Senior Spaniel Makes Canine Comeback

In the ring at the Best of Show competition at the Westminister Dog Show, the judge said: "I love them all. Tonight: The Sussex."

And with that, Champion Clussexx Three D. Grinchy Glee, better known as Stump, pawed his way into Westminster history, CBS News anchor Katie Couric reports.

At 10 years old, Stump is the oldest contestant to win the world's most famous dog show, coming out of retirement to beat nearly 2,500 of his fellow canines.

But his road to the title has been littered with drama.

After making it all the way to the finals at Westminster in 2004, he caught a nearly fatal bacterial infection.

"He couldn't pick his head up," said Scott Sommer, Stump's handler. "He couldn't stand up. He had 105-107 temperature for a week. It was awful."

Not only was he expected never to compete again, few believed he'd even live to see his sixth birthday.

So last night capped an expected never to compete again. Few believed he'd even live to see his sixth birthday.

So last night capped an epic comeback. Wednesday, he has his victory lunch, savoring steak tartar at New York's Grand Central Station. Thursday, he will fly back home to Texas - in First Class.

"No more dog shows. That's it. And he's gonna sit on the couch and sleep on the bed and do whatever he wants to do," Sommer said.

[wooker7]

I was watching this last night with my family and katie made a mistake see there is a old wives tail that a dog ages 7 years every birthday this is wrong. New studies show that a dog ages 10.5 years for the first two years of it''s life and then 4 after making this dog 53 not 70. Think of it this way a year old pooch can have puppies now what 7 year old do you know of that can bear children? Now a 10.5 year old can dosen''t mean you should but you can just like 1 is way to young to breed a dog so don''t jump the gun they are still a puppy intill the age of two. But also the oldest dog that ever lived was 29 now is the known formula more likely making it 129 when it died insted of 203 if you just multiplyed by 7? I would really appreseate if she corrected this mistake on her next live bradcast to let people understand that there 10 year old dogs are NOT 70 but just 53. Your pets are not going to pass anytime soon. Thank you so much for your time respectfully wooker7.

[hober_mallow]

Too bad they don''t allow mutts in the Westminster show.

My Chesapeake x ??? would win for sure !!!

[NMlost]

Sussex and Clumber spaniels were bred for densely overgrown terrain or terrain with thick, prickly cover like gorse that grows low to the ground. When hunting on foot in that country, a low-slung, powerful, thorough hunter, like the Sussex is invaluable. That''s why the Sussex has been virtually unchanged since the 1700''s.