Uno - Best in Show. Gabe - Best in the WORLD!

Some of you probably watched or heard about Uno the Beagle winning Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club show last night. Not only is he the first hound in many years to earn that honor; he also is the first Beagle ever to win best in show at this particular event. Perfectly marked and full of tenacity, Uno certainly carved out a place for himself in the ring and spectator's hearts. And while I was thrilled to watch him beat out the other more 'typical' winning breeds, it got me thinking about my own Gabe. (in all honesty, it does not take much for me to get thinking about dogs; especially Gabe.)

He started out as just a little unwanted mutt out of central Missouri, ready to bring some havoc to my life.



I don't know when he was born, who his parents were, or who dumped him at a shelter. I adopted him not knowing if he would weigh 40 pounds or 80 pounds fully grown. He does not have papers, and I did not spend the price of a new car to make him mine. His life is so starkly different from that of Uno or any of the other purebred show dogs out there. But, all those differences aside, Gabe has certainly established himself in his own way. He has grown into a good friend, a best friend, and the perfect demo dog for me.



Today, I had my first chance to kind of 'show off' Gabe as a demo dog. Dad invited us to come help him with the lesson he frequently does for the Colonial preschoolers. It was a perfect opportunity to practice being in front of people without needing to worry too much about a flawless performance. Preschoolers are generally easy to impress, after all.

I went into it not entirely sure what I wanted to show them, or what they would like to see, or what I should even say. But the great thing about Gabers is that he takes matters into his own hands. He adds character and goofiness to everything he does. Even if we couldn't show them probably half of what he learned how to do at school, it was fun even for me to take a little inventory of Gabe's tricks and commands. For an eleven month old dog, he really has come a very long way. There are definitely still wrinkles to be ironed out, but it brought me a lot of joy to come to the realization that my time as a trainer has really just about arrived.

It is so easy to get discouraged and overwhelmed with how I am exactly going to carve out a path for myself as a trainer in the next few months and years. Student loans payments are creeping up, begging me to wonder if I will ever be able to support myself financially. But, Gabe is a great reminder that I CAN train dogs professionally, and we went through bootcamp together to be able to say that. I'm still not 100% confident at all times. There are way more unknowns than I would like to think about. But I'm certain that God gave me no dog other than Gabe to be a crucial instrument in this entire process, as well as my faithful companion. So while I wrestle with uncertainty and fear and feeling insecure on many days, Gabe is a constant reminder of His faithfulness. And that the best things really can come in the funniest packages.