Now where was I? Oh yes, what makes a good show dog. So, at the rip age of 8, and for inspiration for this article, I walked into my trophy room and began to look back at all the awards I earned. Okay, so the awards were not important to me but I know Gary loves to talk about all the awards I won so I will just say I won a lot. But if you want to make Gary happy you can click here to read about my show record. For me the memories are about the times I share with Gary, Sara and all the great people in the dog show world and being in the ring. Ah yes the show ring, where I had the chance to show who I was and why I was so special and so successful. After all, you have to be pretty special to get into the GRCA Show Dog Hall of Fame. Alright, so I do like to brag some but it comes with the territory of being an excellent show dog. (If you are not familiar with conformation, I suggest you click on the word conformation to learn more about dog shows and conformation.)

I owe most of my show career to my brilliant professional handler, Bruce Schultz, PHA and AKC Registered Handler and all who support him. I miss Bruce a lot and I miss, traveling with him and the rest of his staff. I miss getting up early, getting to go biking 2 miles a day, getting bathed 3 or 4 times a week, and my absolute favorite part, on show day being treated like a king.

Unfortunately not all dogs can become successful show dogs. To be a great show dog, a dog needs to be born with certain characteristics. You have to be born with the correct structure, coat, great movement and you have to have great attitude. And you are either born with it or not. Yes you are born with attitude but a lot of how a dog’s attitude matures is by being in the ring where you and your handler help to cultivate it.

I remember one show early in my career, on November 22,1998, when I won “Best in Show” in a Puppy competition. A puppy competition is not held at all dog shows. And by winning it, you do not get any extra points. It is there to create some fun for the puppy owners at dog shows. It is very difficult to win in the puppy classes so this gives owners of show puppies a chance to see what their puppy can do against other breeds and it gives the puppies a chance to shine early in their career. I was fortunate because I had already won in the regular competition at the age of 10 months but that is another story which covers more on the confidence of your owner that you can win. But back to the “Best in Show Puppy Competition, I was only 11 months old at the time. It was at this show, specifically with the puppy competition that I started to believe that I could win and that I could make iit as a Special on the Show Dog Circuit.

I must tell you that Gary and I wanted so very much for me to become a special. And I had a lot of pressure to succeed since my Grandfather, CH Zia Ginge Mr Moonlight “Scotty” was the Number One Golden in 1995 and 1996, also handled by Bruce Schultz and my father, CH Salyran Take it To The Limit “Shaq” was the Number One Golden in 1997 and 1998 also handled by Bruce Schultz. Not to mention that my other Grandfather on the dame’s side AM CAN Ch. Rush Hill's Häagen-Dazs. CDX, JH, AX, OAJ, WCX, VCX, Can CD, Can WC, OS, BIS, BISS, SDHF “Kirby”, the Top Specialty Winning Golden Retriever OF ALL TIME, winner of 31 Specialties, 2 Canadian Nationals and sire of 100 Champion so far.

So, it is fair to say I had the lineage and proper breeding which is very important when looking for a show dog. You must know what lines the dog came from and how those dogs did in dog shows. Conformation breeders study breed lines in order to breed a good show dog, they don’t just wait for one to happen along, they make it happen. My other edge to becoming a great show dog was to have a handler such as Bruce, who has been presenting dogs for 30 years and has become know as one of the top handlers in the country. The final thing I needed was attitude and I was born with it. And on that 22nd of November in 1998, when I won “Best in Show” in the Puppy competition, I started to believe that I could fill such large paw prints and show my way into the Show Dog Hall of Fame.

I can recall every moment of that day. First, I had to win my class in the 9 to 12 puppy class in the Golden breed ring. Once I won my class, I had to compete among the other Golden puppies to win the chance to go the Puppy Group Ring. Once I beat all the other Golden puppies I was off to the Puppy Group Ring.

I can remember the excitement for both me and Gary and Sara when I went into that ring. We all had chills. I was told later that several people watching had said, “Wow, look at that Golden” as I strutted into the ring. And I felt that way when I entered the ring. I gracefully move in the ring, my head up, my chest out and I could feel the excitement. I truly love to show, and love the chance to be out in the ring and giving it my all. The Group began, we did the go around, the down and back, then the free stack right in front of the judge.

My favorite part is hitting the free stack perfectly and if you have ever watched the Westminster Dog Show held each year in NYC at Madison Square Garden, this is the part that by far gets the most cheers and attention. During this puppy sporting group appearance, I hit my free stack perfect and the applause from the crowd gave me the zest to prance off to the side with the other breeds, knowing I was the one that everyone was looking at. I have been told by many judges that when they are judging the Groups and Best in Show, that often times they pick the winner by attitude. They look for the dog that comes out into the ring and basically says, “Hey look at me, I am the best here”. I felt that way on that day and I guess the judge saw it too because at the end of the Puppy Sporting Group, I was the winner of the Group! And Gary, well he was off to the side jumping, hugging Sara and anyone else who was near him and of course, he was crying. He did a lot of that when I won. I knew he was very proud of me.

In between my group appearance and the final competition of Best in Show; Puppy, I had an hour to kill while the other six groups when into the ring. Now, it was not like I did nothing while I waited. I did get a chance for a brief potty break, some water, a few treats but then it was back up on the grooming table, my favorite part, to be fluffed up and touched up. Camp Schultz would do a few touch ups, cutting some more on the paws, making the ears just right, then I get wet down one more time, blown dry and combed out. I have seen a lot of dogs in my years hate having this all done to them but me, I loved it. It was the time, where all gather around me giving me 100% of the attention as they work on me to achieve the goal we were all after, Best In Show!

Now, as the sun is setting all that is left is Best in Show, first for the Adult dogs and then Best in Show for Puppies. I was ready, more than ready, the testosterone was raging and Bruce was ready to work with me to make me look the best! In the Best in Show, there are only 7 dogs, the winners of each group and at this point in the show, every one of the 7 dogs out in the ring is a beautiful specimen of their breed and the competition is always tough. I wasn’t worried, after winning the sporting group; I had all the confidence I needed. I was going to win this. I just knew it. One by one, we all showed what we had. When it came our turn, I was focused, and as the judge did the hands on part of examination to see what my structure was like, I looked him right in the eye and let him see my game face. I did a perfect down and back and the movement on my go around was beautiful with great reach and drive. And yes, I hit my free stack perfect.

After all 7 dogs, were finished with the individual showing the judge lined us all up and he walked back and forth checking each one of us out, trying to make the biggest decision of the show. All of us stood as still and pretty as we could in our stacked position. This is the nerve-racking part for everyone, all the competitors, our handlers who have worked hard all day long, but also for the crowd and the owners especially Gary. He gets so nervous for me, I could see him off to the side of the ring, pacing back and forth which he would do all through my show career, always looking like he was going to toss his cookies! I could not always see how he could be enjoying himself but then there were the times, when I knew just how much he did enjoy this. And one of those moments was about to happen as the judge, now finished with his final look, walks back to the table to fill in his book who the Best in Show Puppy would be. It was all in slow motion, he grabbed the big Best in Show Puppy ribbon and walked out into the middle of the ring, again looking over the 7 dogs once more for effect and then announces, the Best in Show is the Golden Retriever.

Then the celebration began! Everyone was hugging my handler and me and as we left the ring, I saw Gary, his eyes wide and wet, and this huge smile. He ran so fast to give me a great big hug and kiss. It was then, in that moment, that I saw the reason he went through all those anxious moments and that made the win so much sweeter for me, making him so happy.

It is hard to imagine that was seven plus years ago. But it was that moment; I knew that I had a chance to win it all. My show career ended in February 2002, after I participated in the super bowl of dog shows, the Westminster at Madison Square Garden. A chance of a lifetime and one of my biggest dreams but I will save that for another story. That February, in 2002 when I retired, I was ranked in the AKC as the number 5 Golden Retriever in the county. I never was able to reach number one, but to be one of the Top 5 Golden Retrievers in the United States is something to be proud of and has created a bond between, me, Gary and Bruce Schultz that has remained strong to this day and will continue for many years to come!

Until next time,