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For over 20 years, Teresa Rolling Radzinski ’86 has been attending the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show as a spectator, but this year, she had a personal stake in the competition: her own Dandie Dinmont Terrier, Madeleine (short for “GCHB CH Von Maser’s Madeleine Of The Heart”), was a contestant. 

Dandie Dinmont Terriers — whose name comes from a character in Sir Walter Scott's novel, Guy Mannering — are a rare dog breed, especially in the United States, where there are fewer than a hundred of them registered. They come in two colors, pepper and mustard. The Radzinskis’ other female Dandie is named Eloise, so when it came time to name Madeleine, they selected another small and feisty beloved children’s book character.

Out of all the Radzinskis’ dogs, it was Madeleine, a pepper Dandie, who exhibited the traits of a successful show dog from the time she was a puppy. 

“In order to show dogs, they can't be fixed,” said Radzinski. “They have to have certain characteristics that make them ideal as a breed.” The judges look at the dog’s appearance and temperament, considering everything from their overall body proportions to their walking gait, hair texture, and teeth.

After realizing Madeleine’s potential, Radzinski decided to become involved with dog shows and met with the top rated Dandie Dinmont Terrier handler in the U.S. She gave her up to a professional handler in July 2022. “He took her to a grand champion bronze and a few points away from silver,” Radzinski said. “Within that short period of time, he’s made her a champion dog.”

Madeleine now lives in South Carolina with the professional handlers at their kennel, traveling an average of three weeks out of four for competitions across the country. 

In May, Radzinski traveled to the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York, where she was able to reunite with Madeleine and watch her compete. The Westminster Dog Show, which first took place in 1877, is the longest-running nationally televised dog show and features over 200 dog breeds. At this year’s show, Madeleine was named “Best of Opposite Sex” in the Dandie Dinmont Best of Breed category. 

“What’s really great is the energy that is there,” Radzinski said of the Westminster Dog Show. “These dogs, when they get to this level, are the best of the best. You can go to this dog show knowing nothing about this breed, but you can pick out the two or the three that are going to win. You can tell by their attitude — it’s all about the relationships they have with their handler. It’s a whole different level when you’re in person.” 

Madeleine, who turns three on July 7, is just getting started. She has a full schedule ahead of her, including a role as the official “spokesdog” of St. John’s County in Florida, where Radzinski lives. On June 1, Madeleine won Best Terrier at the National Specialty show held at the Purina Farms Event Center in St. Louis, beating 296 other terriers from around the nation. She also scored an invitation to the 2024 Crufts Dog Show in the UK, one of the most prestigious dog shows in the world. 

Reflecting on her experience so far, Radzinski shares that the humans are just as enjoyable as the dogs. “It’s been super fun for us, as we now have a circle of friends we didn’t have before,” she said. “There’s a certain camaraderie we have now with these dog owners and their handlers  — it’s been really, ridiculously fun.”