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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