Westminster Kennel Club. Dog Show. - Show dog: the pampered life and trying times of a near-perfect purebred

Jack wasnt always a beautiful exemplar of his breed. For a few weeks between six and nine months of age, he entered an awkward teen phase during which Kimberly worried he might not have a future as a show dog after all. Photograph by Kimberly Smith

Any show dog has at least a few humans behind him. Here, two of Jacks primary supportershis owner, Kimberly Smith, and his breeder, Kerry Kirtleywork with him at a show in California.

Before she was in thrall to Jack, Kimberly adored a very different petEric, the quarter horse she owned and competed with for three years.

Jackpictured here with his handler, Heather Bremmerbroke out at the 2010 Westminster Kennel Club show. He won First Award of Merit out of a field of more than fifty of the worlds best Aussies. Photograph by Infocusbymiguel.com

Promotional ads for show dogs are a critical factor in a larger campaign, and serve the same purpose as those advertisements movie studios place for Academy Award prospects.

Rita, one of the top Chesapeake Bay retrievers in America, shares some of the spotlight with her friends Jack, Tanner, and Nacho.

Jacks first-ever ad, which appeared in The Canine Chronicle a month after his breakthrough appearance at the 2010 Westminster show.

The nearly unbeatable Beyonc, Americas number one Australian shepherd, with her handler, Jamie Clute.

The famous show dog poseknown as the stackisnt natural, and many dogs have trouble learning it. This led to the invention of Happy Legs, a tool that teaches dogs the position.

The parking lot outside a dog show is a temporary city of RVs housing handlers, owners, and dogs. Here, Kerry Kirtley works with Jack during the 2010 ASCA national in Waco, Texas.

Roommatesand first-time parentsJack and Summer.

The products of Jacks first litter, with Summer, were adorable and spunkynone more so than the sole blue merle, the one Kimberly named Little Jack. Photograph by Kimberly Smith

Heathers husband and handling partner, Kevin Bednar, with Nacho the bullmastiff at the 2010 Eukanuba AKC National Championships.

Jacks friend Rita (aka GCH Cabin Ridges Mega Margarita), who for a time was the countrys top Chesapeake Bay retriever bitch. Photograph by Heather Bremmer

Dominator of the herding group: Roy (aka GCH Tolkien Raintree Mister Baggins), a bearded collie-slash-Gandalf-look-alike.

Heathers top dog, Tanner the Bernese mountain dog (aka GCH Blumoon Tanzenite V Blackrock).

At the end of the day, hes just a dogand a very athletic one at that. (Also pictured: Jacks favorite toy, the blue Frisbee.) Photograph by Kimberly Smith

FOR GILL AND CHARLIE,
AND ESPECIALLY MY MOM,
WHO LOVED SO MANY THINGS,
INCLUDING WORDS AND DOGS

This is an expensive sport, and there is little financial reward

DAVID FREI, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS FOR, AND THE FACE AND VOICE OF, THE WESTMINSTER KENNEL CLUB DOG SHOW

Like everybody else in the world, I got started by buying a dog and getting talked into going to a dog show and winning a ribbon and getting hooked for life.

PAT HASTINGS, TOP DOG-SHOW JUDGE, HANDLER, EXPERT

T he American Kennel Club history books will know him as Grand Champion Wyndstars Honorable Mention, but you can call him Jack. Thats what his mom calls him. Not his biological mother, of course. That would be Champion Wyndstars Enough Saidor Gracieand shes a dog. Nor his mom Kerry Kirtley, the California woman who bred and nurtured him in his earliest days, or Heather Bremmer, the professional handler who trains and cares for him when hes making the rounds of Americas East Coast dog-show circuit. No, I mean his mom Kimberly Smith, who first glimpsed a brown-eyed ball of spotted fur on a Web site during a low moment in her life and decided, Thats it. Thats him. Thats my dog. Shes the one who named him Jack.