OSU assistant professor of sociology Roger Hammer and his Norwegian Buhund Baya.

That’s because her breed is so rare in the United States that she’s one of only around 500 Buhunds in the country.

The breed name means “farm dog” and Baya, like her ancestors, has sharp herding instincts and a working dog personality. Unlike her intense and hyper counterparts in the herding dog world, Baya is broadly affectionate, a real people pleaser, and just a little bit wiggly. But at age 1, she has plenty of time to mellow.

For OSU assistant professor of sociology Roger Hammer, Baya is a way to connect with his Norwegian ancestry. One of his farming cousins in Norway used to share stories of the amazing skills of his own Buhund.

“He said a good Buhund would hear the hum of the milking machine turning on and would go get the cows and line them up by the barn,” Hammer said.

So when Hammer decided to fulfill a promise to his young daughter Rowan and pick out the family’s first dog, he decided a Buhund would be the way to go.

At first, he figured he’d acquire a dog from Norway, but that turned out to be harder than he expected, as the breed is not nearly as popular as it used to be. Eventually, he discovered there was a breeder in southern Oregon, and Baya was welcomed into the family.
In January, the AKC accepted the Norwegian Buhund into the herding group. On Jan. 17, Baya became one of the first Buhunds to compete in the class as she and Hammer participated in the Rose City Classic AKC competition in Portland.

Hammer’s 9-year-old daughter is a member of the local 4-Paws 4-H group, and has been learning dog showmanship with Baya. Hammer has been learning along with her, and the Rose City Classic was an opportunity for he and Baya to flex their new skills. However, an unexpected bit of celebrity added to the pressure of competition.

It turns out, an Animal Planet film crew was looking to highlight the Buhund’s inclusion into the herding group, and wanted a young dog, and a relatively new dog handler, to feature on the program. Hammer ended up being the perfect match, and he gave the crew permission to film as he showed Baya.

“I thought, ‘This will be interesting,’” he said. They even brought a top handler to give Hammer some pointers before he and Baya competed.

“I went into the ring and did the exact opposite,” he said with a laugh. It wasn’t that he meant to be contrary, but Baya simply wouldn’t do what he wanted her to.

“It made me much more nervous,” to compete while being filmed, he said. “You’re out in the ring with cameras on you.”

Baya wasn’t nervous, but she wasn’t calm either. Instead of staying still when the judges came to inspect her, she became a wiggling puppy, excited at the attention. And during the walk around the ring, she would start to lope instead of walk at a brisk pace.

As a result, Baya didn’t come out on top. But considering the only other Buhunds competing in Portland were her brother and parents, the wins stayed in the family.

While she’s young, Hammer said he won’t be showing Baya much, but as she matures, he hopes they’ll both improve their skills in the ring. And watching himself on Animal Planet might prove embarrassing, but it will be a great way to learn.

(The Animal Planet Dog Championships Portland show repeats this month).

~ Theresa Hogue

Kate Peterson and Happy McGee

Although Happy didn’t end up being top dog at the show, it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance for Peterson, a life-long dog lover, to experience the drama and excitement of the AKC show.

Nine years ago, Peterson wanted a companion dog that would be comfortable with an indoor life. She decided on a Norwich terrier, because the dog’s personality and compact size worked well with her lifestyle.

Happy, shown with his handler Tracy Deloria, didn’t win Best in Show, but Peterson was thrilled at the chance to watch the show in person.

Her first Norwich passed away after suffering from a degenerative disease, and Peterson was heartbroken. Three years ago, her husband bought her a new Norwich puppy, Happy McGee. He turned out to be a show-quality dog.

“He just turned out to be a really excellent specimen, I guess you’d say,” she said. With Happy’s perfect form, it was a shame to keep him out of the ring.

It wasn’t the family’s first foray into dog shows. Peterson’s husband, Mike, is a veterinarian and a registered breeder of Lakeland terriers, and has been showing dogs since his childhood. The couple’s children also have learned to show dogs through 4-H.

But for Kate Peterson, having a dog of her own that was actually winning dog shows was something unusual. Peterson uses professional handlers to show Happy, because the family can’t take time to travel to far-off dog shows.

Kate Peterson is Assistant Provost for Enrollment Management at OSU, but is also the proud owner of award-winning Norwich terrier Happy McGee. She recently traveled to New York City, where Happy competed in the Westminster Dog Show.

After a particularly successful year, Peterson was surprised to learn that Happy had been invited to participate in the Westminster Dog Show in early February. She said the American Kennel Club keeps track of how many points each dog in each breed earns in various competitions, and tallies them. The top five in each breed are invited to Westminster. Happy was ranked fifth in the nation by the AKC this year, after narrowly collecting more points than a Norwich owned by comedian Bill Cosby.

“I didn’t know it worked that way until I got the invitation,” Peterson said.

For the Westminster show, Peterson hired a new handler, Tracy Deloria, who was working with Happy for the first time. She wasn’t worried about them getting along.

“He bonds with everybody,” Peterson said.

But of course, Peterson wanted to witness Happy’s performance herself.

“This is probably the only time I’m going to go when my dog is in it,” she said.

Happy had a few challenges to overcome, including his first plane ride, his first taxi ride, and his first performance in such a huge arena (Madison Square Garden). He took it all with aplomb. Other than one bark during takeoff, he spent his flight asleep, and as for his behavior during the show, other than some high-spirited Norwich jumps, he was an angel.

“He was just so excited to be out of that crate,” Peterson said.

Happy McGee

Sadly, Happy did not win over the judges, who passed him by in the ring. But Peterson was still thrilled to have been in New York City for such a big event. The night of the Best in Show competition was especially exciting, and Peterson was impressed with the way the audience vocalized their approval for their dog of choice.

“The crowd, just through their reaction, was selecting the winner,” she said. And it was clear that Stump the Sussex spaniel, the eventual Best in Show, was the crowd favorite.

And everywhere Peterson went, she was greeted with friendly faces, whether in the stands or walking Happy outside Madison Square Garden.

“There was this feeling of excitement to be there,” she said.

She doesn’t know if there’s another Westminster competition in Happy’s future, but if there is, she’d love to go back. Meanwhile, she and Happy are settling back into their everyday life. Which is fine with them both.

“We’re a real terrier family,” she said.
To see a video of the Norwich competition, click here. Happy appears at approximately 6:29 on the counter.

~ Theresa Hogue