The Life of a Show Dog: Paws, Ribbons, and a Little Bit of Limelight
Meet Mia Lov. Best known in Alexandria as the creative force behind some of the city’s most beloved restaurants, Mia also lives in a world few people ever see up close: competitive dog showing.
Her days aren’t just spent in design meetings or restaurant spaces, but also traveling across state lines with her dogs, blow-drying Belgian Sheepdog coats in convention halls, and collecting ribbons the way most people collect frequent flyer miles.
At the center of it all are Phoebe, a three-and-a-half-year-old Belgian Sheepdog with an extraordinary résumé, and Quinn, a Border Collie with a story of her own. They are Mia’s companions, her service animals, and her partners in one of the most demanding corners of the canine world. And Phoebe, as it turns out, is one of the most decorated Belgian Sheepdog’s for her age in the country right now.
Yes, Old Town Alexandria is home to a dog celebrity. And she’s incredibly cuddly, too!
Inside the World of Dog Shows
For those unfamiliar, conformation dog shows evaluate how closely a dog matches its breed’s official standard. Judges assess everything from structure and movement to temperament and expression. Each breed has its own blueprint, and the goal is to find the dog that best embodies it on that particular day.
Mia’s path into this world was gradual. She grew up in Stockholm, Sweden, where she first encountered Belgian Sheepdogs in 1989 and immediately fell in love.
“They have an emotional intelligence I haven’t seen in many other breeds,” she says.
In Sweden, her dogs competed in obedience and working sports, while breeders handled conformation. It wasn’t until she moved to the United States that those worlds merged.
Phoebe’s Rise Through the Ranks
Born on July 17, 2022, Phoebe has compiled a list of accomplishments that feels almost impossible for her age.
At just two years old, she won Best of Breed at the 2024 National Dog Show, advancing to group judging on national television on Thanksgiving Day. This was Mia’s first show of that scale, and the nerves were real on both ends of the leash.
Best of Breed at the 2024 National Dog Show
In February 2026, Phoebe competed at Westminster, the Super Bowl of dogs shows, and earned Select, essentially runner-up to Best of Breed.
Westminster Kennel Club - 2026
At the Herding Group Specialty Show, 2025 AKC National Championship in Orlando, she stood out immediately. The judge pulled Phoebe and the eventual winner at the same time, recognizing them as the top two before making the final call. Phoebe placed Select again, just one spot shy of the top.
Herding Group Specialty Orlando AKC National Championship
And then there’s rally obedience.
In March 2026, at the Catoctin Kennel Club trials, Phoebe delivered a nearly flawless weekend: twelve trials in two days, six perfect scores of 100, six first-place finishes, five second-place finishes with scores of 99, and four consecutive wins for highest combined triple score.
“If she doesn’t make 100,” Mia says with a laugh, “it’s usually my fault.”
Her versatility extends even further. At a national specialty event in Ohio, Phoebe competed in herding, and she earned the highest score among all Belgian Sheepdogs and finished second overall across all breeds. She also competed in versatility which counts points from all sports. She participated in herding, scent work, obedience, rally obedience and conformation and finished with the second-highest total versatility score.
2025 National Specialty
Quinn’s Story: The Foster Failure
Quinn came into Mia’s life differently.
A Border Collie who had been passed between placements, she eventually landed with Laura Gilbert, Phoebe’s breeder in Warrenton, Virginia. She wasn’t supposed to leave, but then Mia spent time with her.
Her husband Dave summed it up in a text:
“If she is not coming home with you, I’m getting a beagle.”
Quinn came home that day.
Her role as a service dog developed naturally. On a run, a cyclist approached quickly from behind. Mia didn’t hear it and fell into a ditch. Quinn immediately ran in front of her to block and warn her, completely unprompted.
From that moment on, Quinn began filling in the gaps: alerting to sounds, signaling approaching people, noticing small environmental changes. What started as instinct became a fully trained partnership.
Some paths you choose. Others choose you.
Phoebe's Party Trick: Finding Elevators
Phoebe caught on too. She alerts Mia to sounds she misses, nudges her if the fridge is left open, and has developed a genuinely impressive airport skill: finding elevators. It started almost by accident. After an injury, Phoebe would run toward the stairs, then pivot and lead Mia to the elevator instead. Mia began acknowledging it out loud, saying, “Oh, you want to take the elevator,” and over time, Phoebe learned the word.
Later, at the airport, Mia decided to test it. She simply said “elevator,” and Phoebe immediately put her nose down and began searching with purpose, ultimately leading her straight to the doors and sniffing the seam to confirm it.
"They learn by accident sometimes," Mia says. "And it becomes natural for them."
The Training Philosophy
Despite the trophy case, Mia's approach to training would probably surprise people who imagine hours of drilling.
She works in short, focused sessions, two to five minutes at a time, and stops immediately when the dog gets something right.
The reasoning is intentional: if you continue after a correct response, the dog may think it needs to change something. Instead, she captures the win and ends on success.
She trains locally with instructor Claudia Bailey in Woodbridge, practices herding just outside Manassas, and even uses the volleyball courts at Founders Park for directional work after dark.
Group sessions add another layer, teaching dogs to stay focused despite distractions—critical in competition environments.
Behind the Glitz and Glam, They’re Total Goofballs
You might have heard the saying "celebrities, they are just like us," and in this case, it could not be more true. Do not let the champion ribbons and perfect scores fool you, because at home, Phoebe and Quinn are just two goofy, treat-obsessed dogs looking for their next opportunity. Quinn once unzipped a treat bag in the coat closet while Phoebe stood on her hind legs holding the door open. A coordinated snack heist with impressive teamwork.
Phoebe's favorite possession, by the way, is a red Kong ring that goes everywhere with her. She will carry it on a five-mile run with it hanging off her lower canine tooth the entire time.
The Other Side of Mia’s World
Mia is also the creative force behind the branding for ARP and all its restaurants, Mia’s, Ada’s, BARCA, Vola’s, Hi-Tide, and more!
Her path to Alexandria began in South Florida, where she was living with her husband, Dave Nicholas, one of the three founding partners of ARP Group. In 2006, Nicholas teamed up with longtime colleague David Clapp to launch Bottom Line Hospitality, a restaurant management and development company. Together, they owned and operated several Florida concepts before an opportunity up north shifted everything.
In 2013, their team was tapped to revitalize Virtue Feed & Grain in Old Town Alexandria. Within two years, they had transformed it into a thriving destination and quickly recognized the potential of the area. What started as one project turned into something much bigger, eventually evolving into Alexandria Restaurant Partners.
Mia and Dave made the move to Alexandria, drawn by that momentum and the opportunity to build something lasting. Today, Mia’s creative direction is behind many of the group’s most recognizable spaces.
Mia’s Italian Kitchen was almost named Filomena, in honor of Dave’s grandmother, but with a well-known DC restaurant already using the name, they had to pivot. The final name came from a simple observation by their business partner: Dave loves two things, Italian food and Mia.
Mia’s Guide to Dining in Old Town
Mia’s Old Town Picks
Girls’ Night: BARCA (Her favorite cocktail is the ‘Stone Fruit Sangria’)
Birthday (smaller group): Majestic
Family Gathering: Mia’s or Vola’s
Outdoor Dining: BARCA or Vola’s
Special Occasion Date: Ada’s
Glass of Wine or Cocktail: Hi-Tide
Hidden Gem: Royal Restaurant: Order the petite romaine salad with a protein (the southwest-style dressing is a standout), don’t skip the cornbread, and grab a seat at the bar. It’s one of the best spots in the space.
Mia’s Dream Menu
Starter: Chicken thighs at Ada’s. Not your typical starter, and perfect as a light meal
Main: Scallops at Ada’s or the shareable plates at BARCA
Dessert: Tiramisu at Mia’s. One of the better ones around!
Drink: Anything from Ada’s wine menu
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