A spirited Miniature Schnauzer with a salt and pepper coat captured the coveted top Terrier Group honor at the 25th AKC National Championship, presented by Royal Canin. This marked the popular Schnauzer’s 185th Group win, among several other achievements. As of Valentine’s Day weekend 2026, “Baby Joe” has over 100 Best in Show wins under his belt.
GCHP2 CH. Carmel Mr. Joe Adamis CGC, affectionately known as Baby Joe, is the top-winning Miniature Schnauzer in breed history. Presented by professional handler Jorge Olivera, the three-year-old terrier’s impressive achievements also include winning the 2024 Roving National Specialty of the American Miniature Schnauzer Club.
Baby Joe won his 100th Best in Show win on Friday, February 13, 2026 under Judge Linda Clark at the Sun Maid Kennel Club of Fresno, California. He exceeded the milestone the next day, winning two more Best in Show titles on February 14 and 15, for a final total of 102 lifetime wins. After this phenomenal achievement, Baby Joe has entered retirement with his owner.
If these honors weren’t enough, Baby Joe’s owners, Marilyn Lande, Marilyn Jacobs, John and Lloyd Constantine-Amodei, are thrilled that their spunky Schnauzer has made history. Baby Joe now has 102 Bests in Show, which include 88 in 2025, and 40 Reserve Bests in Show. The smallest of the three Schnauzers has not only reached the rare accomplishment of 100 Bests in Show, but surpassed it.
“The number of Bests in Show Baby Joe has won in one year is some kind of an unofficial record I can’t even imagine,” says John Constantine-Amodei, Judges’ Education Chair of the American Miniature Schnauzer Club and a licensed AKC judge.
The Road to Record Setting
Getting to the final round of the Best in Show competition begins with winning the breed and then the group. At the AKC National Championship, Ms. Patricia Anne Keenan judged Miniature Schnauzers at the breed level, and selected Baby Joe to advance to the group.
At the Terrier Group, Baby Joe faced the 31 other terrier breed winners. Judge Ms. Beth Sweigart gave Baby Joe first place, with GCHB CH Random Riders Up (Wire Fox Terrier) in second, GCHS CH Pegfield Tintern Tickled Pink (Sealyham Terrier) in third, and GCHS CH Bloodrock’s Bam He’s Hot CGC TKN (Staffordshire Bull Terrier) taking fourth place.
The Miniature Schnauzer advanced to the Best in Show round, already a high honor. To have already beaten every dog in their breed and group is an incredible feat that all dogs aspire to, especially on such a large national stage. In 2025, the GCHP CH Ta Sen Westgate Jingle Juice (Lhasa Apso) from the Non-Sporting Group won Best in Show, and GCHG CH Tamarack Valley View River Of Dreams (Gordon Setter) from the Sporting Group won Reserve Best in Show.
The Unofficial 100 BIS Club
Now 2 wins over the milestone of 100 BIS wins, Baby Joe has joined an exclusive group of champions who have earned 100 or more AKC Conformation Bests in Show. There are only a few breeds making up this list, including Wire Fox Terriers, German Shepherd Dogs, and Boxers. Giant Schnauzers, English Setters, Pekingese, Cocker Spaniels, and Scottish Terriers.
Among this elite group, more Standard Poodles have reached the 100 Club than any other breed. “Matisse,” GCH. Claircreek Impression de Matisse, a Portuguese Water Dog, is the only dog to earn over 200 BIS wins.
The Right Breeding
How does a sporty Schnauzer with a bushy beard and over-the-top eyebrows achieve all this success? For Baby Joe, it began with a phone call between friends.
“Baby Joe’s breeder, Carma Ewer of Carmel’s Miniature Schnauzers, and I have been friends for 40 years,” Constantine-Amodei recalls. She was looking to breed top-winning
“When she asked me for advice on the right stud dog to breed to her bitch, ‘Twink,'” GCHP Carmel Sky High Wish Upon A Star, who was the top-winning Miniature Schnauzer of all time before Baby Joe, it was Twink’s last breeding and an important decision.”
Constantine-Amodei suggested frozen semen collected from his dog, GCHB CH Joker Land’s Glacyka FCI, and Ewer agreed. “Twink produced two puppies,” Constantine-Amodei says. “Carma offered me one of the puppies, and I took it because I wanted a dog to show again.”
Finding a name to suit the new puppy came easily to Constantine-Amodei. “I began saying, ‘He’s my baby,’ and when people told me he wasn’t a baby, I always said, ‘He’ll always be my baby,’ so the name ‘Baby Joe’ stuck,” Constantine-Amodei says. “It was a good decision because everyone remembers it instead of just ‘Joe’ and there weren’t any other Baby Joes, so it worked.”
Oozing personality and a need for his owner’s affection, Baby Joe’s name suited him perfectly. At home, he’s an active dog and likes to be with Constantine-Amodei. “When he’s with Jorge or me, that’s when he’s happiest, but in the show ring he’s always looking at the other dogs,” Constantine-Amodei says. “He’s great around other males, which is great.”
Retiring a Star
At around 4 months old, Constantine-Amodei thought Baby Joe showed promise as a show dog. The owner waited until the dog was 15 months old and in good condition to show him. The Miniature Schnauzer finished his championship with three five-point majors on the Florida circuit.
Keeping the Miniature Schnauzer’s coat in condition proved to be a challenge. “They’re one of the hardest terriers to maintain because there’s an undercoat,” Constantine-Amodei says. “You begin at 6 months old and follow weekly on the legs and rolling the coat to keep it looking in good shape.”
Constantine-Amodei draws on his years of experience in the breed to manage Baby Joe’s career. He chose the Miniature Schnauzer as his first dog in 1979 because he liked the breed’s appearance. The square body measuring 12 to 14 inches tall, a double coat with a wiry exterior and soft undercoat, and distinctive facial furnishings set the breed apart from other terriers. Constantine-Amodei was also drawn to the breed’s stable, fun-loving personality.
“Baby Joe is what we call ‘The perfect blend of terrier and Schnauzer, with a working dog-type body and terrier attitude,'” Constantine-Amodei says. “In the house, he’ll alert you if someone enters, but otherwise, he’s a carefree, happy dog who loves to play, especially with tickling your feet.”
After reaching the high of 102 Best in Show wins, Baby Joe is retiring home with Constantine-Amodei. Living the life of a champion for many years, his history-making career will not soon be forgotten.