10 Ways to Help Your National Specialty

It’s looking like the 2020 PBGVCA National Specialty is really going to happen. 2 years ago when I started planning this event, no one could have expected this year to take the turn that it did. The show isn’t going to be exactly the national of my dreams, but with the help and support of a lot of people, we are going to get to have our annual celebration of all things PBGV. Want to help make this happen? Here are some ideas:

1. Come to the show if you can. I get that not everyone can travel right now, but please attend if it feels comfortable to you. If you are attending, maybe think about entering an extra dog or class. I’ll bet your veteran would love to come out and play again. And don’t you want to do brood bitch with your girl and her puppies from that last litter?
2. If you are coming, please volunteer some time. You can sign up to help with performance events or just email me at ClancyPBGV@gmail.com with your availability. No experience is necessary and we promise that volunteering will be fun!
3. If you can’t come, consider making a donation to the trophy fund, welcome bags, or auction. You can even participate virtually in Trick Dog testing.
4. Speaking of the auction, it will be primarily online this year, so feel free to shop from the comfort of your home.
5. Share accurate information about the show. Spreading the word is important, but please make sure that you are sharing information from an official source. The show committee and club board are committed to keeping everyone informed and will share updates when they become available.
6. Send your entries and activity registration early. The more data we have about how many people and dogs to expect, the easiest planning is for the show committee and secretaries. If the world falls apart again, refunds will be issued just as they were in April.
7. Be prepared. Your packing list will need to include things like masks and hand sanitizer that you might not have considered in the past.
8. Prepare your PBGV. Judges, stewards, and everyone else will be wearing masks and the judges will be hand sanitizing between dogs. Spending some time preparing your dog for that now will go a long way to a more enjoyable national. Here’s a video that I made for my dog training students on how to introduce a mask to your dog.
9. Take out a catalog ad to show off your PBGV’s latest accomplishment.
10. Enjoy your time at the show! Things won’t be exactly like past shows, but we’ve all been isolated for too long. Being 6 feet away from friends is still a lot closer than being across the country. Have a good time and focus on the things we can still do.