Allison Cowie wasn’t sure what to expect heading into the Poodle Club of America’s (PCA) 80th National Specialty Dog Show April 23 to 27.
“Not that,” Cowie said with a laugh of the Best of Breed title she and “Tina” claimed at the event in Salisbury, Maryland.
Tina, a three-year-old standard poodle, beat out 750 other poodles to become the only Canadian dog to ever win the overall title at the PCA show.
“Whenever you go, you hope to do well, but people wait their whole lives to win [the PCA title],” said Cowie, who lives just outside Moorefield.
“It’s pretty much the biggest poodle show on earth.”
Cowie, 31, grooms, handles and trains Tina herself and she currently grooms dogs for a living in the Kitchener and Arthur areas.
She has been handling dogs at shows for much of her life, but in the beginning she never imagined winning the highest honour at one of the world’s most famous dog shows.
“It was just a hobby,” she said of her start at age 7 in junior dog shows.
Tina is the first poodle Cowie has owned and the dog has had a lot of success at a young age. Cowie said she searched for a poodle for some time and carefully selected and purchased Tina as a puppy from an American breeder based on her strong pedigree.
But that doesn’t mean reaching the pinnacle of canine conformation was easy.
Extensive training and exercise – judges closely evaluate a dog’s muscle tone – are essential for a successful showing, not to mention bathing and trimming leading up to shows and hours of meticulous preparation the day of the competition.
“People think it’s a beauty contest, and in a way it kind of is, but [the dogs] start practicing at a very young age,” Cowie said.
Yet in the end it’s all worthwhile, as both owner and dog enjoy the competition.
“She loves it,” Cowie said of Tina, who competes in upwards of 25 shows per year, including the world famous Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York.
“She runs to the door when we’re going to a show and she gets really excited.”
Cowie is quick to point out that Tina is “a real dog” despite her success at shows and her freshly-groomed appearance, both of which can lead to misconceptions about the dog not having any fun.
“I take her to the cottage … she can get messy, she goes swimming; she does everything a normal dog does,” Cowie explained.
She has her sights set on The Bermuda Kennel Club’s show in October, but for now the pair is going to take a bit of a break from their next serious competition.
But that doesn’t mean they have become complacent.
Cowie plans on expanding Tina’s already impressive repertoire and resume – the poodle also has therapy dog qualifications – to include obedience, rally obedience (which incorporates signs) and agility competitions.
