With dozens of people jammed around the competition ring Monday, Indy's handler took her to the judging table.

If Indy, a Dalmatian whose owner lives in Weldon Spring, seemed nervous about being on a dog's biggest stage, she didn't show it. She yawned and happily wagged her tail as her judge patted her down like a seasoned police officer. Her handler, Paul Catterson, then led Indy around the small ring.

Indy was one of seven Dalmatians competing in the 136th annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Feb. 13-14 in New York City.

Malachy, a Pekingese, was judged Best in Show Tuesday. A Dalmatian named Ian took first place in the non-sporting group competition. Indy finished in the top four among the Dalmatian entries.

"I couldn't have expected (Indy) to do any better," said Indy's owner, Kathy Ryan-Hogan. "I thought she showed beautifully. But when you're up against a wonderful dog like Ian, you know where the prize is going to go. Ian's just a beautiful dog. He has a wonderful coat, a great handler. He certainly looks like a champion."

Ryan-Hogan said Indy is better suited to compete in a larger ring than what was set up in Madison Square Garden. Indy is used to running five miles per day on a tread mill, and her breed naturally has endless energy; smaller rings inhibit those qualities.

"It was a very small ring, and Indy does better in a larger ring because she gets out to a full stride," Ryan-Hogan said. "This ring was almost triangular shaped, so it was only about five steps for the handler and for the dog from one end to the other. To show a Dalmatian's reach, stride and gate, it needs to be a much larger ring."

Ryan-Hogan said Indy didn't seem overwhelmed by the large crowds and hundreds of dogs around her during the competition.

"Indy feeds off the crowd, and I thought she was more relaxed after a week of travel to get there and the anticipation of the show," Ryan-Hogan said. "When I saw her from my seat she was very relaxed, looking around, enjoying seeing the other dogs and playing her games with Paul."

Ryan-Hogan said a dog's markings aren't critical in the judging, but if a dog is undermarked or overmarked, it's subjective to what the judge likes. She said Indy is more medium or heavier marked than some judges like.

"But I wouldn't want Indy to have less spots," Ryan-Hogan said.

After the competition ended, Catterson drove Indy to Des Moines, Iowa, for another dog show. Indy was due to arrive back in Weldon Spring Monday. Ryan-Hogan said that while she wants Indy to take part in more civic activities, like helping the Cottleville Fire Protection District host a fire safety day, Catterson wants to show the 3-year-old more.

"We're at the point with a female dog where you decide to breed her or continue to let her compete," Ryan-Hogan said. "(Catterson) wants to see her shown more because she's peaking. I want to do more of the community work we do with her. I want her to work with horses."