WSC communications professor Jonathan Laner competed in the 149th Westminster Dog Show at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Feb. 10-11.
Laner showcased Guerin, an Irish Glen of Imaal Terrier, who was invited to the show because he finished 2024 as the number one Glen in the country. Guerin ended up receiving an award of merit, which is given to dogs who are of high quality but not necessarily the best of breed.
“I just do this for fun,” Laner said. “So, the goal was just to get a ribbon, and so while I was up against some of the top handlers in the country, it was really rewarding to see the hard work pay off.”
Laner got into dog shows thanks to Guerin’s owner, Dawn Jacobson. Laner grew up showing livestock, but back in 2018, he started to dip his toes into dog showing with Jacobson. This was Laner’s first time competing in the Westminster Dog Show.
“This is the most prestigious event that the American Kennel Club has, and people travel from all over the world to come to this show,” Laner said. “So, it was a little nerve-racking going into this because it’s not just another dog show.”
Laner took handling classes once a week in Omaha to get used to Guerin and work out the kinks he had while showing Guerin. Jacobson taught Laner all about grooming and upkeep so Laner could get him show-ready.
“It was just a wonderful experience, and I was so happy I got to be there and experience it,” Laner said. “It was a bucket list item, and it’s pretty amazing; a small-town college professor in Nebraska got to go to the big city and promote a wonderful breed that’s not well known.”
Guerin is one of only 300 Glens in the United States. Glen of Imaal is a region in the county of Wicklow in Ireland and is most known as the poor man’s farm dog. Their jobs on the farms were mostly to rid farms of vermin and to hunt badgers. It is an ancient breed, and one of the nine native Irish breeds that Ireland recognizes.
“Dawn and I have Irish roots, so just being able to promote something that’s Irish is wonderful, especially in the world where not a lot of people know about the breeding,” Laner said.
Laner is putting dog shows on hold right now, as Guerin is a father-to-be. Laner plans on helping raise the puppies and evaluate which ones carry the “show” gene. Laner plans on competing in a couple of local shows throughout neighboring states this upcoming year.
“The plan is to go local this year and kind of take some time off because dog shows can be a lot of work,” Laner said. “Dog shows are not a sprint, they are a marathon.”
