Louis the Japanese Chin, coached by Morris’s Hoaglund, takes best of breed at Westminster Dog Show

Louis, a 3-year-old Japanese Chin trained by Matthew Hoaglund of Morris, won Best of Breed for Japanese Chin at the Westminster Dog Show at Madison Square Garden.

For Hoaglund, a dog groomer and breeder who runs That Doggie Salon at 1565 W. US Route 6 in Morris, training and grooming a dog that’s performing at Madison Square Garden is a dream come true. While it wasn’t his first time there, Louis was the most successful dog he’s ever shown there.

“It was an honor to go,” Hoaglund said. “We knew he was good, and we just hoped we showed well because it’s very stressful. It’s very loud and there’s a lot of people. He showed great.”

Hoaglund shows Louis, whose full name is Chic Louis Vuitton, for Vicki Dovellos out of Valparaiso, Indiana.

Louis spent his day that day with Hoaglund waiting, mostly: Hoaglund said the Westminster Dog Show takes a lot of time because it’s televised. Louis competed in the toy group on Monday.

“I was terrified because I didn’t know how he’d handle a sold-out crowd, screaming and yelling with emcees booming over the intercom and the jumbotrons and the cameras spinning around,” Hoaglund said. “It didn’t faze him. He did really well.”

It’s the largest show Louis has competed into this point, and he’s been showing since he was 6 months old, which is when he started working with Hoaglund.

“We always thought he had potential to be a great one, and he’s turning out to be,” Hoaglund said. “He’s won best in shows, and reserve best in shows, and specialties. He’s a great champion.”

Hoaglund said Louis participates in competitions and showings just about every weekend: They traveled together to Des Moines last weekend, just days after returning home from New York City, and they’ll be traveling again this upcoming weekend.

“A lot of times, we’re in dirty barns,” Hoaglund said. “They’re not always the glamor and glitz of the Garden.”

Hoaglund has been showing dogs since 1993, starting after attending a dog show and getting invited back by some new friends to learn the ropes. He’d had pets and a few dogs growing up, but he’d never done any kind of formal training or grooming. He moved to Morris in 1999 to be closer to his family and opened up shop originally as a mobile dog groomer. He’s since settled into the building behind That Perennial Place.