Journey, a Colorado Springs-bred grand-champion collie, performs unfazed under the critical eye of the world’s top dog show judges. But offer up a nibble of cheese or a bit of steak, and her composure may crumble.
The collie, owned by mother-daughter dog breeding duo Shelley and Laura Bergstraser, will go snout-to-snout with some of the world’s top pooches next week in the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York.
“A dog like this just goes in and says, ‘There is no other dog on the field. Look at me,’ ” said Shelley Bergstraser, who has been breeding collies for more than 30 years.
To qualify for Westminster, Journey ranked among the top five collies in the nation at last year’s dog shows. She won best of breed at the American Kennel Club National Championship in 2015 and again in 2016. She also The collie competed in Westminster last year, but did not place.
The Bergstrasers and Journey will fly to New York on Friday, three days before the dog is scheduled to compete at Madison Square Garden against other collies for best of breed and, if she qualifies, against other breeds for best in show.
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