An Australian Shepherd in northwestern Pennsylvania is taking the big stage on the Thanksgiving National Dog Show on NBC.
Fitzgerald, a 3-year-old Australian Shepherd from Waterford whose show name is Shadow Moon Born Ready, spends at least an hour a day getting training and grooming for the National Dog Show. Fitzgerald will be competing against 1,800 dogs for a chance at Best in Show.
“It’s super exciting to have a local dog representing on a big stage,” said Jennifer Niebauer, Fitzgerald’s owner. “People don’t understand how much it takes.”
Niebauer, a 45-year-old Waterford resident, is a physician’s assistant by day and could not be more proud of her show dog’s achievements.
Fitzgerald has already won Best of Breed against all other Australian Shepherds competing. His owner said that on Thanksgiving, he will be in the herding group. This group includes all of the Best of Breed winners from up to 30 breeds ranging from Aussies to corgis and more.
Several groups will be at the show, including herding dogs, terriers, working dogs and non-working dogs. The winner of each group goes on to compete in Best in Show.
How the dog show opportunity came to be
Fitzgerald was Niebauer’s first confirmation show dog. Niebauer and her husband also have six other dogs at home.
A confirmation dog is a canine who is a registered American Kennel Club (AKC) breed. The animal is judged against the established AKC breed standard, and is not judged against other entrants. This judging takes place at a dog show.
This was a new experience for Niebauer, who began working with the Erie Kennel Club, 9457 Wattsburg Road, at the suggestion of Fitzgerald’s breeder, Pat Zapf.
“Erie Kennel Club offers a class … you can take your dog to learn how to show them. Between my breeder’s advice and the guidance from the kennel club, they showed me the ropes of what I need to do,” Niebauer said.
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Zapf introduced Niebauer to the show experience and to handler Jillayne Parnell, who showed Fitzgerald at the local level and will be with him on the national stage on Thanksgiving.
“We’ve learned a lot along the way. Fitzgerald I feel like is a natural showman,” Niebauer said. “He knows when it’s showtime.”
A show dog, yet a regular dog at home
When he’s not getting ready for shows, Fitzgerald enjoys being a regular dog and spending time on Niebauer’s 10-acre farm.
“Fitzgerald loves to be filthy dirty, eating things he shouldn’t, rolling in dead things,” Niebauer said.
Fitzgerald’s show name may be Shadow Moon Born Ready, but at home they call him Pigpen.
“Both the breeder and the handler cringe when he’s home with me because they know they are going to have their work cut out for them when I return him… all of the white fur is usually black and he smells,” Niebauer said.
But, Fitzgerald knows when it’s time to be a real dog and when it’s time to be a show dog.
“The cool thing with him is that being a showman he can run circles in the confirmation ring, but he also does agility with me,” Niebauer said. “We do barn hunt, we do rally, there’s all sorts of dog sports that he does. He’s brains and beauty. That’s a reason Aussies are popular; they’re a great all-around breed.”
Fitzgerald at The National Dog Show
The National Dog Show will air on NBC at noon Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28, and was taped Nov. 16-17 in Philadelphia.
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“I just want to look at him and be so proud, which I already am,” Niebauer said. “There’s not going to be a hair out of place nor a foot out of place and he’s going to be smiling because he loves it.”
Contact Nicholas Sorensen at nsorensen@gannett.com.
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