Grooming Championship Dogs

It's like a pageant where beauty and perfection are everything. "They are like runway models basically, they love to do this, they really do," said Marcello Veras a dog handler from Ocala. Welcome to the world of Championship dogs, where the canine competitions are a sport and most pooch handlers will tell you this is their lifestyle.

"I've been to China, Mexico and I take the dogs all around with me, we do the world shows," said Anita Green who is also paid to handle dogs, a job she has proudly done for well over a decade. Today she is about to show Skyler, a 9 month old Standard Poodle who comes from a direct line of breed champs from Germany. "This is a puppy trim," as she runs her fingers through her dog's thick coat. "We put the bands in and this holds the hair up. And then we take hair spray and spray this straight up." Everything is sprayed from the dog's head down to her tail. Her coat is also carefully trimmed to breed specifications. "The two balls in the back are called rosette's, the one's around the ankle are called bracelets," said Green.

Little "Marshmallow Sundae", a 2 year old Maltese, looks more like a throw rug after having his coat straightened with an iron. "During the week when we are not in shows, he's wrapped up in paper wraps . We wrap the hair like little curlers," said Barbara Cantlon, the little dog's owner.

"It is 10 minutes before the Standard Poodles have to go into the ring. Their hair is perfectly prepped and that is why the handler is holding the dog by the muzzle.. So they don't mess it up," reported CBS 12 anchor Juan Carlos Fanjul. "It takes a lot of talent to present an animal looking it's very best," said Pat Boyd, president of the Jupiter-Tequesta Dog Club which sponsored this dog show held at the South Florida Fairgrounds. They are also judged on their behavior and temperament, like this Cocker Spaniel who wasn't bothered at all by our camera.

Show-time for Skyler who enters the ring with attitude and showmanship. "The judges look for the animal that most represents their breed in their eyes," said Boyd. Anita runs with Skyler, to show off the poodles physique. In the end, a different dog gets the judges nod. "We are second. She was hopping all over the place, not keeping her legs in line, kind of all over the place," said a dissapointed Green.

As a puppy, Skyler has a lot to learn in the ultra-competitive dog show circuit but her handler says if she can handle the all-day prodding, she will be a star. "Do you think dogs like this?" asked Fanjul. Green replied: "You know, she does. But not all of them do, they have to have that charisma to be in the ring." Veras said: "The show dogs are born to do this. They really love the attention, love to be out there, the clapping , the noise."