Have you been wondering why Kody has yet to get a haircut? Or why training for him has been so important?

To give you some perspective on Kody’s latest feat you must understand that Kody comes from a champion line of Tibetan Terriers—as in No. 1, national award-winning Tibetan Terriers. His parents could be called regal and the prance and good looks are all in his blood. Kody’s breeder was hopeful that we would show him, beginning as a puppy, so he can earn points and move up in the ranks. It’s a lot of work to keep Kody groomed and ready for show, but his four different performances over the weekend made it all worth it. Kody was a star!

And Kody most definitely has swagger! You should have seen him in the ring. Prancing around as though he has been doing it for years, and the boy is only 9 months old.

I will admit that I was at first quite skeptical of Dog Shows. They initially reminded me of Toddlers in Tiaras, but for dogs. However, I soon realized that all of the dogs at the shows are incredibly well-behaved, well-cared for and just normal dogs that have come to appreciate when the spotlight is on them. The owners work very hard to make sure their dogs are comfortable and happy, which is something I deeply respect. And the dogs get to take center stage and make their owners proud. It is truly an incredible thing to witness.

The shows Kody attended in Wheaton and Rosemont were not quite the caliber of a show such as Westminster, but very professional nonetheless. I was nervous for Kody as he was out in the ring and all those judges were looking at him, but he was calm, relaxed and just appeared very happy to be there. I am telling you, he’s a natural. This stuff is just a part of who he is.

Don’t worry, though, the crazy, delinquent Captain Kody you have all come to know and love returns just as soon as we walk through the front door of our house. His running around, sneak-attacking Christmas lights and hiding his toys on Saturday after we got home prompted my Dad to shout, “He’s baaaaack! Koders is home!”

Over the weekend, Kody, known in the ring by his lineage name "Ascot Gold Cup," earned the maximum amount of points possible and even came home with a few blue ribbons! He probably couldn't care less about the ribbons or the points, but he sure made his family and his breeder proud. We will keep you posted as Kody’s feats in the ring continue and hopefully he is able to compete in agility and rally competitions, as well.

So if you see Kody around town, please put your paws up and show him some swagger!