Top Dogs: Making it to Westminster - Softcover

"Finally, a Westminster book for the rest of us! If you ever wondered what makes the dogs at Westminster so special, read this book. Wood exposes top dogs' daily routines?training, grooming?and points out the exceptional qualities that make judges point and say, 'You're a winner!'" ?Steven Biller, Editor, Dog Fancy

From Brush Prairie, Washington, to Madison Square Garden, author Deborah Wood takes readers behind the fur and makeup, the liver bits and hairspray, on a humorous, whirlwind tour of the kooky and caring, exacting and exciting world of dog shows and show dog people. You'll have a front-row seat as dog handlers and their tail-wagging charges vie for Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.

"Deborah Wood explains what dog shows are all about. After reading this book, you'll never watch any dog show the same way again." ?Steve Dale, Columnist, Tribune Media Services, Host of Pet Central WGN Radio, syndicated Animal Planet Radio, and The Pet News with Steve Dale

Welcome to the Westminster Kennel Club Dog show, where looks matter, but where canine charisma also counts. Here, dogs are valued not just for their ability to retrieve, sit, or stay, but for their topline (the silhouette presented by their back) and gait (their movement as they trot in the ring). Westminster is where amateur owner-breeders compete in the show ring alongside paid, professional handlers, and where, in a single moment, somebody's pet can be elevated to international celebrity. In Top Dogs, journalist Deborah Wood chronicles one wacky year of dog shows as competitors plan strategies, stage campaigns, and just plain slug it out for the honor of winning Best in Show at Westminster.