SandiBustinonLifewithPBGVs.Ithink

serendipityandmaybejustalittlesprinklingoffairydust
wasatplaywhenIdiscoveredthePetitBassetGriffon
Vendéen.Itwasin1997thatIfirststumbled,quiteliterally,
ontothebreed.Inagrocerystoresomechildrenwere
runningtheaislesandknockedamagazineofftheshelf
andontothefloor.Sincetheydidnotstoptopickitup,
Idid.ItwasaDogWorldmagazine,andthereonthecover
wasthecutestlittledogthatIhadeverseenwithaname
thatwasequallyintriguing.

Fascinatedbythis“new”breed,themagazinecamehome

withme.Ihadtoreadaboutthiscaptivatingdogwiththe
quirkyname,PBGV.Afewweekslater,myhusbandwas
flippingthroughchannelsandstoppedtowatchthe
WestminsterKennelClubshowontelevision.Wewatched

allthewonderfuldogsandthenthehoundgroupcameinto
thering.Allofasudden,therewasRogerCarasannouncing
thePetitBassetGriffonVendéen.Wewatched,excitedand
smittenbythislittledogwiththehugepersonalityand
endlesscharm.Thatdidit.Wewantedone.

Thatwas16yearsago,andtoday,fivePBGVslater,the

magichasnotwornoff.Theenchantmentremains.Ioften
tellpeoplewhoinquireofthebreedthatyouhavetohavea
senseofhumorinordertoappreciateandnavigatelifewith
thisbreed.Youdo.Ialsotellthemthattheywillneverhave
abaddaythataPBGVcouldn’tmakebetter.Theywill.They
areacaptivatingandwonderfulbreed,andsometimesyou
can’thavejustone.Notonlydotheytakeoveryourhome,
theystealyourheartaswell.

OwningPBGVshasenrichedmylifeinsomanyways.

Therearelessonstobelearnedinobservingtheirbehavior.
I’veobservedthattheyliveandlovelifeinthemoment.
PBGVsareselflessandunwaveringlyloyal.Theyare
thehappylittlehound;theyloveabundantlyand

unconditionally.ItiseasytolaugharoundaPBGV.And,
yes,sometimestheycangetintrouble,buttheycharm
themselvesoutofit.Theyaregreatatreadingmoods,
sensingwhenandhowtoconsoletheirhumans,and
sometimesknowsimplytojustbethere.Havingdone
nursinghomevisitswithmyPBGV,itwaswonderfultosee
howtheyliftedspiritssimplybywalkingdownahallway
waggingtheirtailsandsmiling,orvisitingapatient’sroom.
Somehow,theyintuitivelysoughtoutandapproachedthose
mostinneedofcomfort.

LifewithPBGVshasopenedthedoorwaytomanynew

adventures.I’dneverheardofdogshowsuntilIgotmyfirst
PBGV,andI’vebeentomanyashowsincethen.Ithasled
totraveltonewcities,participationinshowsandevents,
meetingandmakingnewandlifelongfriends,involvement

ontheboardoftheparentclubandworkingasrescue
coordinatorformyregion.PBGVsaddcolortolife,like
flowerstoagarden.

Wereitnotforserendipity,mylifewouldnotbeso

enrichedasithasbeenlivingwithapackofPBGVs.

MeganEsherickonAgility.Agilityisanactivesport

whereyouguideyourPBGVthroughanobstaclecourse
consistingofjumps,weavepoles,tunnelsandcontact
obstacles.Agilityisatimedevent,anddogsareexpected
toperformcoursesatahighrateofspeed.

Ifyouareselectingapuppyoryoungadultdogwith

agilityinmind,lookforaverysocialpuppywhoprefers
tobewithpeopleaboveanythingelse.Confidenceis
important,butyoudon’twantapuppytobesoindepend-
entthatheoftentakesoffonhisown.Anagilitydogneeds
tohaveexcellentstructuretoholduptothedemandsofthe
sport.EvenifyoudonotplantobreedyourPBGV,thereisa
greatdealofevidenceindicatingthatspayingorneutering
beforepubertycanhavenegative

SaberTails

IMarch2014

www.pbgv.org

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continuedonpage52

“Theyareahappyhoundandnotalways

agreeabletowhatwewantthemtodo

andIappreciatethatpersonalitytrait(mostofthetime).”