Kenny might look like a pint-sized teddy bear but he has the confidence of a big dog.
Owner Yvonne Savard describes her petite Affenpinscher as her partner and "the loveliest little dog" but says he can be very stubborn and feisty.
"Affenpinschers are ratters," she explains of the breed. "They are also guard dogs and have spirit."
V.I.A. spoke with Savard in a telephone interview while she waited in the Air Canada lounge en route home to Vancouver International Airport (YVR) fresh from Kenny's achievement at one of the world's top dog shows in New York.
Kenny: Best of Breed
The pint-sized pooch won his first competition at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, advancing to compete in the toy group.
The annual Westminster show is divided into seven groups: hound, toy, non-sporting, working, sporting, terrier, and herding. Each group has four placements and the top pick advances to the top category, Best in Show.
Kenny won Best of Breed for the Affenpinschers and advanced to compete in the toy group. The Best of Breed or Best of Variety category may consist of as many as 50 entries or as few as one. Kenny earned a third placement in this year's toy group, meaning out of the 25 dogs shown, he was one of the top four.
When asked how Kenny feels about flying, Savard said, "He's used to it. He's a show dog."
The small black canine shows under the name Kick Em Kenny V. Tani Kazari. However, his story started overseas before he started winning ribbons and titles.
Kenny's story started overseas
Savard lives in Pitt Meadows but imported Kenny from a famous Affenpinscher breeder in Holland known for raising prize-winning pooches. Kenny's grandfather, Banana Joe V Tani Kazari, won Best in Show at the137th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on Feb. 12, 2013.
"I fell in love with the breed after watching him," she explains. "I got him in October 2019 and he was my COVID buddy. He went everywhere with me and was my constant companion.
"He kept me laughing the whole way through."
After getting through the worst of the pandemic, Savard took Kenny to competitions across Canada and he became the top Affenpinscher in the country. However, she adds that few Canadians own the breed, meaning he accumulated many of his points in shows by competing against other toy dogs of different breeds.
"Breeds are judged by their breed standard in shows, but not many people have Affenpinschers in Canada," she explained.
A small pup with big dog energy
Under the virtual tutelage of Kenny's breeder, Mieke Cooijmans, Savad took Kenny to compete south of the border in big shows and eventually flew overseas to compete in Europe. After numerous championships and Best In Show accolades, Kenny competed in the 2023 World Dog Show in Geneva with handler Janier Mendoca.
Kenny placed third overall at the World Dog Show, with over 15,000 dogs registered to compete.
Savard noted that one of the European judges said Kenny "walked into the ring like a Great Dane."
"If Kenny was a human, he would take selfies," she noted.
After Kenny returned to North America, he competed in several other U.S. shows with handler Olivia Hodgkinson, winning several Best in Show awards in 2024.
When asked what's next for the nearly six-year-old canine following the Westminster show, Savard says it's time for a rest.
"He's conquered Europe. He's conquered the U.S....and he's going home. I'll play with him now. We'll do some fun things," she said.
