In The Spotlight

Dogs have been a consuming passion of mine from a very early age. I tend to flit from one thing to another, but my interest in dogs has remained constant throughout my life.

I would rather not discuss my first dog, or other dogs of my childhood. There were many, and each one came to a sad end. Rather, I'd like to talk about my first forever dog, an English Setter named Scout. He wasn't the most brilliant of dogs, but what he lacked in the brains department he made up for in the kindness department. He was as sweet as any dog ever born, a wonderful guardian and friend for my kids when they were growing up. Scout was my first conformation dog, and an exceptional one at that. I was completely new to the dog game but I handled him myself and he finished his championship with all majors, including the English Setter specialty. More than that, he was just a grand sweet guy to be around.

I presently have three Pembroke Welsh Corgis - Ripken, Mandy, and Hobbit. I chose this breed because, after years of grooming Setters and English Cockers, I wanted a wash-and-wear breed. Corgis are champion shedders and I pay for their easy care by having a house utterly chockfull of dog hair. I like the work ethic and sassy attitude of the Corgis. I pay for this too though, but it's worth it!

In the past, I've competed successfully in obedience and tracking, and also did therapy work in recent years. But nowadays I confess to being a total agility addict, to the exclusion of everything else! (Well, the dogs and I do enjoy our neighborhood walks too. Can't forget about Mandy's favorite activity.) I've been doing agility for about five years now and have many success stories, most of which involve Ripken, the consummate agility dog. Bless his heart, he has kept me in the game and makes it so much FUN!

Some of my most memorable moments in dogs involve my English Cocker, Yankee. He was a brilliant dog who loved learning and interacting - a show champion, an impressive AKC tracking dog, a Dog World magazine Dog of Distinction, a multi-titled obedience dog who never scored below 195. All those titles simply mean that the two of us had a wonderful tight bond. He was a great little man, a real character, and I still think about him often, all these years later.

My most embarrassing memory was when I was showing Scout at the Specialty, my very first show. Things were going along pretty nicely until the moment when I felt this sudden rush of warmth around my ankle. My dog was peeing on my leg! Oh, mortification! I hoped no one had seen, but it was hard not to hear me when I gaited Scout around the ring. "Step. Squish. Step. Squish. Step. Squish."

I joined PPDC about nine years ago because it looked like a fun thing to do. My favorite thing about the club is, no surprise, the agility classes and activities. But even above that, the friendships that I've made here in the club have been some of the best ones of my life. It's been a merry ride!

If I could attain one dog related goal this year, it would be to continue to strive towards a greater understanding and deeper communication with my dogs. Above all the fun activities and all the accomplishments, the bond with my kids is always the ultimate reward.

My advice to new dog owners would be this. In these busy days, let's all slow down a little bit. Take time to really be with your dog. Just BE with her. Look deep into her eyes. If you look deep enough with sincerity, openness and loving acceptance, you can talk together heart to heart. You will be enriched, amazed and maybe more than a little surprised as you come to realize all the gifts that our unassuming dogs have to offer. Take time just be and look deep.

Gail K