Every year I have the same conversation with newbies taking their first dog to the Doberman National. “You don’t go to the National with the intention of winning anything,” I say. “Considering that the cream of the crop is usually present in every class, I am honored if my dog just makes a cut. If I get a placement in a class I’m thrilled. If I win a class, I’m ecstatic. Anything beyond that and you have to tie cement blocks on to prevent me from floating away.”

While those rosettes are great, the best prize taken home from any National is your memories.

If I’m counting right, the 2019 National will be the 23rd that I have attended. I have memories of them all- some that make me belly laugh, some that make me smile nostalgi- cally, some that make me melancholy and a handful that even years later, make me fume.

I can see snapshots in my head of these Nationals, the people and the dogs. Sam Burke speaking at the po- dium of an annual meeting. A three-legged “Teegan,” the original ‘Dobie Rocket,’ still blasting through weave poles following an amputation for osteosar- coma. A couple of young Argentines who shall re- main nameless, still fresh to the states and unfamiliar with the language, stripping down to their skivvies, much to the delight of the ladies, to raise money for the breed. The always sparkling Vicky (now Seiler-Cushman) never missing a beat despite her wardrobe malfunctions in the ring. The mo- ments of silence for those friends, both two legged and four, which had left us that year. A rosy cheeked Pat Doniere sitting among the board members. The awe felt around the ring, and the start of a new era as we Americans got our first glimpse of what looked to us like a stallion in Doberman clothing called “Lex Luthor.” A grinning Vic Monteleon with his baritone voice. A young “Hunter” winning Grand Prize Fu- turity. Gene Haupt with his ever- present hat and plaid jackets, body blocking the judge’s view of the dog until he had it set just so.

I could go on and on. But the take- away is to live in the moment of the National. Meet new friends, put faces to names, have a meal filled with laughter. Learn something new- about the breed, yourself or the relationship with your dog. Buy that special keepsake. Delve deep into the catalogs, this magazine, the seminars. Watch conformation, agility, obedience, rally, barn hunt and IPO to your heart’s content. In short, make your own memories to share 23 Nationals down the road.

Thanks for inviting us into your home, Elizabeth

2009 DPCA Fundraiser “Project Runway” Teams chose mystery bags filled with oddities and had to create a costume using all of the contents. Yours truly is 3rd from the right as Kim Kar’dobe’ian flanked by her two body guards. My bra was stuffed with latex gloves, and the girdled big bottom filled out with paper plates from the mystery bag. Esteban was the winner of the night, collecting over $500 in his Mexican inspired costume made of several rolls of toilet paper.