Local dog trainer nominated for CW Dog of the Year

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A local dog trainer has been nominated for the CW Dog of the Year award and will be the subject of a documentary episode as part of the associated series. 

Jennifer Fraser said she received an email regarding the nomination of her show dog, Daiquiri, very suddenly and out of the blue, informing her of the request to film.

“They told me that it’s about dogs who are extraordinary and have gone above and beyond and are dogs who are special in ways that nobody can really understand,” said Fraser. “They picked seven dogs and they want Daiquiri to be one of them. The film crew will be arriving at the end of September.”

Never one to be doing nothing, Fraser has since left for London, Ont. to perform with her dogs and will return to her home in Wheatland County three days prior to the arrival of the film crew. 

Fraser added it was an inspiration from her grandmother that got her into training dogs and competing. Because of this, Fraser asked her grandmother to come out and be a part of the project.

“I’m getting my grandmother to come here because she is the one who has inspired me, from the time I was little,” said Fraser. “One of the very first memories I had as a child was sitting on my grandmother’s knee watching Crufts, which is the biggest dog show in the world. I said to her ‘I’m going to be there one day.’”

The feature of Fraser for the series will be one episode shot in a documentary format, telling both her and Daiquiri’s story. According to Fraser, the story of getting to Crufts and her achievements with Daiquiri is what the feature will be focusing on.

For Fraser, this opportunity is ultimately just the starting line when it comes to media production.

“The more exposure I get, the more these opportunities start coming to me. I also have an idea about making a similar show to ‘So You Think You Can Dance?’ called ‘So You Think You Can Train,’ but I need to find the right people for it,” said Fraser. “This definitely just opens the door for more opportunities for me and my dogs.”

Daiquiri will be featured in the series amongst other dogs such as a bomb detection dog, a service animal and other animals who have gone above and beyond to aid their people. 

Fraser did not indicate when her Dog of the Year feature would be released for public viewing. 

Continuing forward, she intends to pitch a dog show in Las Vegas in 2023, among a host of other projects, and is currently training a puppy who will grow to eventually take Daiquiri’s place when Daiquiri enjoys his retirement after he is too old to continue performing.