Clooney the Irish Setter Wins The 2010 National Dog Show

Clooney, the Irish Setter who won Best in Show at the 2010 National Dog Show, is a great companion who loves playing fetch with his handler, Peter Kubacz. Clooney, the exceedingly handsome 3-year-old Irish Setter who won Best in Show at the 2010 National Dog Show presented by Purina, is a fetch addict.

"There wasn't much grassy space nearby to run around in near the expo center, so I had to find a spot in the building where I could throw toys to him," says his handler, Peter Kubacz.

Kubacz and the coppery brown dog are a young team. "We've only been working together since August," Kubacz says. But after going out to visit Clooney and his owners, Patrick and Carol McGarry, in Normand Park, Washington, in the summer, he knew it would be a satisfying partnership.

"Clooney is just a great companion dog and I love having him around the house," says Kubacz, who's family has been breeding dogs for over 30 years. He's been an owner and breeder of Irish Setters for 15 years himself.

"Irish Setters love their people," he says. "And if they're away from their owners for weeks at a time doing shows, as soon as they see them again, they are all over them." His own Irish Setters follow him all over his house, he says.

It probably doesn't hurt that Kubacz knows the breed so well. At the age of 16, he became the youngest person in the history of Irish Setters to handle a dog to a Best of Breed win at the Irish Setter Club of America national specialty competition.

Even so, he can't honestly say he was expecting the win. "We haven't been showing together very long so at this stage, I was hoping to do well -- maybe place within his group -- but I didn't go in looking to win. It just worked out for us."

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