By Rebeccah Cantley-Falk
Staff Writer of the Dallas Morning News
When Daniel Jones Cooper decided he wanted a Cavalier King Charles
Spaniel dog, he had no clue how difficult it would be to find his next
pet.
His search began in October, and as time went on, he realized he wasn't
just looking for a pet. He wanted a champion.
"The difficulty it took to find one was so intriguing," he said. "It
just added coal to my fire. I was determined that I was going to find
a dog and a nice dog."
In March, Mr. Cooper's search ended when he found his dog, Bea. She
wasn't exactly a champion.
Mr. Cooper, who worked as a cruise line director, said he first became
interested in Cavalier dogs when he saw them in a neighbor's yard. He
was away from the country for eight years because of his work, but when
he returned in 1997, he decided to purchase a Cavalier.
Since finding his dog, Mr. Cooper and Bea have been in training together.
The Highland Park man said he started preparing for dog shows even before
he found Bea.
"Even before I got her, I would go to these shows in Los Angeles, Atlanta
and Virginia, and I would just sit there and watch," he said.
"I read 11 books on Cavaliers and tried to educate myself with anything
I could get my hands on. I was intent."
In June, Mr. Cooper and Bea competed in San Antonio at their first American
Kennel Club show. The American Kennel Club maintains a registry of purebred
dogs and sanctions dog shows throughout the United States.
Mr. Cooper said Bea walked away one point shy of becoming a champion.
Bea won in several categories, including Winners Bitch, Best of Winners and Best Opposite
Sex.
Mr. Cooper said Bea's success was a welcome change from their first show
in Fort Worth.
"It was a fun show, not sanctioned by the AKC," he said.
"I was told everything that I thought might possibly be wrong with me and
my dog. We walked out of there with zero confidence."
After that show in Fort Worth, Mr. Cooper said, he was back in training
with Bea.
"I still had many miles to go," he said.
"If we win, that's great," he said. "If not, I always try to keep in mind
that we're there to have fun." --Daniel Jones Cooper
"So, I was back in class that Monday and I was determined. My job was to
learn how to take Bea and present her to the judges in the best possible way I could show her
accentuate the positive and try to eliminate the not-so-desirable traits."
Francine Gaynor, a trainer at Willow Run Kennels who has been working with
Bea and Mr. Cooper since March, said they have overcome several challenges.
Most dogs are trained as puppies. Bea is about 2 years old and had never
been trained.
"Bea was shy and timid," Ms. Gaynor said.
"It was difficult for her to be handled by strangers."
"The adage that you can't teach an old dog new tricks, well you can," Mr.
Cooper said.
Mr. Cooper said pet Cavaliers range from $1,500 to $2,000. Show-quality
dogs cost $2,000 and more, he said.
Bea and Mr. Cooper are to compete this weekend in their second AKC show in
Houston.
Mr. Cooper said he celebrated their last win with a glass of iced tea,
while Bea munched on chocolate chip dog cookies.
"If we win, that's great," he said. "If not, I always try to keep in mind
that we're there to have fun."
As Bea napped on the chair beside him, Mr. Cooper looked her way and said:
"They really are sweet dogs. It would've been different if I had bought a dog that had
been seasoned and trained.
"This is my passion -- taking something, molding it and creating a
winner."
Ms. Gaynor said Bea and Mr. Cooper represent a rare winning combination.
"It just doesn't usually happen like that," she said.
"You don't win with an unknown dog and you don't win with an unknown
handler. They did all of the above."
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