| The 4-year-old greyhound from Summerville, with help from her handler and co-owner Rindi Gaudet, nabbed both Best Hound and Best in Show at the National Dog Show in Philadelphia on Saturday. The popular event was taped and broadcast nationally Thanksgiving Day. It was Gias 44th top prize, which is a huge accomplishment, Gaudet said. The dogs mother, Era, also was a winner, with 26 Best in Show titles to her name. Gaudet, who has been in Summerville for 10 years, said this latest victory reinforces Gias status as Americas No. 1 hound, No. 1 greyhound and No. 7 dog. She was among seven finalists, one in each of seven breed categories, trotted to her championship thanks to the deft and subtle direction of Gaudet, who never needs to gesticulate largely. Shes pretty amazing, Gaudet said. Ive shown her now for almost two years Its unspoken commands. She moves to my move. She showed great that night.
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Call Sticky Fingers for full service holiday catering, delivery, and in-house events. Holiday gift card and sauce packs available. [Paid] Dogs, like most living things, experience their ups and downs. Sometimes theyre in the mood to perform well, sometimes theyd rather chase squirrels. Shes got days, like, Do I have to? Gaudet said. But even when shes not at 110 percent shes still at, like, 90 percent. No one else knows, but I know. Gaudet is a professional handler; its what she does for a living. Owners of pure-bred, competition-worthy dogs pay handlers (and trainers and caretakers) to prepare and show their animals. The costs can run into the thousands of dollars weekly, and prize money is scarce. Show dog owners are kind of like boat owners: they plow money into their obsession without much hope of seeing a return on the investment. Gaudet and Gia (and various other dogs Gaudet handles) stay busy. We go to a show every weekend, Gaudet said. When she wins groups or Best-in-Shows, she gets points, and those points add up. Those points decide her ranking. Gia isnt Gaudets only famous canine. She also handles a successful Siberian, Lagatto Romangnolo and Portuguese Water Dog. Gaudet was drawn to the Lowcountry from Florida partly because her sister, pregnant at the time, lived in North Charleston. Gaudet now works with her 10-year-old niece, who is following in my footsteps as a dog handler. To become proficient at handling show dogs, some training and practice is important, but that only goes so far, Gaudet said. A lot is natural talent, and the love for the dog, she said. Some is learned but most is born talent. Call it instinct. link
EXTERNAL LINK The Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade kicked off a day of annual traditions, but if youre a dog lover, the real show began at noon. Were talking about the National Dog Show. Gia won Best in Show out of six other finalists including Ty, a giant schnauzer; Slick, a border collie; Timmy, an English springer spaniel; Chuck, a Pekingese; Rondo, a West Highland white terrier; and Clue, a Tibetan terrier (who, fun fact, is not actually a terrier). The seven finalists competed among a lineup of 2,000 dogs spanning more than 200 breeds and varieties. This was the statuesque Greyhounds 44th brush with victory on the dog show circuit. Last years top prize was given to a Skye terrier named Good Time Charlie. The National Dog Show is not quite as prestigious as the Westminster Dog Show, but people get really excited about it for obvious reasons. This year marked the 15th annual show, presented by the Kennel Club of Philadelphia. The pre-taped show was held on Nov. 19 and 20 at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center. Actor John OHurley and expert judge David Frei returned to host the broadcast. Longtime sportscaster Mary Carillo and Olympic ice-skating duo Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir offered behind-the-scenes reporting. Link EXTERNAL LINK check out more Greyhound related topics
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