Canine Showcase

Heinz Pup-peroni Eastern Regional Obedience Championships

by Joanne Williamson

The Heinz Pup-peroni Eastern Regional Obedience Championships were held on the campus of Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA, March 22 & 23, 1997. The Star Obedience Association, which sponsored the show, was founded in 1993 solely for the purpose of raising the money to make this possible. Over the last four years, the members of Star have held a number of events including seminars and obedience and agility matches to raise the approximately $60,000 required to put on a show of this magnitude. Admission was free and since the Fieldhouse at Lehigh is the annual site of two popular dog shows in December, the spectators numbered in the hundreds both days

To qualify for this competition, dog and handler teams must have received at least three scores averaging 193 or higher in Novice, Open, or Utility. Mixed breed dogs as well as purebreds, are eligible to compete. Needless to say, with teams of this caliber, the competition was intense with small errors producing dramatic changes in the standings. Unfortunately, there were no Beardies entered at this event.

An important part of the championships is the Canine Showcase. A number of dog clubs volunteered to man booths whose themes were all related to responsible dog ownership. The groups participating represented a broad range of interests- from specialty and single breed rescue clubs to a therapy dog organization and the local humane society. Like a typical dog show there were also a number of commercial vendors offering all types of obedience and agility equipment along with other doggie-related items.

Since I was in charge of organizing the Showcase, the GSBCC was represented among the Specialty clubs. My dog, Sean (Ch Balgrae's Sean Mackay CD, HS) was the main Beardie ambassador. He demonstrated the practical value of obedience training by remaining on a grooming table and greeting the many hundreds of Showcase visitors. In fact, he was so calm and quiet, many people thought he was a stuffed toy! We had copies of the Beardie breed pamphlet, "A lifetime of friendship", for interested people to take, in addition to some general literature from the AKC on topics such as the commitment required to own a dog and selecting a breeder. There was also a photo display demonstrating the beauty and versatility of the Beardie but cautioning that they are not a breed for everyone. I lost count of the number of times I said: "No, he's not an Old English Sheepdog, but he does herd sheep!"

Parts of the competition and the Showcase were filmed by the local cable TV station for broadcast and there was extensive coverage in the local newspapers. Although it was a lot of work, there was a great deal of satisfaction from participating in an event that gave such a positive view of the dog-human bond.

This site last updated on Sunday, March 30, 2008