Taylor Barnes of Mineola will show her dog Peaches, an Italian Greyhound, in the upcoming Westminster Dog Show in New York City. This will be Barnes' first time at the prestigious show; however, she participated in her first dog show at age three. (Sarah A. Miller/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

The 2-year old Italian Greyhound Peaches has some legs and she knows how to use them for all her competition tricks.

Peaches and her owner, Taylor Barnes, of Mineola, will be competing in the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Feb. 12. This will be the first time Peaches has competed at Madison Square Garden.

The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is an all-breed dog show that has been held in New York City since 1877. Peaches will be judged on movement style and a full body table exam. She will be expected to perform tricks and will be walked around the ring to check her gait.

“Going to the garden is not an easy task,” Barnes said. “You have to have a really nice dog. You don’t just travel up there and spend the money unless you know you’re going to be accepted. This year is our year to go and shine.”

Peaches registered name is GCHB Infiniti She’s Got Legs, after the famous ZZ Top song “Legs.” Barnes’s brother, Travis Barnes, and his racing team back Peaches.

Barnes said Peaches glows when she puts on her harness for shows. From the lights to the judges and the crowds cheering, Peaches goes into full competition mode.

For Barnes, superstitions come into play when getting ready for competitions. For each show, Barnes will receive a number and four rubbers bands. If she does not win in those rubber bands, they turn toxic to her and she immediately throws them away. She also will wear the same pantyhose if she wins; if not, she throws them away.

“If you win in them you keep them,” Barnes said.

When at home, Peaches enjoys playing with Barnes’ other Italian greyhounds, her half-siblings. Her favorite food is powdered donuts.

Showing dogs has been in Barnes’ blood since age 3, when she showed Australian shepherds as a junior handler.

Barnes stopped showing dogs when she was in sixth grade, but began showing again three years ago – this time with Italian greyhounds.

Barnes and co-owners, Kim and Randy Frennier, of Longview, decided to show Peaches.

Frennier will be showing her dog, Cal (Peaches’ uncle), at the Westminster Dog Show.

Peaches’ most recent win on the show floor was Thanksgiving Day, when she was named Best in Breed for Italian greyhounds in the National Dog Show in Philadelphia and ranked as a top 20 dog in the country in 2017.

“No one really expected us to show up,” Barnes said. “I just had to go; I wanted to see how it would go. The level of competition there is really high.

“Professional handlers do this every weekend as their job. They get paid to show other people’s dogs,” she said. “Not me. I own her – she lives here in my house and sleeps in my bed.”

Twitter: @BharmonDFW