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February 10, 2010 - Grand Rapids, Michigan Dear Diary, I breed Bernese Mountain Dogs. Before the days of being social I was very involved in the dog fancy. In 1999, I bought my first dog and was contractually obligated to show him to his championship. I didn't want a show dog but I figured I'd let the breeder show him and I'd have a championed dog. The first show I attended I was bit by the "bug". That experience turned into a 10 year love affair with dogs, dog shows and the culture of dog showing. Because of dogs I travelled the country. I went as far west as Portland, south as Texas, east to Pennsylvania and even showed at the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club where my dog, Elwood, won the honor of Best in Breed. It was this trip to New York that eventually spawned the idea of the Grand Rapids Social Diary. That's a blog for another day. Every weekend was a dog show weekend and every week was full of conditioning and grooming the dogs for the next event. Us crazy dog people never really own one dog because when the first finishes his championship our addiction tells us that we need to show another. Sometimes we help out with the big breeders. The breeders that bring 5 or 6 dogs to a show but that rarely lasts because dog showing isn't a sport that makes you want to help others win, it's one that makes you want to be the top dog. Flash forward 11 years. I now have four bernese mountain dogs. One is an offspring of my first Bernese, the late Champion Great Lakes J Spencer Barns named after my good friend, Spencer Barnes, who passed away the month before I picked him up. I have Oscar, who is his son and is almost 7. His daughter, Kate. Hazel, who I bought and flew here from a breeder in Colorado and my dear, Rebecca, who was out of a Spencer daughter and is the goofiest animal I have ever known. Now I have four puppies in my living room. Kate whelped five babies last Thursday. I will share that story with you tomorrow. I have to start the day! Happy Snowmegeddon and Wednesday. Hug your animals today. If you are interested in blogging for the "Diary", please email us at: grandrapidssocialdiary@gmail.com Are you in? "snow nose" ~ photography by Tim Motley
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