Connie Newcomb is a lifelong dog lover and recent empty nester who, in less than a year, turned a neurotic, man-hating Chihuahua puppy into a champion, ending up at Madison Square Garden’s annual televised Westminster Kennel Club dog show with an Award of Merit for her second champion. She owns and has handled four champion Chihuahuas.

Ms. Newcomb was born and raised in north Jersey near New York City. She had two dogs growing up, a perfect German Shepherd and a less-than-perfect Chihuahua. She traveled a lot as a child, especially to Greece, where she has family and where her father was born and raised. She has always loved sailing and appreciated good food.

Newcomb was an avid singer for years, performing many times with the Masterworks Chorus at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. She graduated from Villanova University with a degree in teaching. She taught history for a time before getting married and moving to Pittsburgh, where her husband attended medical school.

Their first child was a four-legged one, Simon the Pembroke Welsh Corgi. After that came two human children, Margaret and Andrew. The family moved to Allentown, where Ms. Newcomb became a stay at home mom as well as member of the school board, club tennis team, and volunteer.

After the children moved away from home, Newcomb was looking for something else to occupy her time. The family had always loved going to the Westminster Dog Show in NYC, and to be a part of it was a sort of fantasy for them. Newcomb became involved in the dog show world by chance with the help of a friend and mentor.

From one show dog came two, three and eventually six, four of them are now champions. Rocky and Bill are grand champions. Connie continues to show Rocky who was ranked the number two grand champion Chihuahua in Pennsyvania last year. Ms. Newcomb also dedicates alot of her time to shelter dogs. She shares her life with ten dogs, two are rescues. She has appeared on Good Day New York with her Japanese Chin Yoshi, who was featured in Kate Lacey’s Show Dogs: A Photographic Breed Guide. She enjoys writing and blogging about her dogs. Connie is a certified Reiki technician for both humans and animals. Ms. Newcomb shares her home with her furry family and her husband, Jim.

For media guides and high-rez photos, please see our Press Center.