Local Dalmatian headed to Westminster Show

Jordan Cartwright, a young Washington State University graduate with a major in neuroscience, decided to show dogs about five years ago and now is off to a famous dog show.

She bought a liver-colored Dalmatian named “Krash,” when he was just 13 weeks old and began her journey winning championship after championship with him, including national championships. And then she received the invitation.

In February, she’s heading to New York City to compete in the dog show of shows, Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.

How she got to this point is “just crazy,” she said.

Cartwright said she decided to get a show dog and began researching breeds. As she was watching a local dog show, she saw a liver-colored Dalmatian and knew that was the dog for her.

With the help of the internet, she located a breeder in Iowa.

Krash is Cartwright’s first Dalmatian.

“Finding a breeder was not something I was familiar with,” Cartwright said. She knew she wanted a show dog and worked with the breeder until Krash was born. The puppy was shipped from Iowa to Washington in May 2008 and Cartwright and puppy immediately began handling and obedience classes.

“We learned together,” she said. “We learned how he (Krash) had to stand still and be examined by a judge, having the judge touch him from head to tail, examine his teeth, all the while maintaining his pose.”

According to the American Kennel Club, the Dalmatian, more well known as a firehouse dog, has performed many functions through the years with the one constant being his loyalty and devotion to his master. While the exact origin of the Dalmatian is a mystery, the breed’s distinctive spots set them apart from all others. Dalmatians are either black or liver spotted and both colors are equal in the show ring. As a home companion, Dalmatians thrive as part of the family. They are bright dogs who respond well to gentle, positive training.

Cartwright and Krash also learned how to “trot” around the ring, how to pose his legs and body to create a pleasing picture and how to heel.

When Krash was seven months old, he was in his first show.

Krash earned the 2012 National Specialty Breeds championship. Competing against 200 Dalmatians, Krash got Best of Breed, clinching an invitation to Westminster.

Krash has received six wins altogether.

Cartwright almost always handles Krash in a show, and he has had different handlers only a handful of times, she said.

Cartwright said Krash will compete against 14 other Dalmatians in the Non-Sporting group at Westminster. This particular group has 267 dogs in 20 different breeds. Included are American Eskimo, Bichon Frises, Boston Terrier, Bulldog, Chinese Shar-Pei, Chow-Chow, Dalmatian, Finnish Spitz, French Bulldog, Keeshonden, Lhasa Apsos, Lowchen, Norwegian Lundehund, Miniature Poodle, Standard Poodle, Schpperke, Shiba Inu, Tibetan Spaniel, Tibetan Terrier and Xoloitzcuintlis.

According to the American Kennel Club, dog shows are intended to evaluate breeding stock. The dog’s conformation, overall appearance and structure and an indication of the dog’s ability to produce quality puppies, are judged.

Judges examine the dogs, then give awards according to how closely each dog compares to the judge’s mental image of the “perfect” dog described in the breed’s official standard.

The judges are experts on the breeds they are judging. They examine each dog with their hands to see if the teeth, muscles, bones and coat texture conform to the breed’s standard. They view each dog in profile for overall balance, and watch each dog gait or move, to see how all of those features fit together in action.

Each AKC-recognized breed falls into one of seven group classifications. The seven groups are Sporting, Hounds, Working, Terrier, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding. The seven group winners are brought into the ring where they compete for Best in Show, the highest award at a dog show.

“I want my dog to do well,” Cartwright said. “If we lose, I know we showed our best. I’m really not expecting to win,”

But a ribbon would be nice, she said.

The Westminster Dog show is Feb. 11-12 and Krash’s first show will be at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time on Monday, Feb. 11.

Entries from all 50 states and several foreign countries have helped give the 137th annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show its largest entry in 15 years. The show will host 2,721 dogs.

There are entries in all 187 breeds and varieties eligible for this year’s show.

The main competitions will be at Madison Square Garden.

The evening competition will be televised live each night from 8 to 11 p.m. Eastern time. Monday’s telecast of the Hound, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding Groups will be on CNBC. Tuesday’s telecast will be on USA Network, and will include the Sporting, Working and Terrier groups, as well as Best in Show.

Cartwright is a full-time veterinary technician at Alpine Animal Hospital just outside of Pullman, plus she works part-time at a supermarket to support her “expensive hobby” of showing dogs.

She said she also has a “mutt” that she shows in agility and obedience competition.

Cartwright said she will be in New York for a week and plans to see a musical, explore Central Park with Krash and see Ground Zero, along with some other adventures.

“I’m excited,” she said.