Man's Best Friend
by Allison McGuigan

I remember it vividly. I waited eagerly by the picture window overlooking the driveway, impatiently growing anxious as young children tend to do. I sat on vigil for what I believed to be an eternity before I caught the first glimpse of a gold van turning the street corner. The car door had barely opened before I reached it, panting from my sprint. Few times have I been more excited than when my mother arrived carrying our first dog in her arms. I was only four years old at the time, but the memory of Bridgette, a female Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen, will be forever with me. I was later to understand that not only was Bridgette a purebred, well-conformed PBGV, but she was also an import from an esteemed pedigree line based in England. Little did I know that this moment would launch my career as a purebred dog enthusiast. Bridgette’s homecoming would eventually lead me across the entire spectrum of the dog world: handling, showmanship, obedience, agility, community service, and breeding.

Involvement with the canine species is in my blood, evidently. Not only did I have a grandmother who was active in the show and obedience rings with German Shepherds, but also a mother who cannot get her fill of any dog-related activity. Apparently, I too was destined to be the third generation to contribute to the world of purebreds. My first opportunity to carry on this sixty-year tradition was exhibiting in my first American Kennel Club show at the age of seven. I was deficient of previous training, temporarily filling the position of handler due to the lack thereof. To my utter surprise, and that of my family, the Petit with whom I had been partnered took Best of Opposite Sex, and I proudly posed for my first professional show picture.

This landmark event was only to be the first of many experiences in my involvement with dogs. For years after my unexpected victory in the breed ring, I remained close to dogs, but mainly as their owner and playmate. At age ten when a family friend suggested I enter the Junior Showmanship class, I hesitantly agreed. Truthfully, I was intimidated by the thought of being judged myself—my attitude, my actions, my skill. I was accompanied in the ring by a friend’s push-button Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. At the time however, I attributed my first place ribbon to my own ability to handle, not the compliance of the Spaniel.

The success I had felt gave me the confidence to pursue the sport of showmanship further. I entered local and out-of-state shows with my mother, who was my ringmate in breed and supporter in showmanship. My choice PBGV at the time, Chrissy, aided me on my way through Novice Junior Showmanship and eventually to the Open class. Chrissy would also be the first dog that I titled independently, when I showed her to her championship. However, it would be my new favorite Petit, the loving and lovable Leo, who would eventually escort me to the Westminster Kennel Club dog show in February of 1999. Although Leo and I were successful neither in the breed or showmanship ring, we both felt a great sense of accomplishment just from attending the prestigious event.

After I had reached the zenith known as Westminster, I took a respite from the handling competition and began to focus on performance events such as obedience and agility. It was the laidback and fun-loving approach of agility, however, that attracted me to the sport. Again with my mother by my side, I traveled to agility trials, alternately running with my Petit and my Papillon. I would later find that there was another side to these trials that were quite contrary to solely the competition. When I aided my mother and grandmother with the chairperson’s and secretarial responsibilities, I found that behind the scenes, logistics were always a prominent issue. I never miss an agility trial sponsored by my local kennel club or regional and national specialty clubs. I love working the events as timer, scribe, or scorekeeper as much as I enjoy competing in them.

To boot, agility is one of the most pleasing canine events for the spectator. Its speed, amusement, obstacles, and inevitable blunders cannot help but to attract an audience from a wide cross-section of people. It was these inquisitive spectators, some having no knowledge about dogs, that were the inspiration to found a dog 4-H club. What began as a small endeavor of ten or so members rapidly grew to an enormous organization of forty members, dubbed by vote as Winning Waggers Dog 4-H Club. I had not at first realized the need for such a club, but the proof is in the pudding: Winning Waggers is thriving and growing each week.

As the club evolved, it developed a mission statement that is truly carried out each meeting. Winning Waggers educates local youth and their parents about dog care and training, people who would otherwise receive no such knowledge. As a club, we train in agility, obedience, and showmanship, and often demonstrate the principles of good dog ownership: feeding, grooming, responsibility, and affection. Aside from this priceless wisdom, the club also gives its members the chance to perform community service with their dogs. From visiting senior citizen centers to donating dog care items to a local shelter, the members have served their community well. As the President of the only dog 4-H club in the county, I can assuredly say that Winning Waggers is making an everlasting impression on dog owners in its area.

While service has been my most rewarding experience in the canine world, breeding had definitely been the most memorable. I have helped my mother co-breed several of our Petits, as well as care for the young puppies before they are sold. When my then three-year-old PBGV female Chloe was bred and became pregnant, the situation was nothing new to me. On this particular occasion, Chloe had been restless that day, but was not demonstrating other symptoms of going into labor. I opted to stay home and complete my schoolwork that night while my mother attended a dog tracking class. I volunteered to keep an eye on Chloe, expecting nothing but experiencing everything. After my mother had left, Chloe went into labor, the contractions became arduous, her attitude changed. Barely moments after I had observed the sudden change, I also observed something that shocked me: a placenta-encased head of her first-born puppy. Frantic, I called my mother on her cellular phone, breathlessly explaining and begging for help. While she could not return home in time, she guided me through the whelping process step by step: birthing, cleaning, and feeding. I was terrified at first by the responsibility, but now feel so fortunate to have been able to be the sole person present to whelp three of the puppies and continue on to whelp my dog’s entire litter.

Throughout my life, dogs have always been a prominent influence. They have given me unforgettable and gratifying experiences, friendships that will last my lifetime. I have always been involved with purebred dogs, and will continue to be so as long as I live. From agility to obedience, showmanship to service, dogs have been by my side every step of the way. I owe them thanks for my own success and confidence. Canine companions have been my link to a plethora of opportunities, opportunities that I would have not been exposed to otherwise. Dogs are wise teachers and dutiful confidantes. It has been said and acknowledged that dog is man’s best friend. Well, they’re mine, too.