Best in Show
I have been very blessed to have had many experiences with showing a variety of animals, including
horses, sheep, beef cattle and of course dogs. Showing dogs being the most amount of work, but the
most rewarding.
I grew up in a household that was active in dog sports with our Siberian Huskies. My mom mostly
trained/worked in the Obedience ring, she also dabbled in Sledding and some Conformation (ie Dog
Shows). By the way, Dog Shows are not completely like the movie “Best In Show”, but my husband does
have two left feet like Eugene Levy’s character! My mom was the person who not only was my
inspiration, but encouraged me. I spent many hours at the Hamilton Obedience Club in the 70’s and 80’s
watching the dogs being trained. It was like an extended family! My mom used to quiz me on the
different dogs breeds and general information.
My first competitive dog was a Black Miniature Poodle named “Eddie”. She was the smartest and most
independent dog I’ve had the privilege to work with. Eddie was capable to training and competing in
multiple sports at once, with just a change in her collar and lead, she was able to switch from
Conformation to Obedience, Agility or Flyball. Agility was her favourite, she loved to jump!
My favourite has always been the Conformation Dog Shows. Preparing a Standard Poodle for a show
requires hours of work…clipping, bathing, blow drying and scissoring, as well as the daily maintenance
grooming and training/conditioning. I was on a waiting list for over 18 years, before I got my first
Scottish Deerhound “Piper”, grooming went from hours to minutes!
Agility, Flyball, etc are also fun, but Dog Shows make me more emotional, watching a well trained dog
moving around in the ring is breath taking to me. I literally will sit on the edge of my seat when watching
Dog Shows like Westminster or Crufts and my family knows that I’m just as vocal watching them on TV
as when we watch the FIFA World Cup. Neither of them can hear me yell through the TV!
For those clients that remember “Piper” she was a great example of a Scottish Deerhound, she had a
mellow and loving temperament, very quiet (couch potato) in the house and a speed demon outside. She
used to, not intentionally, intimidate the Standard Poodles. “Twister” thought that if he stood still, she
would not charge or run into him!
“Piper”was actually related to GCH Foxcliffe Hickory Wind, who was Best In Show (BIS) at
Westminister Dog Show in 2011; she was the first Scottish Deerhound in history to win!
No matter what breed or what sport, purebred or mix, dog sports are like a family community, supporting
each other and making new friends and catching up with old ones
My family and I are are looking forward to when we can start showing again, especially allowing
spectators. If you every see “Breeze” and me at the Dog Shows, feel free to come by and say “Hi”