DENISON, Texas (KTEN) -- Four-month-old Schnauzer puppy Axel Rose is a finalist for America's Favorite Pet.

"Axel Rose is very much a lover," said his owner, Christina Sanchez. "He has a very spontaneous, happy-go-lucky, 'I'm so full of myself' attitude."

Not to mention he's a pretty good dancer, and he's making a name for himself as one of America's favorite dogs.

Sanchez said they decided to enter Axel for his personality. With less than a week to go, he's holding tight in third place.

"This is brand new to us, this is our first competition," Sanchez said. "We were nervous; now we're kind of getting the hang of it."

Axel Rose is helping put Denison in the spotlight, and while the prize money would be nice, it's not exactly what they're going after.

"Obviously the $5,000 is great, but just having a memento like the cover of a magazine at the age of four months is really amazing," Sanchez said.