Chester, the tiny dog ‘Mattress Mack’ gave his daughter, set to rep Houston
Laura McIngvale Brown’s dog, Chester, isn’t just any dog. He’s a lean and clean, pint-size winning machine.
“When he’s in the ring, he makes you look at him,” says Chester’s primary dog handler, Alfonso Escobedo. “His tail is wagging, his presentation is tight — he loves what he does, he loves the show.”
When Brown’s parents, Jim “Mattress Mack” and Linda
McIngvale, gave the affenpinscher to their daughter last year as a Christmas gift, they never expected it to become the No. 1 ranked affenpinscher in
America.
Chester won the toy group competition at the National Dog Show in Philadelphia earlier this month, which gives him his category’s highest ranking. On Thanksgiving Day, he’ll be one of only seven dogs vying for the coveted Best in Show title. The winner will be announced on NBC, following the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
You can’t compare dog shows to beauty pageants, Brown says. A dog show is more of a fourlegged look-alike contest — with lots of tail wagging and treats.
“The dogs aren’t competing against each other, they’re competing against a breed standard,” she says. “It’s insanely confusing, like kids sports. Get
ting a dog that can compete at a high level is tough. It’s like saying, ‘I want my son to compete in the NFL in two years.’ ”
Chester’s stats are competitive. The American Kennel Club describes his breed as a “monkey-like terrier” developed in Germany to rid kitchens, granaries and stables of rodents. It’s not the most glamorous origin story, but what affenpinscher’s lack in pedigree, they make up for in intelligence and demeanor. The breed makes great house pets — and they’re darn cute.
“He’s very correct for the breed standard,” says Escobedo, who’s competed with Chester in some 280 shows. “The face for this breed is a very specific, down to a nice, full lip. And Chester has a beautiful body, he’s very sound. His legs are straight and he walks pretty.”
Most weigh less than 10 pounds and have black, wiry fur. Not Chester. His fighting weight is 11 pounds, with natural highlights and volume to spare.
When he trains on his pupsize treadmill ( yes, that’s a thing), Chester’s ombré mane of white, gray and light brown fur fluffs as he pants. A tiny pink tongue hangs from his mouth.
This is a true performer. He’s always “on.”
“Oh, he totally knows,” Brown says of Chester’s instinct to ham it up for attention. “When he’s at home, he’s just a dog. But he loves being in that show ring. He prances and stacks his little body so perfectly.”
Stacking, she explains, is the term for how dogs position their bodies when they’re being judged. From a young age they’re taught to hold a statuesque stance, where to place their paws and shoulders.
Chester’s edge is his personality. His owner says that he’s feisty, fun and kind. For such a petite guy, a sunny disposition helps him stand apart from the pack.
“I’m very excited for Thanksgiving. I haven’t even seen him show,” Brown says. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, spectators
aren’t allowed at this year’s National Dog Show. “Since feeding people at Gallery Furniture has been canceled, I plan to watch the results live with family.”
The McIngvale’s family tradition has been to feed roughly 5,000 at the store every year on Thanksgiving Day, but this year, the annual the public lunch has been canceled.
Brown has six dogs — four Boston terriers, a German shepherd and Chester — two of which are rescues. Her sister, Dr. Elizabeth McIngvale, has a Bernese mountain dog that used to compete in dog shows, and Brown kept in contact with her sister’s dog trainers, Ashlie Whitmore and Escobedo, who own Paws on Jackrabbit, a pet resort in northwest Houston.
When Brown told Whitmore and Escobedo that she wanted a competitive dog with which to get into the sport, the couple recommended an affenpinscher. After a 13-year- old toy affenpinscher named Banana Joe won Best in Show at the 137th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in 2013, the breed became an overnight sensation.
That’s how Brown decided on
Chester.
“Laura’s in dog heaven, that’s for sure,” Jim McIngvale says with a laugh. “Chester is performing better than me, Chester is being treated better than me, and Chester certainly eats better than me.”
It’s true — his daughter’s dog trains like a champion and celebrates like one, too. Chester gets steaks after big shows, though
most days, Escobedo feeds him Purina, the circuit’s brand of choice. And handlers use plenty of bait, aka treats, to maintain the dog’s attention while in the ring.
“This dog racks up some serious frequent flyer miles. He’s always on the road,” Brown says. Because many of the dog shows practice social distancing and are closed to the public, she watches Chester compete from afar via Facebook steaming services. “Alfonso and Ashlie keep him in tip-top shape, especially his coat. He gets blowouts and his nails are kept nice and short.”
Chester receives the royal treatment, though his owner, Whitmore and Escobedo want to debunk another misconception: These are not puppy mill breeds.
“The dog show community is a wonderful group of people who are passionate about dogs,” Brown says. “They are care about the integrity of the breed. We’re trying to make sure that if someone is going to breed a dog, they’re going to do it the right way.”
Only purebred dogs registered with the American Kennel Club can compete in the National Dog Show; 208 dog breeds and varieties are split into seven groups. The show, founded in 1879, has been hosted annually since 1933 — the only year it’s been interrupted, until now.
This year the show was held behind closed doors for the first time. The results, on tape delay, will be televised at noon across all time zones on Thursday.
The odds are in Brown’s favor. Good boys from Houston are on a hot streak. Last year, a 60-pound bulldog with Bayou City roots named Thor was named Best in Show.
“You never know what’s going to happen at those shows, but quality-wise, Chester has big chances,” Escobedo says.
Brown is excited, too, though she says she’s tempering her expectations. She, Chester and Escodedo plan to play the long game — and they’ve got their eyes set on the biggest prize of all.
“I thought this would just be a puppy thing, but to be a top dog, it takes years,” she says. “Dogs will tell you when they’re done showing, and my goal is to win the group at Westminster.”
Chester’s got his pageant wave and stacking routine down. He’s ready for Super Bowl of dog shows, slated for spring 2021. Just don’t call him a beauty king.