Memories of a Great Dog

1. Fifth Pick of the Litter
2. Growing Up
3. Competition
4. In the Mountains
5. On the Beach
6. Buffy
7. Old Age

3. Competition

Sheepherding

Belgians are sheepherding dogs, so when Chip was still a puppy, we decided he should get some experience herding sheep. Carol Delsman, a Portland-area sheep rancher, was willing to teach sheepherding, so we drove Chip out to her farm.

Chip got excited as soon as he saw the sheep; it was as if he suddenly understood the purpose of his life.

Indeed, Chip was a natural, and Carol took a special interest in him.

In May, 1994, when Chip was just 10 months old, he won his first sheepherding trial.

Carol, the judge, Chip, and Vickie.

Here Chip is getting to know one of Carol's rams, who could be somewhat scary when they wanted to be.

Chip continued to practice herding on Carol's farm for another year or so. Later, Carol moved her ranch to Baker City, Oregon.

AKC Conformation

In 1997, when Chip was 4, the Belgian Tervuren National Specialty Show was held in Portland, Oregon. More than 300 Tervs would be on the scene! Chip had never been to a dog show before, but when Anna, Chip's breeder, saw him, she immediately decided to let Chip and Cruz represent her kennel in the show.

Anne Rogers Clark, one of the most famous dog show judges in the country, judged the Portland show. She said that Chip was an excellent example of the breed.

To honor Anna, we decided to enter Chip in some dog shows, where dogs are judged against a standard that has been written for each breed. Winning a show earns a dog 1 to 5 points depending on how many other dogs are entered; once a dog has earned 15 points it is considered a "champion." As I recall, Chip earned 5 points at his first two shows, then only 4 points at the next show. At the next show, he came in second--what was that judge thinking? Finally, he won his championship by winning another 4-point show.

We were proud of Chip for winning these shows, but we really wanted him as a companion to join us on hikes and other activities. So, after winning his championship, we "retired" him from the ring.