We Say “Goodbye” to Hank

He was our first Corgi and first show dog.

Hank’s Paw Print

We were just looking for a pet. When we found him, the Southern California Club members we met while looking, told us, “You should show him, he could do well. We’ll show you how.”

They did, and they were right. Ten years, and nearly five hundred points later, Hank had led us to dog shows all over the West, to Westminster, to Orlando, and to four nationals from Portland to St. Louis. 

We learned a lot together. We learned what to expect of each other in the show ring and how to communicate with each other too. We made hundreds of friends from all over the world as we showed him.

We have many people to thank for all of Hank’s success. Mary Hering and Tracy Liston mentored and encouraged us. Mary showed Debbie how to groom and Tracy showed Mike how to handle a dog in the ring. We have an entire club to thank in Southern California; they were always thrilled when Hank did well. Hank was one of the first Gold Grand Champion Pembrokes.

We live with Hank’s legacy: three daughters and a few grand puppies close by. He leaves us after he sired nine Champions and Grand Champions in bronze, silver, and gold (there may even be a tenth on the way).

We thank Hank’s breeder, Maureen Wilkinson, for trusting us with such a wonderful ambassador for the breed.

We’ll miss him, for all he taught us, and for introducing us to the wonderful world of Corgis and their people.

We miss him every day.

Mike & Debbie

This is our favorite win picture of Hank. It’s from the national club’s specialty show in 2014.
Hank was the first dog chosen for an Award of Merit.
This was our first “professional” photo together, it was at the Eukanuba Show in Orlando in 2011. Little did we know Linda Dossett was a mainstay of Corgi photography. We would have many of her photos over the ensuing years. Thank you Linda for your eye, sense of timing, and love of this wonderful breed.
Our first time in the show ring together. And our first win picture together, from the Columbia River Pembroke Welsh Corgi Club’s Specialty Show in 2010. The judge (left) is Anne Bowes, President of the National Club at the time. The Show Chair (right) is Donna Newton, who showed Hank’s grandsire at the same show fifteen years earlier. This is indeed a small world.
Our first points together. A day after the Columbia River Specialty (above) at the Stumptown Cluster in Portland under breeder judge Stephanie Hedgepath. We still joke about her comment in the ring when she pointed to us, “You sir, have the Winner’s Dog… in spite of you.”
We ran this ad in the PWCCA’s National Newsletter when Hank passed. A lot of people remember him fondly.