Ididn'tstartmydogcareerinPBGVS,butIgothereasfast
asIcould!
Morethan25yearsago,Iacquiredare-homed
StandardPoodleandIimmediatelyknewthatshehad
tohavetraininginorderformetolivewithher.After
attendingabeginningobedienceclass,Iwashooked
ontraining,whichledtomyenjoymentofcompetition
obedience.ShewentontogetherCDfromtheNoviceA
class.IbegantrainingherfortheOpenring,conquering
manyoftheexercisesrequired;however,shenever
competedintheOpenringsinceshedislocatedahip
whilejumping.
In1992,IdecidedthatIwasgoingtofindabreedthat
Icouldshowmyselfintheconformationring.Ialso
wantedacompetitionobediencebreed.IchoseBasset
HoundssincetheyhadmanytraitsthatIwasattracted
tosuchastheirlaid-backpersonalitywhichgetsalong
witheveryone.Theywouldalsoprovideachallengein
theobediencering.MyfirstBassetneverdidfinishhis
championship,andhewasshownforoverayear.Idid
managetopickupamajoronhim,butIdecidedthere
weretoomanyfaultstobeabletoeasilyfinishhim.He
endedupgettinghisCDafewyearslaterandenjoyedthe
obedienceringmorethantheconformationring.
Overthenext20years,Ibredabout10litters,some
withgreatsuccessandsomenot.Iwasfortunatetohave
bredabitchthatwasaspecialtywinnerandalsoanAward
ofMeritwinneratthe1999NationalSpecialtywithvery
limitedshowingandalwaysowner/breederhandled.I
produced11breedchampions—probablymanyothers
iftheyhadbeenshown.Overtheyears,Imanagedtoput
CDsonsixBassetsandoneCDX.Whileonthejourneywith
theBassetHounds,IfellinlovewithStandardWirehaired
Dachshunds.Thefirstonecametolivewithmein1995,
andhequicklyfinishedhischampionshipinverylimited
showing.Helovedpleasingme,soobediencecameeasyto
him.HewasthefirstdogthatIputanagilitytitleonwith
myverylimitedexperience;heacquiredanovicetitlein
threeshows.HealsohadaCDXandhadbeenintheUtility
ringonetime.Heretiredfromobediencewhenheartdisease
wasdetectedatageseven.
ImovedtoTexasfromIllinoisin2008toworkasa
kennelmanagerforaPBGVandPointerkennel.That’s
whenmyloveforPBGVsbegan.WhenIwouldgocarefor
thedogs,thePBGVswouldputasmileonmyface.Howcan
younotsmileattheirantics?Theyareaperfectfitforme
becausetheyhavemanyofthe“hound”traitstheBassets
havewithmoreoftheenergyoftheDachshunds.Inow
own/co-ownfourPBGVs,twoofwhichIcompetedwithin
Pennsylvaniaatthenationalinobedience,rally,agilityand
hunt.IfindtrainingthePBGVsalittlemorechallenging
thantheBassetssincetheBassetsgenerallydon’tgetthe
zoomieswhilecompeting.Ihavesethighgoalsformy
PBGVs,butonlytimewilltellifwecanachievethem.
IcurrentlycompeteinagilitywithmyWireDachshund,
Clint.Wehavesomegreatrunsandsomenot-so-greatones.
Afterall,heisahound!
Oneofmygoalstoaccomplishwhilebeingonthe
boardistomakethePerformanceEventCommitteean
activecommitteethatencouragesmemberstobeactive
withtheirPBGVsinasportthedogandhandlerlove.I
believethePBGVCAalsoneedstoestablishajuniors
programthatencouragesyoungstersinthesportand
providesmentorship.Afterall,theyarethefutureof
thebreed.Ialsofeeltheclubshouldbemoreactivein
mentoringnewmembersaboutthebreedstandard.
I
LoraMeglirepresentstheCentralRegionofPBGVCA.Shecanbe
reachedatlmegli@yahoo.com.
14
www.pbgv.org
Spring2015
ISaberTails
•NextSaberTailsdeadline:May1•
IMeetyourPBGVCABoardMember
IntroducingLoraMegli•Comfort,Texas
LoraMegliwithClintandSparks,CH
Mirepoix’sSparksWillFlyCA,RN,BN