Staten Island Kennel Club's 106th annual show draws an elite group of talented canines Published: Sunday, June 26, 2011, 6:47 AM
By
Michael Sedon
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Showing off their pooches during the dog days of summer is a tradition the Staten Island Kennel Club celebrated this weekend at its 106th annual Dog Show. The furry athletes and their owners from all over the area converged on the College of Staten Island yesterday and will return today for the chance to win Best in Show and a spot in the 136th annual Westminster Kennel Club's dog show that will be held in Madison Square Garden Feb. 13-14, 2012. Staten Island Advance/Hilton Flores Quid, a Border Collie, leaps through a hoop as the pooch shows off its agility skills.
The No. 1-ranked female Australian Shepherd in the country, Jackie D and her owner Neno Pessoa, of Washington, N.J., just finished the agility competition
yesterday with a perfect double Q score, which left both panting in the sun. "Overall, she's number two in the country, but she's the number one female because the number one (ranked Australian Shepherd) is a male," Pessoa explained as he tried to catch his breath. "She cannot compete in heat, so we have to stop." Although Pessoa did not have to jump the same hurtles as Jackie D or run through a tunnel or even weave in and out of a line of posts, he did have to run alongside his four-legged companion, directing her to the next obstacle. Inside, dogs and owners cooled down in the air-conditioned auditorium on campus for the obedience portion of the competition. Page 97 of 170