A First-Time Westminster Experience: Sandra Drouin and Smiler

For many exhibitors, qualifying for the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is a lifelong dream. For Canadian exhibitor Sandra Drouin, that dream is becoming reality this year, as she heads to New York for her very first Westminster with a dog who means more to her than words can capture.


Smiler isn’t just any show dog. He comes from Sandra’s very first litter of Salukis, making him the first generation bred under her Feinouk prefix in Quebec. From the very beginning, Sandra sensed the bond she and Smiler would share. “I knew we would have a special relationship,” she says. “He loves to be close to me and make me happy.” That bond is evident both in and out of the ring.


Finding out they would be attending Westminster was a moment Sandra will never forget. “When I received the email, I was just speechless. I couldn’t believe it,” she recalls. For a first-time participant, the magnitude of the moment hasn’t been lost.

Like many seasoned show dogs, Smiler has his own pre-ring routine. Before stepping into the ring, he enjoys a good stretching session and, perhaps most importantly, having his bottom scratched, a small ritual that helps him relax and focus before the spotlight is on.