to the next stage. But wait until your next session, because clicker training works best with a couple of short sessions -- less than 10 minutes -- every day.

When you're all set up again, sit quietly with your clicker and treats -- and wait. Your pet should start volunteering behaviors, everything from sitting to pawing to wandering in a circle. When your pet chooses one you like, click, treat and wait again. Your pet will initially be confused but should eventually offer the behavior again. Be patient! When that moment comes, click, treat and wait, again.

Say you clicked your pet a couple of times because he finally got bored and sat. Soon your pet will sit to test his theory that sitting means a click-treat. When that happens, click and "jackpot" him with a handful of treats. When the pattern is firmly established, you can then give it a name ("sit") and make the food reward more random to strengthen it (this is the principal that keeps you pulling a slot machine handle).

In future sessions you'll move on from the "sit" that your pet knows, waiting for more behaviors to click, treat and name, as you build your pet's repertoire of commands. More complicated behaviors are trained by "chaining" -- training in pieces and putting them together.

One more thing: Never punish your pet for not getting it right. Clicker training is all about the payoff, and once you get it mastered, there's no end to the things you can teach your pet to do.

(Pet Connection team member Mikkel Becker, Dr. Marty Becker's daughter, is a dog-trainer in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. She is a graduate of the San Francisco SPCA's prestigious dog-training academy.)

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Q&A

Indoor rabbits

make great pets

Q: My daughter is getting a rabbit, and she wants to keep it in a cage in her bedroom. She says it can use a litter box. My husband wants to build a hutch outside. What do you advise? -- via e-mail

A: I don't know how old your daughter is, but she has clearly done her homework. Rabbits bloom with proper care and gentle attention, providing endless amounts of quiet companionship punctuated by short periods of delightful silliness. 



As for litter boxes, score another one for your daughter. Rabbits usually aren't perfect about their use -- a pellet here and there will testify to that, but it's easily cleaned up -- but they can and do use a box for most of their messes. 



Shelters and rescue groups always have a great selection and should be the place to shop for a bunny. Better yet, get two: Rabbits love the company and can often be adopted in pairs, already bonded. 


Visit the site of the House Rabbit Society (Rabbit.org) for the best information on caring for these pets. Here's a cheat sheet to get you started:

-- Housing. Your rabbit will need a home base of a small pen or large cage with food, water, toys and a litter box. Use a plain cat box filled with a shallow layer of recycled paper or wood pellets for the box, covered with a layer of fresh grass hay. You don't scoop a rabbit box -- you change it completely, every day. Provide broken woven baskets, cardboard boxes and other items for play and chewing.

-- Nutrition. Fresh water needs to be available at all times. While commercial pellets are fine, it's just as easy and often less expensive to feed your rabbit yourself. Grass hay (cheaper by the bale if you have a dry space to store it) should always be available, complemented by an array of green vegetables, from broccoli to kale to mustard greens to carrots with their tops on.

-- Health care. Get your rabbit spayed or neutered. In addition to keeping your rabbit from reproducing, you'll have a better pet. Unaltered rabbits can have behavior problems such as aggression and urine spraying. Your rabbit also will need a wellness check, just as a cat or dog would, and a good rabbit vet will help you catch little health problems before they become big ones. -- Gina Spadafori

THE BUZZ

Cornell vet makes

students dummy up

-- To teach veterinary students to handle emergency situations without harming a pet in critical condition, the first-ever sophisticated critical care dog dummy with a software program has been developed by a veterinarian at Cornell University. Speakers and actuators within the dummy send out heart and lung signals, and a pulse can actually be felt. A balloon-like structure with air mimics breathing. The system monitors blood oxygen monitoring, blood pressure and EKG as well. Dr. Dan Fletcher, a professor at the Cornell veterinary school who teaches emergency medicine, noticed that students would freeze when first handling a critically ill pet. The dog dummy responds like a living, breathing critical pet, providing an environment in which students can learn, as well as make and learn from mistakes.

-- The average cost for a veterinary visit in 2009 was $203, according to the American Pet Products Association.

-- Of the more than 150 dog breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club, 13 commonly get ear crops, 48 have docked tails, and 11 have both cropping and docking. Ear crops seem more likely to disappear as a common practice sooner, as fewer pet owners choose to have their puppies' ears sliced into an upright posture, and fewer veterinarians will perform the procedure. The American Veterinary Medical Association opposes ear cropping and tail docking when done solely for cosmetic purposes and has encouraged the elimination of these procedures from breed standards.-- Dr. Marty Becker and Mikkel Becker

ABOUT PET CONNECTION

Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet-care experts headed by "Good Morning America" and "The Dr. Oz Show" veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and award-winning journalist Gina Spadafori. The two are also the authors of many best-selling pet-care books. Dr. Becker can also be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker.