The National Dog Show’s blog is active again – check out the latest post from intern and social media coordinator Casey Saladino or visit http://thenatldogshow.blogspot.com/ for all the latest news.
My Checkered Flag Pups by Casey Saladino
Hey fellow pup lovers! Long time no post, but we are back! My name is Casey Saladino, and I have recently accepted an internship with Vizion Group PR working as the social media coordinator for the National Dog Show! (Check us out on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter)
I want to dedicate my first post to my two dogs (naturally). Talli, named after Talladega Speedway, is a 10-year-old soon to be 11-year-old cheerful black Labrador. We got Talli when I was just 10-years-old. He was the lankiest pup you had ever seen, and only wanted to play. At the time, we had another dog, Indy, named after the Indianapolis 500 (do you see the theme yet?). Indy was 6-years-old when we got Talli, and Indy was the most mellow lab you’d ever meet. He was the dog that even if you were not a dog person (I couldn’t even imagine) you liked. He was practically a pillow for my little sister and me, who loved his bed and to sleep the day away. You can imagine what Indy thought when we brought an energetic, sprightly Talli home for him to have as a little brother. But they eventually got along, with Talli following every step Indy took.
Unfortunately, Indy soon passed away due to a failed kidney, and we were devastated. Indy was my first dog, my snuggle buddy, number one fan who came to every track meet, soccer game and horse show. He always knew how to cheer you up when you were sad, and would be immediately be at your side at the first tear. Lucky for Talli, he got to learn a lot from Indy, and so did we.
A few years later, the summer of 2014, just after my high-school graduation, my mother, sister and I were at a week-long horse show in Saugerties, New York. The showgrounds mimicked a town in itself, full of cute little shops and stands, including an animal shelter that brought puppies and kittens who were up for adoption to visit. Naturally, my sister and I would visit each day, petting and hugging each pup there. That’s when we met Marty, a small 13 lb. black lab, dachshund mix puppy (so we were told… he would grow to be about 40-50 lbs.). Of course, my sister Kara documented the event, taking the cutest photos of herself and the puppy looking for a home. These photos were sent to my father at home in New Jersey with the message, “Can we get a puppy, Dad? Please?!”
After Indy’s passing, it was hard to picture another dog in the house with Talli. But to my surprise, my father responded with a, “Sure…” And so, we came home from Saugerties, picked up Talli and made our way back up to the Ulster County SPCA so Talli could meet Marty. Because of our love for the Labrador breed, we thought a 40-50 lbs. pup would be a nice complement to our 80 lbs. Talli. And they hit it off, and we took the little Marty, named after Martinsville Speedway to continue with the NASCAR theme (Dad is a huge fan), home to Gladstone, New Jersey.
And so, as I prepared to head off to college, Marty came home as my soon-to-be replacement! Now, Talli is the big brother, and Marty worships the ground he walks on. Marty, now 3-years-old, has grown to be a whole 25 lbs. They are the perfect pair, and have taught me so many things that I cannot wait to share with you all (stay tuned!).
In the meantime, checkout the National Dog Show social media as we look forward to this coming show hosted by the Kennel Club of Philadelphia, presented by Purina, taking place November 17th and 18th of 2018 at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA!
Casey Saladino
Villanova University, Class of 2018