– By Carol J. Garvin

While many RV buyers squint at the specs, focusing on features such as hitch weight, size of holding tanks, and furnace BTU’s (that would be my husband), others want to know if there’s a bathtub in which to bathe dogs, and will the awning extend far enough to protect all the exercise pens and crates from the elements (yup, that’s my department). And décor? Oh, please, please may the upholstery come in something neutral that won’t show dog hair, and the carpet in a camouflaging shade of puppy piddle yellow.

Lots of RV’ers travel with their pets… they wouldn’t dream of leaving home without them… but there is a unique segment of the mobile population that causes raised eyebrows when they pull into an overnight campsite. These are the purebred dog enthusiasts, en route to another venue on their summer circuit of dog shows and obedience trials. They pull into a site, level up, and then just when you might expect a child or two to emerge, stretching cramped little muscles and whining for dinner, instead the adults begin unloading exercise pens from carrier racks while the children appear with a multitude of leashed-up canines, and purposefully head off into the bushes, plastic “doggy” bags in hand, to begin taking care of business… the dogs’ that is.

Our family took just such a trip several years ago, leaving Vancouver Island to combine nine weeks of cross-Canada exploration with a couple of dog shows in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland (it wasn’t called “Newfoundland and Labrador” in those days). We traveled with good friends, touring our way through the provinces with our 3/4 ton Chev Suburban and 24’ Terry trailer and their 20’ Vanguard Class C motorhome.

In North Sydney, NS, we attended the Cape Breton Kennel Club dog shows and then took the six hour ferry sailing to Port aux Basques, NF. We had decided to reduce ferry costs by leaving our car and trailer behind to pick up on the return trip, and so boarded the ferry with all of us and our paraphernalia loaded into the overburdened motorhome.

For the next week, as we pulled into campgrounds each night on “the Rock”, it became a contest to see who would overhear the first comments from one of the neighbouring campers: “Good grief! Look at that bunch… five kids ‘n five dogs plus two… uh, nope, four adults, all in that little unit. Don’t that beat all?”

In fact, we all fared surprisingly well despite the limited space. My husband and I slept on the pull-out couch, our friends made down the dinette, our teenage daughter chose to spread her sleeping bag on the floor (much to the dogs’ delight), and the four younger girls… well, they all fit quite nicely in a row on the overhead bunk!

Our next shows were at the Humber Valley Kennel Club in Corner Brook, NF, after which we explored our way across to St. John’s and finally to Argentia for the eighteen-hour return sailing to North Sydney. Our own rig seemed very spacious when we reclaimed it after our week of close encounters in the Vanguard, but we had survived and were all still friends by the time we arrived back home.

Not all dog show enthusiasts travel 9,186 miles (14,700 km) there and back to attend a show and, granted, that wasn’t the primary purpose of our trip. But some put almost that many miles on their RVs every year, just traveling from one relatively local dog show location to another. There are many appealing venues for exhibitors in the Pacific Northwest. Features that constitute “appealing” to an exhibitor, however, might not be high on the list of “druthers” for the average RV’ing family. Things like campsite privacy, a view, access to the lake, a play area for the children would be considered bonuses by most exhibitors who are far more interested in close proximity to the show rings, handy washrooms with showers, a nearby concession for early morning coffee and hasty lunches, and 30 amp electrical hookups that won’t blow fuses when hair blowers are plugged in while the air conditioner is running.

One popular September show site in BC’s Okanagan is in Penticton, where the Skaha Kennel Club members reserve an area for their event at South Beach Gardens, a camping resort on Skaha Lake. The Cranbrook and District Kennel Club members hold their August shows in the center of their West Kootenay town, with the rings in grassy Mt. Baker Park and RV’s set up in the adjacent well-treed campground that even boasts a creek.

In the lower mainland, the July Sporting Dog Spectacular event is held at the Hazelmere RV Park in Surrey BC, which not only has a lush grassy area for show rings, but also offers a playground, hot tub, and swimming pool. Although there are no electrical hookups for the RVs, generators are permitted, and the nearby Hazelmere Golf and Country Club is popular with golfers and those who fancy a wonderful Sunday brunch.

On the Island, the Campbell River Dog Fanciers Society holds an August event in the park at the Willow Point Sportsplex close to Stoney Creek Golf Course, while in Campbell River the exhibitors can also take in some world-class salmon fishing in their spare time. And at the other end of the Island, the Vancouver Island Dog Fanciers’ Association and Victoria City Kennel Club hold their shows in the Saanich Fairgrounds, the former in May and the latter in August, which offer easy access into the Province’s capital, the charming city of Victoria, with all its shopping and tourist attractions.

Not all show sites can boast proximity to wonderful amenities, but exhibitors are a stoic lot and as long as they can conveniently present their well-groomed dogs to the judges in a timely manner, they don’t grumble much, even when they have to set up on a gravel or asphalt parking lot.

To augment the weekend’s activities and provide a bit of fun, some clubs host special activities on the show grounds such as exhibitor appreciation nights, steak BBQ’s, silent auctions and raffles, bake sales, agility and flyball demonstrations. But the exhibitors also provide their own entertainment. They bring their books, knitting and stitchery, and in lawn chairs gather at ringside to watch the judging of other breeds, and applaud their friends’ achievements. On summer evenings when the dogs have been fed and exercised, out come the softballs and soccer balls, or groups of people can be found lounging under someone’s canopy, sharing a bottle of wine or pot of coffee, and mulling over the day’s accomplishments while enjoying a game of cards. They may be fiercely competitive inside the show ring, but outside many share a warm camaraderie.

Serious dog fanciers have developed a tightly knit community. Even if they come to the shows from opposite directions, they will often set up their rigs together and watch over each other’s grooming areas. During the many miles travelled there have been occasional accidents and breakdowns, and another passing exhibitor will always stop to offer assistance. If the necessary treatment or repair is going to be time-consuming, often as not, the assistance will include transferring dogs and equipment to the passerby’s rig and making sure that a suitable alternate handler is found at the show to groom and present the dogs so they don’t miss their classes.

You’ll find just about every style of recreational vehicle set up at an outdoor dog show – motorhomes, travel trailers, 5th-wheels, campers, vans – some quite new and others well worn, in sizes large and small. Exhibitors sometimes even sleep in the back of their pickups and in tents. I can’t say that I’ve ever noticed anyone sleeping out under the stars, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened!

While many of the RV’s are out-of-the-showroom models, sporting stock features and options such as you would see in any campground, others have been customized with unique features to make them more compatible with the dog exhibitor’s life style. The most noticeable add-on is usually a sturdy rack on the front or rear of a rig, designed to carry a collection of collapsible wire exercise pens. Inside, extra bunks are removed and tie-downs added to create a secure place where several crates can travel. At least one lower cupboard will have shelves removed to make room for a hefty sack of dog food and a stack of feeding bowls; and the back of the clothes closet might have a folded grooming table snapped firmly into clamps behind the exhibitors’ favourite wardrobe of suits, long skirts and blazers all carefully protected (at least temporarily) from dust and dog hairs. The back compartment of specialty rigs, originally designed to tote ATV’s and dirt bikes, is transformed into a separate kennel room.

Apart from such modifications, dog show people carry with them all the same things that the rest of us do in the summertime… including a fridge full of easy-to-prepare foods and cold drinks, a BBQ, the usual motley assortment of lawn chairs, and an all-important collection of boots, shoes and jackets for every kind of weather.

If you should encounter such a rig on your next overnight stop, take a look to see if there are large colourful rosettes hanging in a window. Then you can greet the occupants with a knowledgeable, “Been to a dog show, have you?” and be confident that they’re happy campers on their way back home (or perhaps to another dog show).