GRATTAN -- When he stepped into the ring for his first dog show exhibition in Flint a few years ago, Larry Jensen quickly learned how to get a grip on his sport. It started by letting the judges get a grip on his dog, Parker. Parker was the prize Tibetan spaniel with whom Jensen and his wife, Jane, had committed to winning a championship. But things that first day quickly slipped further into amateurism in a high-powered sport. "Parker jumped up onto the stacking (examination) table and then wouldn't let the judge touch him," said Jensen, 59, with a laugh. "The judge looked at me and said, 'You have the best dog here but he can't win if I can't touch him.' "Parker had never been touched by another human being other than ourselves and the judge was right -- he didn't win. We spent the rest of the day asking people to touch our dog."

Next week the Jensens officially serve notice that they've learned to play with the big dogs when Jane will be in the show ring with Belle, another member of the couple's Tibetan spaniel team, at the 132nd annual Westminster Kennel Dog Show in New York City's Madison Square Garden. The Feb. 11-12 event is one of the nation's most prestigious sporting showpieces, its oldest dog show and its second-longest, continuously-held sporting event behind only the Kentucky Derby.

"Anybody can do this if you have a dog you can believe in," said Jane, who became the team's show person when the couple found that she had the patience and the presence to show and compete against even professional dog handlers. "We went into this for the love of the dog and for the love of the breed and, when I show, that's the focus I have. "When we're in the ring, it's just me and the dog."

The history of the Tibetan Spaniel breed goes back to 17th century Tibetan monastery dogs known as "little Lions" and often presented to the palaces of China and other Buddhist countries as gifts. Though recognized as an American Kennel Club breed and eligible for competition in 1984, they are not easily shared amongst breeders. "We had a Pekinese that was ill and dying," recalls Jane, 53, "and while watching the Westminster show on television we heard the story of the Tibetan Spaniel breed. But then no one would sell us one.

"We finally found a breeder in southern Ohio who agreed to sell us Parker, but only with the agreement that he win a championship within two years or he would have to go back to the breeder." Hence, the quick learning curve in the first-time show ring for Larry, who has now gravitated to his role as team manager, arranging show trip details such as December's Eukanuba National Championship in California. Despite the occasionally long miles and expense, the Jensens maintain the sport is an easily accessible venture for a dog lover.

"Show entry costs are generally around $30 and most shows are on weekends, so you can plan ahead," said Jane. "It can be a family sport and a sport in which small children can easily get involved. In fact, many dogs are shown by 14- and 15-year-olds. If you have a love for dogs, it's easy to fall in love with this sport." All the way to Madison Square Garden.

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