Leda, a border collie owned by Tara Baggerman of Gansevoort, was second in the 20-inch jump competition.
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From toy-sized Brussels Griffons to 200-pound Great Danes, thousands of purebred dogs are preparing to strut their stuff at this year’s Westminster Kennel Club dog show in NY, one of the world’s most prestigious events for pedigree breeders.
Owner and handler Linda Brennan of Columbia, New Jersey, says the 3-year-old dog is “just awesome”. Canine aficionados, novice, neophyte dog owners and everyone in between will surely have some type of a vested interest in watching man’s best friends prance about during the 140 annual installment of the breed judging. And the 26 mixed-breed competitors – almost twice as many as past year – include some combos created to be agility super dogs.
“It’s maybe not as flashy as agility, but it really cements the relationship between the owner and the dog” as they work out signals and read each other, said Dr. Merry Fitzgerald, a Lake Grove, New York, veterinarian who competed with Margot, a Doberman pinscher. Many say they’re just out to have fun and showcase their pets’ abilities at the nation’s most illustrious dog show.
“We spent a lot of time working with her confidence”, said Davis, who made his first trip to the Westminster show.
“The dog doesn’t know” whether it won, Christy Wrede of Eatontown, New Jersey, said after a first-round turn with Emma, a Boston terrier mix she adopted from a shelter. The animals compete in height classes, but unlike many other agility trials, Westminster has 10 winners from each class run off to crown one top dog.
Said Westminster president Sean McCarthy: “We had the right of refusal, and we wanted David to work this final show”.
“He’s a very loyal and hardworking dog”, she said.
A German Shepherd named Rumor is the talk of Westminster Kennel Club Show.
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“He’s a ideal lap dog”, Huebner said. To this day, the beagle remains the most popular dog in Westminster history. “No matter what, I’m a victor”.
