19 MarEpisode 45 | The Body Builder & the Boston: Joe & Lenny on their journey to Westminster
In 2012, Joe Freni's wife surprised him with a puppy they named Lenny. Lenny, they felt, was simply perfect. In fact, he was so perfect that they decided to start enrolling him in competitions. In the years since, Lenny has received titles both in dog sports and dog shows, the latter culminating in his recent spot in the Westminster Dog Show. Not long after he started showing his dog in the ring, Joe decided to also start showing... himself. In this episode, Annie learns about Joe's journey as a body builder, a power lifting world champion, and as a show dog handler.
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Transcript:
Annie:
So I am here today with Joe Freni of Boston and he is the human who belongs a Boston Terrier named Lenny and Joe got in touch with me because he wanted to tell me a little bit about Lenny and I was intrigued because it turns out both Joe and Lenny are kind of both professional physical perfect specimens. Lenny competes in dog shows and Joe competes and what you might call human shows. He is a bodybuilder and a world champion powerlifter. Of course, you don't normally encounter bodybuilders in the dog show ring, at least as far as I know, so I wanted to learn more and Joe, thanks so much for taking the time to talk today.
Why don’t you introduce us to your dog Lenny.
Joe:
So for anyone who's never met Lenny. He’s a fantastic little Boston terrier he is named after Leonard Nimoy a.k.a. Spock in Star Trek due to the pointy ears and the fact that we’re huge, you know, Star Trek nerds.
Annie:
You know it's funny as I almost named my dog, Lenny, after Lennie Briscoe on Law and Order.
Joe:
No way.
Annie:
And I also once met another dog named Lenny named after Leonard Bernstein. So there are lots of dogs named after people it seems.
Joe:
Leonard Nimoy is also from Boston which we thought was really cool. So Lenny is six and half years old, we got Lenny as a puppy about 10 weeks old, I believe. My wife actually actually got him, she completely surprised me with Lenny, I had no idea that we were getting him. I've always loved Boston Terriers and we actually had three Boston Terriers prior to Lenny so they were all rescues and this was our first first Boston Terrier from a breeder.
Annie:
What is it about Bostons that you like so much?
Joe:
They're such great little dogs. They’re also these phenomenal companions, they’re really athletic, you know, they can be really crazy at times, they're like little gremlins- don't be them after midnight don't get them wet. And you know they’re also really really sweet dogs, they're very, very affectionate. I feel it’s the best of both worlds. You know, I never grew up with with dogs, I only had dogs once I met my wife and once we had a condo we had a place of our own, you know, we rescued Boston Terriers and just absolutely fell in love and, you know, getting Lenny has really been one of the greatest things in my life honestly. We’ve been through a lot together in the 6 1/2 years we've had him and I feel like he's made me a better person honestly. Sounds silly but I just feel he brings so much happiness and unconditional love, you know, to myself and the rest my family and it really brightens my day and now I been able to know over the last several years I've been able to continue building our our really strong bond together by competing in different organizations, different sports, together as a team. And like I said, Bostons are just so versatile and that's one of the reasons why I absolutely love them.I see a lot of similarities between Lenny and myself, my wife points it out all the time. She says that we’re like twins.
Annie:
How did you first get involved in dog sports with Lenny?
Joe:
We decided to start showing Lenny in the AKC, in the puppy class. So we started competing with him at about six months old.
Annie:
What made you decide to do that?
Joe:
Sure. One, we had full registration rights, of course, to show Lenny, for one.
Annie:
Does that mean you bought him from an AKC approved breeder? Is that how it works?
Joe:
Yes, that is that is correct. So there's certain, there's different types of, different types of contracts when you purchase a puppy from an AKC approved breeder and we had full registration rights to be able to show Lenny. The dog cannot cannot be neutered, so all males showing in the AKC as show dogs cannot be neutered, they’re intact.
So we just thought Lenny was a really exceptional looking Boston Terrier, you know, in terms of how close to breed standard he was. And the breed standard, when I say that, each dog breed within the AKC has a Club of America, so you have like the Boston Terrier Club of America and over the years, they’ve refined what they consider breed standard right? Kind of like the model dog, right? Like in terms of appearance, you know, behavior and things like that. So once I start talking about dog shows that's what you're trying to show the judge-that your dog is as close to breed standard as possible. You’re not necessarily competing against the other dogs, you're really trying to show the judge how close your dog is to breed standard.
Annie:
So judges are looking for dogs that conform to the breed standard that have the right shape, the right size and all that stuff is pretty precise, there's kind of this ideal Boston, right, that they're looking for but there's more than that, am I right?
Joe:
AKC dog shows are subjective, in that, there's a judge, you know, and it's not like an agility contest or fast tech contest, where if you're the fastest, you know, if you had the fastest time you win. It's not objective, it's subjective. Right? So yes personality certainly has a lot to do with who the judge will pick in terms of, you know, considering a dog Best in Breed or Best in Group or Best in Show, personality definitely has a lot to do with it. If the dog really looks like they want to be there and very happy, that definitely goes a long way. If they're working really well, kind of, hand-in-hand, almost like a dance team, right, with their owner, either with their owner-handler or their professional handler, I think that also has a lot to do with the judging.
But yes, the judge is looking for, is looking at each dog to see how closely they resemble the breed standard that is set forth by each dog’s Club of America within the AKC. Now they are looking for, you know, in terms of like a bone structure and all sort of different things, in terms of color, of course, there are certain colors that are not allowed to be shown in the AKC, kind of, disqualify colors for a dog, so you have to pass that criteria in order to be eligible to compete in a show. They’re also looking for when you put your dog up on the table, they’ll have you show the judge the dog’s bite. They want to see, you know, how the other teeth look, how that the structure of that is- how close to, you know, to the breed standard set forth by the group they resemble, right.
So it's actually very similar, it's kind of funny, I compete in bodybuilding and there's a lot of similarities between the two because, again, in bodybuilding, you’re not competing against the other guys or gals in the competition, you’re competing to show the judge how close you are to to the criteria that they set within each category.
Annie:
Ah see that’s so interesting. What’s honestly, kind of, weird to me is this idea that there is like a perfect Boston Terrier.
Joe:
That’s exactly right. So in terms of Boston Terriers, for like official standards, there's, you know, there's the general appearance that they, they're making sure that that the Boston Terrier, you know, is a smooth-coated, short-headed, compact. Like Lenny is about 15 pounds, he's very nice, you know, short and compact. He has a short tail, which they’re looking for. A well-balanced dog, Lenny is very athletic and was very muscular; he not only competes in the AKC show ring in conformation, but also has titles on the other end in performance. So he’s very, very right athletic but also looks very presentable in the show ring.
They're looking for, in terms of color for Boston Terriers, looking for Brindle, seal or black in color and evenly marked with white. So, for example, Lenny has a really nice, nice big chest that is that is almost completely white, a nice bright white color and that's why they're called the American Gentleman, it looks at their wearing a tuxedo 24/7, right, so they're always dressed to dress to impress. And that's probably what the judge is looking for. They’re looking for, to make sure that the head is in proportion to the size of the dog and, you know, the expression that the Boston Terriers, they’re looking for a high degree of intelligence, basically. So, you know,nice and showy.
And, let’s see, the limbs have to be very strong and neatly turned. Like I said, the tail is short and no feature, you know, is so dominant or prominent, if you will, that the dog appears badly-proportioned right. So they should show strength in activity and, I would say,. the top four things are, like, expression color and white markings as well as balance, in terms of the general appearance.
And then there is other things, you know like, size, proportion- that the weight is divided in different classes like there is under 15 pounds, 15 pounds and under 20 pounds, I believe, and then 20 pounds not to exceed 25 pounds. So Lenny is, like right, you know, he could go either way the under 15 pounds or he could be right at like a little over 15 pounds.
Annie:
So did you start bodybuilding before or after you started showing Lenny?
Joe:
So I, let’s see, six years… Actually so I started showing Lenny before I got into bodybuilding.
Annie:
And how did you get into bodybuilding? Did one thing relate to the other?
Joe:
So I definitely had, you know, I went through a tough time in my life in 2013-2014, I would say. And I had always been really healthy and really athletic and things, kind of, degraded during those few years due to a number of factors, things that I eventually was able to change because, you know. One because I wanted to, I needed to make some drastic changes and, in 2015, right at the start of 2015 is when I was like okay I need to make some changes especially to you know both my physical and mental health.
I got back in the gym and signed up for the Gold's Gym challenge which is a national competition, so to see who can make the most drastic changes both in terms of both physical and mental health and I was actually a winner at my gym. So it was a three month competition and that really got me started on my fitness journey, if you will. And after that, I had always worked the gyms when I was in high school, when I was in college, always read the magazines- Muscle and Fitness and the Flex magazines and I always wanted to be on stage, always want to be like those guys, but I never thought I could do it. So at the end of the competition, the Gold's Gym challenge, so you know what I'm going to set another goal for myself, this one is going to be a stretch goal and I set it to October 2015.
So I registered, I paid for the other bodybuilding show in October 2015 and, at that point, I was like okay, well there's no going back, you know, I've already paid it, I’ve already committed and I put it online telling people that I'm going to do it and I just felt like that was the best thing that I could've done. I put it out there to the world, I was going to do it. And I trained and I ate properly, I stuck to my diet really well, I trained almost every single day, just super dedicated to it and I actually got up on stage in October 2015 in the NPC, which is, like I would say, the top bodybuilding organization that there is. And then found my true passion in powerlifting, as well. So I'm not only a bodybuilder now but I'm als, I was even, I was definitely more successful in powerlifting, so now I’m a three time world powerlifting Champion.
Annie:
Wow, well do you think working with Lenny has helped you compete as powerlifter, are the two related in any way?
Joe:
Absolutely. There's definitely a lot of similarities between the two, which sounds silly but it's really true in terms of similarities between bodybuilding and dog showing. There's a lot of preparation leading up to the show. You have to make sure that you or your dog’s nutrition is on point, that you’re exercising regularly. That you're staying healthy, that you're continuing to groom yourself probably, especially in bodybuilding there's a lot of, like spray tanning the day of the show or the day before the show to make sure that everything's been looking …
Annie:
Hold on, is there like a dog-equivalent of spray tanning I don’t know about.
Joe:
I mean there's like chalk that people use, like there's white chalk, you know, that people use to accentuate, you know, the white on a dog's coat or there's a lot of brushing that goes along with a dog showing.
Annie:
Is it allow, is chalk allowed?
Joe:
Yes I believe so.
Annie:
What about sharpies?
Joe:
Sharpies?
Annie:
If you need to make the black a little blacker.
Joe:
I’ve probably seen that before, we don’t do it but I've definitely seen it before. There's a lot of things that I've seen that are kinda questionable. Same goes for bodybuilding, as well. I'm sure you can only imagine what goes on during those shows. Like for example in the NPC there's, they don't test for steroids, for example, right? That's actually the reason why I got out of that organization because I don't do anything you know any illegal.
Annie:
You don’t use any illegal stuff?
Joe:
I don't use any performance-enhancing supplements so that's why I transitioned from one organization to another. Not enough to take anything away from the organization, they are the top, but it’s just that the other organization that I compete in, it’s called the OCB, it is a fully tested organization of competitive bodybuilding. So you have to take a lie detector test before the show as well, you know, a urine test as well to make sure that you're not taking any performance-enhancing supplements or drugs and that everyone is competing on the same plain, the same level.
Annie:
You have to take a lie detector test?
Joe:
Yeah, it's pretty crazy.
Annie:
Has Lenny any part in your participation in these kinds of shows.
Joe:
In terms of bodybuilding or powerlifting, like has he been present?
Annie:
Yeah or do you do any lifting that, I guess, lifting him is probably not..
Joe:
We actually have some video of, so I do, in terms of powerlifting, I only do strict curl powerlifting. So that’s where I got the three time world champion.
Annie:
What is strict curl? I don’t know what that is.
Joe:
Sure, so strict curl powerlifting is so.. you have to stand up against a platform, you have make sure that your head, your back and your butt are all touching that platform at all times and there's an easy curl bar, I am sure you have seen at the gym, right, so it’s not a straight bars, it’s got the curves in it. And you have to take that bar off of a platform and you select your weight prior and then you get three attempts to successfully lift this curl bar, depending on how much weight you have, you have to curl it.
You take the curl bar off the rack, you go up against the platform and there's three judges: two side judges to make sure that those three points don't come off of the platform and then there's the head judge. The head judge when he sees that you're ready, you're at a dead hang, when you're holding the bar all the way down with no bend in your arms, he gives you the curl command, you have to curl the weight up, you have to be in control of it. Once you have control, he’ll give you the down command, you bring the weight down in a controlled fashion. And once you have done that, then he’ll give you the rack command and you have to get off the platform and you have to re-rack the weight that you just lifted and if you get a successful green light or white light from all three judges indicating a successful lift, then that lift is considered successful.
Annie:
What’s funny, of course, I feel like if you’re someone who’s really built and you’re in these kind of competitions people must compare you to a show dog. Like that seems like a stereotyped, sort of, thing to say, but maybe there's something to it?
Joe:
Exactly. So, in terms of bodybuilding, I see where.. well there are stereotypes in both sports, in both powerlifting and bodybuilding, so I think your stereotypical powerlifter, right, would be considered not very defined or a very muscular, just more, kind of, a larger person, right, with a lot of strength. And then it's the opposite for bodybuilders, you know. And that's, you know, they’re all show and no go or no strength.
Annie:
Okay.
Joe:
And that’s where you know I definitely try to break those stereotypes, in competing in both because I truly enjoyed doing both and I want to show people that you can do whatever you want to do. If it makes you happy, if, you know, if you're passionate about it and if you have any skill in it, you know, you should put 100% into those things and that's what I do. Not only a powerlifter but a bodybuilder and I think, kind of, break the mold a little bit, as well, in terms of showing dogs, in showing Lenny, as well.
Annie:
It’s certainly not the stereotype that comes to mind. I tend to picture middle-aged women in skirt-suits at these kind of shows.
Now I understand you went to Westminster this year. What was the process of getting to that kind of level of competition?
Joe:
The way that we got into it is that … so if you are.. so One: the top five dogs in each AKC breed in terms of points for the year, they are automatically invited to the Westminster Club Dog Show every single year. In addition to that, if your dog is an AKC champion or above then they are eligible to sign up to compete at the Westminster Dog Show.
Annie:
So which category did Lenny fall into?
Joe:
Lenny fell into the second category. Lenny is an AKC Grand Champion, however, so he has gone, when we started showing him, we eventually were able to get him to his AKC championship and then once we had enough points, once we had additional points and additional majors on Lenny then he obtained his AKC grand championship.
Annie:
Are there financial gains in all of this or is it more about financial losses?
Joe:
So, I think, there are, kind of, two sides to this. So one: we do not stand to make any money from showing Lenny, you know, we’re not planning on breeding him or anything like that. We don't have, we do not breed Boston Terriers. However, there are a lot of people who show in the AKC, who are breeders and they, if they are able, they can spend money on ads within magazines that the judges see, you know, which may help them, you know, in the show ring.
Annie:
People buy ads in advance to encourage judges to think good things about their dog?
Joe:
Absolutely.
Annie:
And that’s allowed? Huh, okay, do you have thoughts on that?
Joe:
That’s the million dollar question. If it’s allowed, which it is, then people can do whatever they want, of course. We did not spend any money this year on ads for Lenny going to Westminster. We had, we trained really, really hard, we have a fantastic relationship both inside and outside the ring and I wanted to show everybody that you can do it without any expensive ads.
Annie:
What are the names of these publications? I'm just curious that they’re taking ads out.
Joe:
That’s a good question. I'm not 100% sure what the publications are.
Annie:
You don’t subscribe?
Joe:
No.
Annie:
In the world of Boston Terriers then, are there certain people that you know of that seem like they're spending a lot of money on ads to promote to judges.
Joe:
So there are professional handlers and then there are owner handlers, you know. So professional handlers are paid to show these dog and a lot of the time the dogs will stay with those professional handlers to help build the relationships which I think is fantastic and professional handlers make a living showing all types of breeds of dogs according to their expertise. Some of them travel the world or the country or even just the region, if you will, at different dog shows and I've met a lot of them and a lot of them are really fantastic people and they;re super, you know kind of, consummate professionals. And I think the dog show community as a whole is a really positive one, I think people are really close, it’s a close knit community especially the breeds, the breed themselves.
Annie:
Tell me about the kind of people you meet at these sorts of shows.
Joe:
I would say there's a lot of very driven people that compete, you know, a lot of very competitive people. The people are, for the most part, are very kind, very supportive of each other and there, of course, very, they love to love their dogs, you know, dearly and it shows both outside and inside the ring.
There's a lot of characters, of course and, you know, Lenny and I definitely try to stand out, in terms of, you know being recognized and not to be flashy or anything like that, just the fact that that we have a pretty unique kind of story and, you know, the fact that I that I do those different sports and I show Lenny as well an owner handler, you know I’m not professional handler or anything like that. I think it's a pretty unique kind of combination and and people definitely you know, not everyone knows who we are, of course, but I think we've definitely made a name for ourselves, thus far, and, you know, I think in a very positive light, we try to be very supportive of everyone else. You know, we've got to know a lot of dogs at these at the shows , especially Boston Terriers and it's funny, I remember dog’s names much easier than I remember people's names, it’s kind of funny. It’s like, “Oh you’re so-and-so's mom or you're so-and-so’s dad.”
Annie:
In the Boston Terrier community do you think there is any truth to the stereotype of people looking like their dogs.
Joe:
I think that people generally will pick you dogs that somewhat resemble them, right, in terms of appearance, as well as kind of personality. That's very very true, not with everyone but if, you know, you look at Lenny and you look at me, you know, I’d say there are definitely a lot of similarities there. Whenever I post any photos on Lenny’s Facebook page, people are like you guys like twins, except for the glasses. Put some glasses on Lenny and that’s pretty much Joe.
Annie:
Seriously, why doesn’t Lenny have glasses!
Joe:
I know I posted today on his Facebook, he was wearing some Harry Potter glasses. So we can get him some glasses and have a side-by-side comparison there. But it's really uncanny and, I think, there's, I think, there's something behind that, why we choose dogs that look similar and have similar personalities to us.
Annie:
Did you have to learn how to run in the ring the way handlers do?
Joe:
Absolutely, yes. There's lots of training that goes into this. I could never just step into the ring with him and show, you know, like he's been taken to many, many classes.
Annie:
Are they classes specifically for dogs who are going to in the show ring?
Joe:
So there are certain training classes that do help you in showing. There's a lot, he’s been to obedience classes, he's been to so many different classes that, you know, and just continuously working on your your craft just like any other sport or activity, after a while things become, I don’t want to say second nature, but things become easier with time in terms of getting, you know, getting back in the ring and showing properly to the judge . And, you know, Lenny is definitely very well trained, very obedient, you know, he has different titles in agility, rally, trick dog, fast cat and obedience and he’s also going for his therapy dog certification right now. So the training classes are both for the dog and for the handlers as well. Everything, you know, is done in a very positive light which I totally agree with.
Annie:
Do you have any mentors in this wild world?
Joe:
Yes. For one, my wife, definitely. My wife is a fantastic owner- handler and, like I said, she has shown Lenny many times as well and she's done a fantastic job and kind of, handed the reins over to me exclusively so that I can show Lenny, you know, just him and I. I've learned so much from her and there are a few other people that I've learned from. And so there's a woman, Tracy at the Silver City dog training facility that I go to Taunton, Mass and she's been fantastic as well, in terms of giving me plenty of tips and, you know, giving constructive criticism and just continuing to work with me to make sure that that I'm fully prepared whenI go to the ring with Lenny.
Annie:
Tell me a little bit about how you have been able to grow Lenny’s following.
Joe:
Oh sure. So we did it organically, not spending nearly any money at all in any ads on Facebook. I know Facebook ads are very underpriced in terms of attention but I wanted to do it organically, right? So in December of last year, so less than three months ago, I created a Facebook page for Lenny and I wanted to basically bring everyone along with us on, you know, the road to Westminster. I feel like the bond that Lenny and I have is really one-of-a-kind. I feel like we've done something special that not many duos have done before, you know, and which is the creative community. You know, within about a 2 1/2 month timeframe leading up to Westminster, we now have 8100 friends. Now a lot of people say, “oh I have eight thousand followers” well we don't consider the people on Team Lenny as followers, we consider all of them friends. We keep it really, really.. it feels like a close-knit community like a very close-knit community, even though it's over 8000 now, which is incredible, over two and half months and I think is really difficult to to get people to you to join your page and and we've done that like is it organically.
I think people can tell we’re really genuine in our approach. I actually love this dog to pieces and I think people gravitate towards dogs more than, you know, a page that is just dedicated to a person. I feel like people find common ground and we’re very, very engaging with our 8000+ friends in this in this community.
We brought everyone along for the ride from training for the show to the actual show itself, you know, going live on Facebook, weekly now. We have a weekly show that we do on Facebook and Instagram now, live, and we're giving everyone, an insider’s look at the entire process leading up to the show and I think people really, really appreciated it. And I think everyone knows about the Westminster Dog Show, just most people, I think, have never actually known a dog, you know, personally and we want to give people that, you know, that experience.
And from there, now that Westminster’s over, it's crazy because everyone has stuck with us in this community and we continue to engage with everyone. we continue to provide value to people, we brighten people’s days. We share photos with each other in posts. And, like I said, it was built not only to highlight the Boston Terrier in a positive light but to also show how versatile the breed is and how dedication, hard work and really loving in the process as well as who you are working with can aid in accomplishing something great and I think a lot of people gravitate towards that.
Annie:
Now I know when you're not showing off your dog or your body, you do IT work, but is there a professional path for you in either of those worlds? Is there like a career trajectory that you're eyeballing?
Joe:
That's a great question. So once I, I have my full-time job here which I absolutely love, it is truly a passion of mine, the work that I'm doing here within the IT field, working for a very large real estate investment company and they have been fantastic to me. I actually love this company and I give hundred percent every single day when I come in to work. I'm just really looking forward to come to work every day.
However, when I get out of work, I am working on, you know, Lenny’s page, I’m interacting and replying to all the comments, you know, replying to hundreds of comments a day because I want to continue engaging with people, I want people to know that I really care, not only about Lenny, but I care about them and I appreciate their time that they've taken. They could be doing anything else, they could be on anybody else's page or out doing, you know, any activity that interest them in and they're taking the time out of their day to to either to comment or like or, you know, engage somehow within the community and I want to return the favor just because I'm so grateful for it.
So in terms of piling it into a full-time job, not sure if that would that would ever happen, but we've been able now that we have a platform, you know, of 8000+ friends on Facebook, over 2000 on Instagram that we’re now raising money for different charities. So we just worked with MIT, the university, and Lenny did a photo shoot, which is… we drove to Boston to do a photo shoot there. So he’s going to be in a calendar by a MIT sorority and they’ve come up with a calendar's, that's called the Good Boys of Boston and the subsequent calendar is going to be raising money for Alzheimer's research, so all all the proceeds from the sale of that calendar is going to go to Alzheimer's research which is phenomenal.
We’re also doing, we created a store, like an online store. We had a great friend of ours who is a digital artist create a cartoon version of Lenny and leading up to Westminster we sold enough shirts and mugs and things like that, which people have been purchasing which we’re so grateful for and that money is going towards Boston Terrier rescue actually.
Annie:
Neat, huh.
Joe:
So we’re able to do a lot of great things, we’re actually trying to work with a very large organization right now to raise money in a new fundraiser for them, for children with rare diseases, so we’re currently working on that as well, we can't wait to unveil that. But we just feel like this is, kind of, the start the start of things to come, you know, and we fell like we can do a lot of really good things in this in this world with this really positive community.
Annie:
So I know you went to Westminster, but how did he end up doing?
Joe:
He did really well. We got a lot of fantastic feedback, even from professional handlers, saying that we definitely looked like we belonged there. Lenny was laser-focused on me, you know, and I him, You know, saying that he moved really well. He looked a lot younger than he actually is.
A kind of a fun fact about Lenny showing Westminster, he was ctually the oldest Boston Terrier this year to compete at Westminster out of all 24 Boston Terriers.
Annie:
Huh, at 6 years old.
Joe:
He was the oldest by 18 months actually.
Annie:
Wow.
Joe:
Yeah, so in addition to that, he was actually the only Boston terrier to also have performance titles as well.
Annie:
What does that mean?
Joe:
It means, in addition to having show dog titles, like Lenny is a grand champion, he has titles on the other end of his name which are performance titles including agility, fast cat and trick dog titles. Meaning that he's done really well in the performance ring and really well within the show ring. And again, I feel like there's a lot of similarities between the two of us there, you know, I’m bodybuilding and powerlifting, it's almost identical. It's really… and I think that that's why we continue to do this, you know, with each other, I feel like we really motivate each other, to keep going, to try and be better, to refine our skills and and and to do and to continue following our passions. I try not to do anything that I don't have a passion for and anything I do, I put 100 hundred percent into it.
Annie:
So did he place…?
Joe:
Okay so in terms of placing, you only know how… once you exit the ring, they only choose the top five dogs, the top five of each breed receives a ribbon, so we did not place in the top five, unfortunately, that's okay, I felt like we did really well. However there are a lot of things that I could have done differently to improve my chances of placing in the top five. I know what I did wrong and, you know, and I received some constructive feedback and we are actually going to be competing next year, we’re going to make one one more run at Westminster 2020 actually.
Annie:
What do you think you could do better next time?
Joe:
There were several things in terms of putting Lenny up on the table where the judge comes over and they're able to get a really close look at your dog so, I think, I put them up on the table too soon and at that point he was maybe leaning over the edge of the table, you know, a bit too much where he should've been kind of nice and square right. And so I could've done a better job there. I feel like Lenny did pretty much everything right, it was me that's giving Letty the guidance and there were things that, obviously since I didn’t place on top, that I thought I could've done better.
There were other things where instead of me, you know, keeping Lenny tighter on the lead, closer to me, he likes to be let go a little bit and he likes to get out in front and be able to show off the nice gait he has and I don't think that I that I put in the best possible position to do that, so that's on me and that's something that I'm continuing to work on and that will improve the next time we step in the ring.
Annie:
So if people want to learn more about you and Lenny, where should they go?
Joe:
They should go to Facebook and search for “Lenny the Boston” and you'll see the Facebook page and you can, if you like it, it allows you to follow the page. And then you'll be a member of our awesome community and we would greatly appreciate that. You can also find him on Instagram, his Instagram handle is puppy_kid.
Annie:
Cool, well thanks so much for sharing your story, Joe.
Joe:
Awesome. Thank you so much of this opportunity. I really greatly appreciate it.
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Annie:
Our Woof Shoot Out today goes to my favorite Boston terrier who’s name is Reggie. Reggie started coming to School for the Dogs when he was just the tiniest, cutest, little puppy, I can’t believe that was five years ago! He was one of the first regulars in our Day School program and he has a lot of fans at School for the Dog. A couple of years ago, he had to get a very risky surgery because he had some very bad cataracts and they weren't sure the surgery was going to work and we ended up doing all kinds of training with him to help him be prepared for a life without vision. But the surgery ended up being successful and now from what I can understand he sees quite well. He recently moved uptown and we miss him a whole lot, he does occasionally come visit us at School for the Dogs and we’re hopeful that he'll move back downtown soon.
Fun dog fact of the day: actually I have two fun dog facts, actually I can think of three fun dog facts about Boston Terriers. One is that they're not actually terriers and the other two are things that I learned from the website, The bostonterrierclubofamerica.org. One is that before they were called Boston, in the mid- 1800s, they were actually Round Heads. And the other is that several of the first female Boston Terriers the first bitches were named “Kate”, which is a fact I like because that is my better half at School for the Dogs, Kate Senisi. I can’t say I have ever met a dog named Kate before but if you have a Boston and are looking for a good name, Kate is a name that is quite important to the breed.
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