Meet the three pooches competing at Westminster Dog Show

by Sarah Blaskovich , Brentney Hamilton, Tiney Ricciardi

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"Now tell me, which one of these dogs would you want to have as your wide receiver on your football team?"

Not even Winter Storm Nemo is going to keep the The Westminster Kennel Club's 137th Annual All Breed Dog Show from going on. "In the tradition of all good dog shows," reads a memo on the website, "the show will go on."

The Westminster dog show is deeply rooted in tradition. Its debut in 1877 pre-dates the automobile and the lightbulb, organizers cleverly point out. And this year's show includes three canines from Dallas-Fort Worth vying for a top spot.

Meet the pooches en route to New York for the annual event.

Frayed Knot Spikelike (called Bodie), a Russell Terrier from Argyle

With a name like Frayed Knot Spikelike, Bodie seems a heck of a lot easier. Bodie was named because he was bred at Frayed Knot Farm in Arkansas. He looked like his dad Spike, which is how he got the name Spikelike. But at home, he goes by Bodie, a riff off of his breeder's name, Nodie Williams.

Owner Barbie Sullivan said she got into showing Bodie somewhat on accident. A friend asked her to start showing Bodie "just for fun," Sullivan said. "And he won immediately," she said. He's undefeated going into Westminster.

What's Bodie's most interesting trick? "Probably just being cute," Sullivan said.

Margaux's Stacked Deck (called Decker), a Bouviers des Flandres from Fort Worth

Decker was pegged from the beginning as being smarter than the rest, hence his name Stacked Deck. "Like the famous basketball coach Pat Riley said, 'When you are playing against a stacked deck, you'll have to compete even harder,'" said owner Priscilla Martin.

She decided to begin showing Decker, her fourth Bouvier des Flandres, at the recommendation of others. "They were always the talk of the neighborhood just because they are so awesome and powerful looking," Martin said.

What's Decker's most interesting trick? "Decker likes his toys and his people. He plays catch and herds the other bouviers around when he is not showing on the road with professional handler, Greg Reyna," she said.

Grand Champion Bonitos Companeros Halli Galli (called Halli), a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel from Copper Canyon

Handler Ted Eubank can't take credit for Halli's long name. In fact, Halli isn't even his dog. While he was judging in Germany in 2011, he went "bonkers" over Halli. "[I] flipped out and gave him best in show," Eubank said. "I thought he'd do well in the states, so I talked to the owners and said, 'If you ever want to send him over, I'll show him.'" Halli has won 17 Best in Specialty shows.

Eubank lives in Copper Canyon, where the dog has been trained. Once Westminster is over, Halli will go back home to Germany to his owners.

What’s Halli's most interesting trick? "Halli has pretty eyes, a pretty head, and a pretty Blenheim (rust and white) color. But he just floats when he moves,” Eubank said.

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