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
37
continuedonpage52
“Theyareahappyhoundandnotalways
agreeabletowhatwewantthemtodo
andIappreciatethatpersonalitytrait(mostofthetime).”