She’s only the second beagle ever to win the coveted Best in Show honor, but Miss P did so by defeating both a rival with White House connections and a pooch belonging to a famed American heiress.
The 4-year-old beagle, crowned top dog at this year’s Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, paid a visit Tuesday to TODAY to show why she beat out more than 2,700 dogs representing 192 breeds and varieties.
"She never lets me down," boasted her handler, Will Alexander.
Some enchanted morning... @WranglerTODAY meets Westminster winner Miss P! pic.twitter.com/CJQ5tM3gDl
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) February 18 | 2015 " title="desktop:
Some enchanted morning... @WranglerTODAY meets Westminster winner Miss P! pic.twitter.com/CJQ5tM3gDl— TODAY (@TODAYshow) February 18 | 2015
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Among those the 15-inch beagle from British Columbia beat out were Matisse, the Portuguese water dog cousin of President Obama’s dog, Sunny, and Rocket, the Shih tzu owned by Patty Hearst. Miss P will now retire from competition, Alexander said.
"She's going to go be a mother soon. And that will be a great thing for the breed and for her," he said.
Miss P, whose registered name is "Ch Tashtins Looking for Trouble," is actually a nickname dubbed by a judge who asked about her name during a puppy class, Alexander said.
"I said 'Payton,' and he said, 'The Devine Miss P,'" Alexander recalled.
Congratulations to Bea-gelle Miss P on winning @WKCDOGS. "P" stands for "Pretty good even tho she is not a basset hound."
— Julie Klausner (@julieklausner) February 18 | 2015 " title="desktop:
Congratulations to Bea-gelle Miss P on winning @WKCDOGS. "P" stands for "Pretty good even tho she is not a basset hound."— Julie Klausner (@julieklausner) February 18 | 2015
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Miss P's victory shouldn't be a surprise to her family: Her great uncle, Uno, in 2008 became the first beagle to ever win Best in Show.
There's no prize money just lots of prestige. And, during her visit to TODAY’s Studio 1A, a chance to upstage Wrangler, TODAY’s Puppy with a Purpose.
Ugh. Typical. I'm meeting Miss P and my hair looks a mess #doglife pic.twitter.com/ijH2sc4Maw
— Wrangler (@WranglerTODAY) February 18 | 2015 " title="desktop:
Ugh. Typical. I'm meeting Miss P and my hair looks a mess #doglife pic.twitter.com/ijH2sc4Maw— Wrangler (@WranglerTODAY) February 18 | 2015
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In addition to Matisse and Rocket, Miss P faced "ruff" competition from dozens of other top dogs.
