Best in show: resident scheduled o judge in Westminster Kennel Club dog show

Frisco resident Betty Regina Leininger has seen her fair share of pure breed dogs, but she said the judging profession is no circus act. It requires study, and an ongoing education on breeds.

Leininger will work as one of the judges in the Westminster Kennel Club dog show, which will air live on Feb. 13 and 14.

Leininger said she got her start in professional dog show judging in her home province of Newfoundland during the mid --60s.

"I started going to dog shows locally, then branched out into other provinces close by, in the Atlantic part of Canada," Leininger said. "Then eventually migrated to Toronto, to the big city, which was kind of fun because it was just so different from what I was used to."

Leininger said it was her love for animals and competition that drew her into the profession.

"I just felt a connection, with dogs especially. That connection was there as long as I can remember," she said. " The competition of it and the ability to make a whole new set of friends, and go to different places, because the number of dog shows where I grew up, it was limited."

During the 1960s, Leininger also began breeding pure bred German Sheppards, which she said was "almost like having children."

"They are your babies and you want to care for them as though they are priceless," Leininger said. "It was a lot of hard work and I learned early on that it was an expensive hobby ... because you do it for the love of a particular breed or for animals in general. You don't do it to make money."

Leininger, who has judged at the Westminster Kennel Club off and on since 2002, said this year she will be judging the working dogs.

Pure bred dogs fit into one of seven main categories, Leininger said. The groups include: sporting, hounds, working dogs, Terriers, toys, the non-sporting breed, and herding dogs.

"Most dogs were bred for a function and part of the standard of most breeds, when you judge them, is the functionality," Leininger said. "There are certain characteristics the breed should have in order to be able to perform the function for which they were bred."

When the dogs are being shown, Leininger said, the animal's nose, body and temperament is examined. The dog also has to move in front of the judge to show that it can work "appropriately."

Leininger said she prefers to "look at the overall dog" or the whole package of the dog when she is judging, rather than focusing on each flaw.

"Usually, it's not difficult [judging], but sometimes it can be a little challenging depending on the breed," Leininger said. "Every dog show is different and depending on what part of the country or what part of the world I go , you get different styles, different criteria -- in some countries [more] than in other countries."

During her career as a professional dog show judge, Leininger has traveled around the world, including Japan, Argentina, Brazil, Taiwan and Australia.

Leininger said the competition during the Westminster Kennel Club is "always pretty tough" because it is an invitation-only event and it only accepts the top five dogs in each group. She also added that the competition is the second oldest continuous sport in the U.S., next to the Kentucky Derby.

"Winning with your dog at Westminster is really very, very prestigious," Leininger said.

She also added several celebrities either visit the show or have their dogs shown in the competition, including Bill Cosby.

Working in dog shows, Leininger said has provided her with a good life, the ability to travel and raise her son.

For information on the dog show, go to www.westminsterkennelclub.org.

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