LI Westminster judge is Best in Show

There are no losers at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show -- and that's straight from the judge.

Cindy Vogels, the Rockville Centre native who will choose the top dog in the world during Tuesday night's Best in Show competition at Madison Square Garden, says the annual event is an opportunity for the 2,000 canine entrants to get seriously pampered and spend a whole day with their human companions.

Vogels, a '69 graduate of South Side High, still considers herself a New Yorker despite moving west in 1974 (these days she lives in the Denver suburb of Greenwood Village). She had her first experience entering a dog show in 1968 in Westbury -- although she went home empty-handed that time, she continued on in the dog world.

Besides judging, she's a breeder of soft-coated wheaten terriers, one of whom won the terrier group at Westminster in '89 -- still the only wheaten to win that group.

As for her own brood -- she has six dogs, of whom she admits she can be "quite critical" when looking at them with only a judge's eye.

We chatted with Vogels by phone to get her read on judging the ultimate dog competition:

How does it feel to have the ultimate judging assignment in the dog show world?

Judging the breeds at Westminster can get your heart pounding. It's the anticipation, the importance of it in our little world -- and the fact that an awful lot of people who know a lot about dogs are watching you.

What's the hardest thing about judging show dogs?

Every breed is so unique and has to be respected for their uniqueness, so there's a lot of detail (and) each breed must be judged as a unique entity. . . . It's not just about the beauty pageant.

Do the dogs ever get nervous?

Absolutely. Part of my job is making both the exhibitors and the dogs feel at ease. Generally speaking, the more nervous the exhibitor, the more nervous the dog is going to be.

What if a dog flinches or is otherwise hesitant?

It would depend on how hesitant and what's in the breed standard about temperament. There are some breed standards that say tails must be erect at all times. A cocker spaniel should be wagging its tail the whole time, and if they don't, there better be overriding circumstances.

You must get jaded after a while . . .

We all do. We're also the first ones to spot a star on the horizon, and you follow its career and they follow you around the country. It's pretty exciting to see a dog develop. . . . I can still get goose bumps when a special dog comes along.

Do you have any pet peeves in the ring?

I'm not that interested in striking up a conversation with exhibitors in the ring. "Good morning" is fine, after that I'm concentrating on what my job is.

What's the most important quality in a judge?

You don't get it right every time and you make mistakes. Sometimes you go home and say, 'I wish I had done it differently.' Nobody's perfect. But I think you learn from every experience . . . and the important thing is that you are kind and you have integrity.

The Westminster Kennel Club 136th Annual Dog Show

WHEN | WHERE 8 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday and Tuesday at Madison Square Garden, with final groups judging at 8 p.m., followed by Best in Show competition Tuesday night.

INFO westminsterkennel club.org

ADMISSION $45-$150 via Ticketmaster (866-858-0008, ticketmaster.com). Limited tickets available at MSG box office.

ON TELEVISION 8-11 p.m. Monday and Tuesday on USA Network