Local canine hits it big time at Westminster Dog Show

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MUNCIE — Let’s get one thing straight: As dogs go, Gypsy is adorable.

That might not be your initial impression of competitors in the prestigious Westminster Dog Show, where some of the canines seem to be so made up, slicked down, combed over and otherwise prettified, they look more like Star Wars characters.

But no, Alan Hargrave’s border terrier looks like an actual dog.

What’s more, her recent exposure to the Big Apple limelight notwithstanding, she’s not some snooty pooch princess looking down her snout at you, either.

“She’s my pet,” said Hargrave, Ball State University’s associate vice president for student affairs and Gypsy’s owner, trainer and handler, between the dog’s enthusiastic smooching.

What’s more, she shared some slightly sloppy kisses with a visiting reporter, too.

That’s not to say she’s some wimp, though.

“When they see a varmint, they are all terrier,” Hargrave said. “Their hunting drive is so strong, you have to have them on a lead or in a fenced yard.”

But why wouldn’t it be? As he explained, border terriers were originally bred in the border area between Scotland and England to kill foxes. Riding on the horse with the fox hunter, they would be dropped to the ground when the fox bolted into its hole, then go in after it.

For that reason, border terriers are of compact build, with Gypsy weighing in at about 15 pounds.

“A man’s hands should be able to get around a border terrier’s chest,” Hargrave said, forming his into a circle to illustrate how small it must be to fit in a fox hole.

Other judging points, he said, include the dog’s “angles” and “top line,” things that can already be seen when they are mere puppies, plus “how the head looks.”

“Seen from the side, they should have a head like an otter,” he said.

Border terriers also boast a “harsh coat,” Hargrave explained, a wiry, weather-resistant one from which mud can be easily cleaned. It is maintained, he continued, by hand-stripping away her long hairs every week.

“They look like woolly hedgehogs when you let them grow out,” he said.