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Walker County, Georgia, woman takes three dogs to the AKC National Championship

Photo contributed from Christina Miller / Christina Miller has been raising dogs and competing with them as a handler since she was 7 years old. Cayman, pictured here after a successful competition in 2014, is one of the dogs she has been closest with over the years.
Photo contributed from Christina Miller / Christina Miller has been raising dogs and competing with them as a handler since she was 7 years old. Cayman, pictured here after a successful competition in 2014, is one of the dogs she has been closest with over the years. Photo contributed from Christina Miller / Christina Miller has been raising dogs and competing with them as a handler since she was 7 years old. Cayman, pictured here after a successful competition in 2014, is one of the dogs she has been closest with over the years.

By Kelcey Caulder 6 min read

Walker County resident Christina Miller grew up raising Great Danes with her parents and began competing with them in dog shows when she was 7.

Now she is preparing to take on the competition this weekend at the American Kennel Club National Championship in Orlando, Florida. It is the 19th time that Miller and her dogs have competed in the competition, which she said is “like our Super Bowl and Stanley Cup combined into one.”

“My parents bred and showed Great Danes before they had me, so I have been active in these events in one way or another since before I could walk,” Miller, who has since introduced her own children to the sport, told the Times Free Press during a phone call on Thursday. “I have been doing this a long time and am happy to say we now have four generations of family involved in it. It is really special to me.”

(READ MORE: Chattanooga animal shelters are at or near capacity)

More than 5,000 dogs will compete at the AKC National Championship this weekend, according to the competition’s website. Among them will be three dogs trained and raised by Miller – Gamora, Cayman and Datak. All three dogs are Canaan dogs, a breed of pariah dog first used for guarding and tending cattle and sheep.