Valentino visits Tim Lehman and Snapshot backstage.

It’s that time of year again, when stylish specimens flock to the Big Apple, perfectly poised and immaculately coiffed. And no, we’re not talking about Fashion Week.

Yesterday, the Transom stopped by the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, where our favorite Upper East Side duo, Tim Lehman and Snapshot, were making their Westminster debut. The best of breed events were taking place, for the first time, at Piers 92 and 94, with the main events—Best of Group and Best in Show—taking place Monday and Tuesday nights at Madison Square Garden.

At Pier 92, where the smaller breeds were competing, we spied Snapshot and some other competitors stationed near the entrance at an impromptu Maltese grooming station. Mr. Lehman had his headphones on and was deep in focus as he combed Snapshot’s silky mane, his client lying prostrate in dutiful compliance. A crowd had gathered around to observe the deft handiwork, so we decided to take a lap and see what else the show had on offer.

We ran into Pat Stoltz, publisher of Pug Talk magazine, hanging out with her rotund pug Buddha, whose official  name is “Grand Champion Careva’s Boodelicious.” While Buddha comes from a long line of champions, he had failed to sail to victory in the best of pug contest earlier in the morning.

“He got a good look, but an older, more mature, very nice dog won,” said Ms. Stoltz. But the doggie devotee made it clear that she isn’t in it for the ribbons, but for the love of pugs. “They always make you smile, they have yet to meet a person or another animal they don’t like, they’re the best house pet you could have,” she said, but not before adding a disclaimer, lest the Transom run out to adopt one instantly. “They certainly aren’t the sharpest crayons in the box.”

We took a brief detour to the much smellier interior of Pier 94, where the bigger dogs were being shown, and fell in love with a massive Old English sheepdog named Herbie, or ‘Ken-Bear’s Grand Champion Herbie the Love Bug.’ While Herbie had also not come away a best of breed winner (although a fellow English sheepdog would go on to win ‘best herding dog’ at the evening’s festivities), the fuzzy giant is a bit of a star in his own right, serving as the inspiration for a novel, Strongheart, which instantly catapulted to the top of the Transom’s reading list.

“It’s about a dog who was a coward who faced his fears through learning Native American legends,” explained writer/owner Laurice LaZebnik.

After Herbie posed for pictures with fans, Ms. LaZebnik told us about their future plans. “We’re talking about retiring him and making him in to a therapy dog, to visit hospitals and nursing homes” she explained. “He has the right disposition for it. He’s very caring and gentle.”

Finally it was time for Snapshot to make his big debut. We might be biased, but seeing the little guy trot out into  the ring, followed by six other identical Maltese, we swore that his hair looked the silkiest by a mile. At least some of our fellow spectators seemed to agree.

“My friend says let’s go watch my hairdresser, he has a little dog who wins everything,” said one smartly dressed onlooker. “I said ‘that dog has perfect hair, that dog doesn’t have one hair out of place!’”

As the furry white bundles marched out like tiny models, the pomp and circumstance of the event truly did remind us of a Fashion Week runway show (although with a lot more mid-show snacking). After a few laps around the ring and a rather invasive inspection on a pedestal, with enough ball cupping for a TSA screening, it was time for the verdict.

We guess our dog instincts have improved as of late, because all of a sudden, with a quick point of the judge’s hand, it was all over and the winner had been named: Snapshot ‘Champion Ta-Jon’s Pawsitively Paparazzi” was named best Maltese.

As a crowd of fans swarmed around to congratulate him, the Transom edged in to ask Mr. Lehman how he felt about the victory.

“Thank God,” said Mr. Lehman, with a laugh, before changing his tone. “No, we’re thrilled.” he said. “We’re very excited for tonight but the best of breed was enough—we’re good.”

Sadly, Snapshot did not ultimately win best ‘Toy’ breed later that evening—that honor went to a stout, sporty little fellow called an Affenpinscher, who looks like no stuffed animal we’ve ever had—but Snapshot did make the first cut as one of eight finalists.

“The best of breed was everything we could have hoped for,” said Mr. Lehman when we spoke with him today. “And because he made the cut in the toy group, to be acknowledged among the eight top toy dogs in the country was a great honor for him” he added. “For both of us.”

And while he may not have been bestowed the highest honors in the dog world, among those in fashion circles, Snapshot remains top dog—as one particular backstage cameo illustrates.

“Valentino came backstage and he thought he was so beautiful,” explained Mr. Lehman “He just admired him and his beautiful hair.”

Tim Lehman and Snapshot. (Photo by Shao-Yu Liu.)

Snapshot, a two-and-a-half year old Maltese, sat perched quietly on a purple pedestal like a small, fuzzy royal. The Transom was in the cutting room of the Sharon Dorram at Sally Hershberger Salon on the Upper East Side last week, where Snapshot spends his days and where his owner, Tim Lehman, works as a stylist.

The salon, with its plush pink curtains, crystal chandeliers and vases of orchids—the place is a favorite of elite clients like Christie Brinkley and Linda Evangelista —is hardly your average doggie day care. But then Snapshot is not your average Maltese. Snapshot—registered name: ‘Champion Ta-Jon’s Pawsitively Pawparazzi’—is set to make his debut at the 137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, which starts Monday at Madison Square Garden.

“Basically the entire year, in the back of our minds, is always Westminster,” explained Mr. Lehman. “It’s the Kentucky Derby of dog shows.”

Westminster is a steep challenge, especially for a rookie like Snapshot. However, Mr. Lehman hopes that a life spent mingling with the city’s elite will give the well-coiffed canine a jump on the competition.

“When I was younger, I loved working with hair—that’s why I showed the dogs with the long hair,” explained Mr. Lehman, who has been showing dogs at Westminster since he was 13. “And when I got older, it made more sense to go to people. But I’ve always loved the hair.”

Although he’s had many dogs over the years, his first love was the Maltese breed, whose silky, flowing white locks are a hair aficionado’s dream (if the average grooming-averse dog owner’s nightmare). “I always liked the process of that; I found it more challenging and rewarding,” said Mr. Lehman of the intensive maintenance involved in showing a dog like Snapshot.

Certainly Snapshot’s grooming ritual is at least as demanding as those of the socialites who grace Mr. Lehman’s chair. Sitting in the salon, Snapshot’s hair was pinned back with colorful wrappers to keep it from breaking, rather resembling an old lady getting a perm. His wrappers get changed every day, he is brushed daily to prevent tangles and he receives a bath once a week using human hair products.

“It’s really hair instead of fur,” explained Mr. Lehman, who does all of Snapshot’s grooming himself. “He loves [being groomed]. He’s in heaven. He’s like the clients,” he added. “It’s good for his self esteem.”

Boosts to Snapshot’s self-esteem are not in short supply at Sharon Dorram. Over the course of the morning, numerous customers came up to Mr. Lehman and Snapshot, wishing the pair luck at the big show, scratching Snapshot under the chin and succumbing to high-pitched baby-talk.

“He’s so pretty—his eyes, this perfect little nose!” cooed salon publicist Jennifer Goldstein-Ruff.

“It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say he’s a mascot for the salon,” explained Mr. Lehman with more than a hint of pride. “Everybody really loves him; it kind of softens everybody. It’s a great conversation piece for the salon.”

And being the unofficial mascot of one of the city’s finest salons has its perks, not the least of which are some pretty prestigious pals.

“He only lets Candice Bergen hold him,” explained Ms. Goldstein-Ruff.

At a contest like Westminster, anything can happen, and despite Snapshot’s A-list fan club, Mr. Lehman doesn’t dare to get his hopes up. He’s just focused on making sure that Snapshot looks his best for the big day. But even if Snapshot fails to come away a winner, at least he has something to fall back on.

“[Losing] wouldn’t be the end of the world,” acknowledged Mr. Lehman. “We do have a day job.”