I

’vebeenattendingPBGVnationalspecialtiessince2000.
ButthiswasthefirstI’veattendedwithadog.Andit’sa
verydifferentexperience.

MyveryfirstnationalspecialtywastheAlbuquerque

showin2000.Ihadalotoffun,metgreatpeopleand
thoroughlyenjoyedit.ButIdidn’thaveadogtoshowin
conformationoracompanionevent—Iwouldn’tflymy
two-year-oldKikijusttobethere.(Kikihadmadeitclearto
methatwhenitcametotheoff-leadheelshe’dgoherway
andI’dgomine.Anobediencedogshewasnot.)Icould
possiblyhavebroughtmythenthree-year-oldBernieto
RhodeIslandin2005,buthereallywasn’treadyyetfor
obedienceorrally.IshouldhavebroughtBernieto
Charlottein2011,butdidn’t.Myloss,asIthinkhecould
havedonenicelyinrallyandhavehadachancetobeout
inahuntfield.

UsuallywhenIgotoanationalspecialtyIparticipatein

meetings,attendseminars,watchtheshow,seeoldfriends
andmeetnewones,andofcoursetakephotos.

ButthisyearIwantedtobringmynowtwo-year-old

Susie.She’dqualifiedforherHuntingInstinctTestinNew
JerseyinNovember,andshe’s
beendoingsurprisinglywell
(consideringherhandler!)in
obedienceandrally.Sheearned
herAPDTLevel1titleinrally
inearlyApril.Soontoourfirst
AKCevents.

Itwasinterestingtoplanfor

bringingadog,packforher
needswhileawayforaweek,
andpackformyparticipation
ineventsindoorsandoutdoors
witharangeofpossible
weather,andalsobringmy
photogear.Ioverpackedin
somerespects(Ididn’tuse
anythinglikeallthetowelsI
brought,anddidn’tneedall

thoselong-sleevedshirts),andneglectedtobringthings
likeafoldingchairandanexpen.AndwhileIbrought
medicationstodealwiththingslikeallergicreactionsor
stomachailmentsforSusie,Imanagedtomiscountmyown
antihistaminesandhadtogotoapharmacytobuymore.

WearrivedinCarlisle,Pa.,onFridayafternoon.Along

withquiteafewothers,IwasinitiallystayingataMotel6
whichwasjustfiveminutesfromtheCarlisleBeagleClub,
wherewe’dhaveourhunttests.Itwasgreatseeingsomany
friendlyfaces(peopleandPBGVs)aroundtheparkinglot.
Susiehasnevermetadogshedidn’tlike,andshereally
enjoyedseeingsomanydogsherownsizetobesniffed
andwaggedat.

Saturdaymorningwegotupearly—thefirstofmany

earlymornings—andwenttotheBeagleClubwherewe
caravannedtoseetheSkycastleHounds.Susiestayedatthe
beagleclub’skennel,soIdidn’thavetoworryabouther
duringtheday.

Sundaymorningthingsgotstartedinearnest.Ourfirst

realhunttest!Wearrived—early!—atthebeagleclubfor
breakfastandthedraw.

SaberTails

ISummer2014

www.pbgv.org

29

ThoughtsonAttendingMyFirst
NationalSpecialty(WithaDog!)

byBobCohen

PhotosbyBobCohen

Above:Thehealth
clinicwaitingroom.

Left:Aviewofthe
annualmembership
meeting.

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