CONFORMATION NEWSMAKERS Monday, February 15, 2016 THEY’RE CONNECTED: Samantha Aimar, of Wayne, MI., and Duke, her Pomeranian, have shown together in juniors for four years. Last year she earned the title No. 1 Toy junior handler, but aged out of juniors in August. So what’s special here? Aimar is deaf.

Toy Group / Pomeranian / GCH Toon Town You Totally Rock Dude

VERSATILE PERFORMER: There is almost nothing that Parker, a Schipperke, owned by Mary Dauven and Jennifer Outhet, of Star, ID, cannot do. This conformation entry is a farm dog/guardian and Outhet’s Velcro dog, too, since she suffered a stroke on her right side several years ago.

Non-Sporting Group / Schipperke / GCH Bonchien Park Place

REACHING FOR RECORD: Inuk, an American Eskimo Dog, will be in pursuit of tying a Westminster record today when he goes after an eighth consecutive breed win. Last year Inuk became the first Eskie to place in the Non-Sporting Group at Westminster. The dog is owned by Sharon Robertson, of Caledon, Ontario, Canada, and handled by Graeme Burdon, of St. Lazare, Quebec, Canada.

Non-Sporting Group / American Eskimo Dog / GRCH Nuuktok’s Atka Inukshuk

NOT TRAINED, BUT . . . : Kasta Pahides, 16, has a Juvenile Diabetes (Type 1) and is involved in several sports, which presents challenges for regulating his blood-sugar level. Loupy, a Berger Picard, gets one of his parents up in the middle of the night if his blood sugar drops too low. Loupy was never trained to do this, yet recognizes something is wrong, say Kasta’s mother, Wadia Mulla, of Media, PA.

Herding Group / Berger Picard / CH Allstars Ewan McGregor

GOOSE PATROL: Thibault (pronounced T-bo) is on the Goose Abatement Committee for Pine Mountain Lake in Groveland, CA. This means the Belgian Malinois goes to the lake as the sun rises and herds the geese into the water. Recently, he found a baby goose entangled in a plastic mesh fence and frantically alerted owner Patricia Richards. Upon reaching the scene, Richards thought it was dead, but seconds later saw it open an eye. With a fisherman’s help, they freed the exhausted goose and it returned quickly to its mom nearby.

Herding Group / Belgian Malinois / CH Emerald’s Thibault le Beau

SHE HAS NO LIMITS: Laura Gilbert, of Warrenton, VA., is a retired NASA biomedical engineer who formerly trained astronauts and designed flight hardware for the Space Station and shuttle. Today, this down-to-earth owner-handler will be guiding Solomon, a Belgian Sheepdog with many specialty wins to his name, about the breed ring. The rest of the year, Solomon also competes in herding and agility.

Herding Group / Belgian Sheepdog / GCH Hobbiton’s Song of Solomon of Laralee

QUITE A COMEBACK: Fanucci, a German Shepherd Dog, shattered his femur last year and the owners Stephanie Schrock, Leslie Dancosse and Autumn Dugan were told he would never walk again, following hours of surgery. It’s a good thing no one told Fanucci, who has the “heart of lion,” says handler Sue Condreras, of Farmingville, NY., who will be gaiting him in the ring today.

Herding Group / German Shep. Dog / GCH Stuttgart’s Now Don’t Refuse Me of Masrock

FOR TITLE GLOSSARY GO TO: AKC.ORG/EVENTS/TITLES/

FROM FARM TO CLASSROOM: The distinctive Bergamasco is one of seven new breeds at Westminster this year. An ancient breed from the Alps, one of its representatives, Pandia, is right at home in the classroom, too, visiting owner-handler Donna DeFalcis’s special-needs children weekly. “She has brought smiles and brightened the life of many children for years,” say DeFalcis, of Langhorne, PA.

Herding Group / Bergamasco / Pandia dell Albera Silver Pastori

PLENTY TO OFFER: Pepper is more than just a pretty face. Aside from having both performance and conformation titles, she a registered therapy dog for her owner and disabled veteran Rob Shaw, of West Fork, AR. Pepper helps Shaw cope with his debilitating anxiety and PTSD. Because Shaw can’t deal with crowds he will be cheering Team Pepper on from home while his wife, Christy Shaw, will be handling their Ibizan Hound.

Hound Group / Ibizan Hound / GCH DC Aliki Notanuff’s Spice It Up A Notch SC LCX

BALLERINA AND BIBLIOPHILE: Paloma, of Moorsetown, NJ., likes to do things her way. In straight racing, this Borzoi goes into the starting box backward. She was fired from the ballet “Giselle” for sitting during the hunt scene, although her owner/handler Valerie Holmes said the audience loved it. She also strutted the red carpet alongside Nobel Laureates and Pulitzer Prize winners at New York Public Library during The Knopf Publishing House 100th anniversary because the company logo is a Borzoi.

Hound Group / Borzoi / GCH DC Chihawk Maschas Dream Of The Wildhunt SC RN

RAGS TO RICHES: Moto, a German Shepherd Dog, was originally sold as a pet in September 2014 but four months later he was repossessed due to severe neglect. At 6 months of age, he weighed only 31½ pounds and had been kept locked in a crate. Last March he went to new owners, Rich Dalzotto and Michelle Linhart, of Venetia, Pa., and Dalzotto’s daughter, Sarah, 13, and Jacqueline Short-Nguyen (who handles him) of New Castle, PA., He is the family’s first show dog. Moto is military slang for “motivated.” Today, at 19 months, he weighs 69.4 pounds.

Herding Group / German Shepherd Dog / Marcato’s Fire Inside

WHAT’S IN A NAME?: When Barbara Gray Lotterhos and Jimmeye Moore, of Houston, TX., selected a name for their Australian Shepherd, they probably didn’t realize how much attention it would attract this year. Meet Trump, named after The Donald on the TV show “Celebrity Appearance.”

Herding Group / Australian Shepherd / GCH Breezy Oaks Celebrity Appearance

A LIFESAVER: Tomi, a Shiba Inu, awoke a household of four the early morning of Oct. 19 in Hicksville, NY., to a house filled with smoke started by an electrical malfunction. All four escaped, along with three other dogs and three birds. “He’s my heart and soul dog,” says owner Julia Haight. “I will worship him forever.”

Non-Sporting Group / Shiba Inu / CH Frerose Tomi Arashi Kage CGC

FILMS ARE HIS THING: Riley, a 3-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, achieved his Canadian championship in one three-day weekend. But he is equally at home on the stage. He starred with Blake Lively in the movie, “The Age of Adaline,” and appeared in “iZombie” Season 2 premiere along with a TV pilot with Roma Downey and Mark Burnett. Riley is owned by Michele Matheson, of North Vancouver, B.C., Canada.

Toy Group / Cavalier King Charles Spaniel / CH Primahaus Diamonds For Kenric

FOR TITLE GLOSSARY GO TO: AKC.ORG/EVENTS/TITLES/