A canine with from this community ran to the end with the big dogs at the prestigious Westminister Kennel Club Show Feb. 16-17.
Matisse a Portugese water dog co-owned by Donna Gottdenker of Claircreek Portuguese Water Dogs reached the finals for Best in Show, but failed to claim the overall title, which went to Miss P, a beagle from Brititsh Columbia.
For Matisse (full name Platinum GCH Claircreek Impression De Matisse) the New York event was the culmination of a career which has seen him become the most winning male show dog in US history.
Born in 2011, Mattise has been the road pretty much constantly for the past few years with handler Michael Scott, racking up an amazing 238 all-breed best of show titles.
For Matisse, it was the third time in the Best of Show ring at Westminister. Make that cut is an arduous process that begins by winning first breed, then group categories.
“At Westminister it’s a really big deal to win breed, the first one,” said Gottdenker. “It’s quite remarkable and he’s won that three years in a row at Westminster.”
Gottdenker said Matisse has some rare attributes that have allowed him to excel in the show ring.
“There are a lot of things about him that make him a special dog. He’s a one in a million dog,” she said.
“There’s so many things that go into the whole thing that would make that happen, and it’s a miracle that it would all come together. The first thing is the dog himself, the second thing is the people around him and the handler and the condition of the dog … The stars were all aligned for him. It’s quite amazing.”
An even temperament and a strong work ethic are among Matisse key qualities, said Gottdenker.
“He’s a typical Portuguese water dog but he has the best work ethic of any Portuguese I’ve ever met and I’m a breeder,” she said, adding “He just works his heart out every time, no matter how many times he has to show in one day.
After two full years on the road, Matisse headed with Gottdenker to Naples, Florida for a well-deserved vacation with Gottdenker and will be returning to Arthur with her in the spring. At this point, she notes, the master show dog is pretty much retired. While he may go in the odd show, his days of competing every weekend are over, said Gottdenker.
“He’s been out for two years. He’s done every thing, except (win Best of Show at) Westminster. We were really hoping for that, but anything can happen at Westminster.
Gottdenker, meanwhile, has other dogs on the show circuit as well as tending to her breeding and training operation in Arthur.
To contact Claircreek Portugese Water Dogs email: claircreekpwds@gmail.com.
