Dog Days

Socorro's Amerigo (Charter), at right, with handler Kim Griffith

It was a five-day, thousand-mile trip, encompassing the Newfoundland Club of Northern California Regional Specialty on Friday, Oct. 28, followed by Saturday and Sunday Sacramento area dog shows. Quite an investment, but I’d decided it was high time to start working seriously toward Charter’s championship. I’d purposely waited, hoping the boy would grow up and acquire a brain. But with his third birthday already well behind him, I gave up waiting and entered my big, goofy guy in all three shows.

Fellow NCSD member Peggy Lange was also traveling north for the weekend, taking her beautiful Baby, so we agreed to drive up together and split expenses. Baby, of course, is BIS CH Cypress Bay's See Sea Baby, the nation’s reigning No. 1 show Newf. “The Babe’s” resume features numerous best of breed wins, a best in show, and this year's Newfoundland National Specialty. Short of last year's once-in-a-generation best-in-show triumph at Westminster by that most famous of Newfs--BIS CH All Rise Pouch Cove, aka Josh, Baby's accomplishments are pretty much as good as it gets in the dog show world.

Charter, by contrast, has yet to earn a single point toward his CH. When someone asked me what he needs “to finish,” I had to reply, “15 points and two majors,” i.e., exactly the same as the day he came into the world.

Unlikely as it may seem, Baby and Charter are half-siblings by way of their famous dad, CH Pouch Cove's Goliath. Peggy and I like to make much of this confluence of DNA, but in truth, it's not all that special. Goliath is a randy and prolific boy who has sired dozens and dozens of offspring. Check any Newfoundland entry at any big dog show anywhere in the country, and you’re likely to find at least one Goliath kid. Even my friend, Outi, a Newf breeder in Finland, has a Goliath girl. She calls her “Easy,” perhaps in tribute to the old man.

Charter actually started out strong on Friday, looking good, moving well and winning a nice blue rosette in open dogs under the expert guidance of Kim Griffith, Baby’s favorite handler. Yes! Only a few moments later, however, those all-important points were snatched away by a less-than-spectacular Landseer from the “any other color” class whom the judge picked as "winners dog."

Baby, of course, proved a much better bet. After a wildly successful summer campaign on the East Coast, The Babe, escorted once again by Kim, easily reminded West Coast fans why she's top dog. As always, her fluid stride, perfect silhouette and solid free stack made her stand out even among a gleaming group of stellar specials—the best of California and the Pacific Northwest. In the end, it was Baby who took best of breed not only on Friday, but Saturday and Sunday, too. And then first place in the working group on Sunday—a tremendous win that qualified her for the elite seven-dog best-in-show competition.

The only down side to a Group 1 win is that you have to hang around the show grounds all day, waiting for best in show. And let me interject that dog show grounds by the end of three days acquire a certain inimitable funk. Still, the excitement of seeing your favorite compete for the big ribbon makes it worthwhile. The Babe’s flawless performance charmed the crowd as always, but alas the judge's point went to the English Springer Spaniel. Still, as Kim put it later over margaritas and burrito combo plates, it was a weekend for the scrapbook, and we couldn't have been much happier if the girl had taken it all.

As it was, it required Euclidian geometry to wedge dog crates, icechests and suitcases back into Peggy's van along with the enormous mounted silver punch bowl that will grace the Langes’ living room for the next year, elegant testimony to Baby’s 2005 NCNC regional specialty win. What an honor to spend such a memorable weekend with “The Babe.” I'm just so proud to know her!

I did learn, however, that like any celebrity Baby harbors a few embarrassing secrets. For one, she's a thief who'll nose into any unguarded bag looking for treats. In addition, she sometimes sleeps in the uber-undignified upside-down posture we at our house call "the dead-bug position." Finally—please don't let this get out—the nation's No. 1 show Newfoundland, if you don't watch her very carefully, will eat your soap. And that's the rest of the story.