Sandy Robins • E-mail

NEW YORK - English springer spaniel Felicity’s Diamond Jim was without doubt a worthy winner of best in show at the 131st Westminster Dog Show. But there’s no doubt that the Dandie Dinmont terrier Hobergays Fineus Fogg, commonly known to his friends and fans as Harry, was unanimously the people’s choice.

He was definitely mine.

He strutted his stuff on the green carpet and played to the adoring crowd doing everything in his own time. Even when he stopped to shake his coat into shape, the crowd roared its approval. He seemed to deliberately avoid eye contact with best in show judge Robert Indeglia. But his body language and typical terrier attitude was saying “Pick me. Pick me!” He even got the crowd chanting “Har-ry. Har-ry.”

Sadly, he wasn’t Indeglia’s doggy delight.

One thing is certain. Even though he won’t be showered with the fame and fortune that comes from being a best in show winner, his appearance on the most famous green carpet in dogdom is going to pump up the best public relations machine for Dandie Dinmonts because the breed is not especially well known. That’s one of the attributing factors to Harry’s charm. Out of the streets, many people don’t realize that he is a special breed at all. They think he’s a mutt!

No offense Harry. It’s just that with his short stubbly legs, a two-tone coat topped with a poodle-styled bouffant hairdo and pigtail ears, he could be of — er, how do I put this delicately — “vague parentage”. I mean, people can’t even get his name right. This week he’s been called everything from a Dundee Dog to a Bandy Dinpot. But no one called him Dirty Harry!

Another reason Harry was such a crowd pleaser is because he’s so different to last year’s winner, Rufus, and to previous Westminster winners in the past decade such as the Newfoundland, the Kerry Blue, the Poodle and Papillon.

Rufus was very popular. However despite his wonderful nature he got a bad rap in the general public for being a dog from one of the “bully breeds” considered to be lean mean fighting doggy machines.

NBC VIDEO Westminster winner Feb. 14: Handler Kellie Fitzgerald and David Frei from the Westminster Kennel Club talk with TODAY's Meredith Vieira about the English Springer Spaniel, "James," who won top dog at Westminster. Today show

From his performance on the green carpet you could tell that Champion Felicity’s Diamond Jim, known as James was a thorough gentleman with great charm. But there was something very endearing about Harry. Let’s face it. He has what’s called the Cute Factor.

So yes, I was disappointed. So was showdog mom Lynda Angelis of Minneapolis. Her Dandie Dinmont terrier Morgan is Harry’s daughter. There are close family ties there and she gave me the inside scoop as to why she considers them to be such special dogs.

“The Dandie is called the gentleman of terriers,” explained Angelis. “They are intelligent and have a wonderful sense of humor. They are great companions and just love people generally. But best all their fur is hypoallergenic and they don’t shed!

“They originated in the 1700s in an area between England and Scotland and are the only dogs with a literary history. Novelist Sir Walter Scott had a character named Dandie Dinmont who owned terriers in his novel ‘Guy Mannering.’”

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