A Woodland, Wash., woman hopes her dog's win at the Westminster dog show will help preserve a rare terrier breed.

The Daily News ( http://bit.ly/ZaROvb) says Miriam Couto's pup Wesley is so rare many vets have never seen a real life Dandie Dinmont Terrier.

Wesley is a champion in a champion show dog in both the U.S. and Canada.

This year, he was the only Dandie Dinmont competing in the Best of Breed competition at the Westminster dog show in New York City.

His owner is deeply involved in ensuring the breed continues. She even does DNA tests before breeding new litters. She says the testing is crucial to avoid inbreeding, because there are so few of the dogs around these days.

The breed originated along the Scottish/English border and dates back to the 1600s. Once quite popular, they've fallen out of favor since their skills as badger and otter hunters are no longer needed.

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Information from: The Daily News, http://www.tdn.com