Feb. 5, 1987

Dear Beverly,

So many memories in those old scrap books!

Both dogs usually placed in the ribbons although Tinker's judges, often old time obedience people like Blanche Saunders, graded with a heavier hand than did later judges using a more uniform AKC point rating.

We first met Shelties and Mary Van Wagenen at the Feb. '47 Hartford Show. The next weekend we went to Vermont for Tinker, three months old, our first dog. He was put to sleep in '57 at 10½ years. We brought Bairn back from a summer vacation in Aug. '49, also at three months. He died in '64 at 14½ years. Tinker was half-brother to Ch. Sea Isle Elizabeth so we considered them uncle and nephew. They were very close; Tinker, serious and Bairn,a tease.

Tinker qualified for tracking at the O.T.C. of Rhode Island Trial at North Smithfield Nov. 19, 1950; Bairn, at the South Shore Dog Training Club at South Weymouth, Mass. 18 Oct. 1953.

We got Tinker "just for a pet"; then we learned about obedience training. He was a spectacular jumper; he soared. Just as we started work for the U.D., the AKC added directional jumping. Old time trainers protested in vain that it was psychologically unsound to send a dog from his master, the purpose of obedience training being to teach him to stay close. At Hartford O.T.C. they did not know how to teach the exercise—some people gave up; others of us improvised. Tinker would have tried anything we asked of him.

There was some tension then between "breed" and "obedience" people. Seeming to look down on obedience training, many "breed" people claimed that it spoiled a dog for show. Ardent obedience devotees, we wanted a dog with championship possibilities to show also in obedience. Mary felt that Bairn had promise. He proved a real showman. We felt that he learned much about obedience from watching Tinker. We did not realize that he would become the first Ch-UDT Sheltie.

While we personally don't quite date back to the earliest obedience days, our associates did. Witness the signatures on letters of readiness for tracking for the two dogs. Tinker's was signed by "Cap" Herman Schendel, H.O.T.C. trainer, who took part in Blanche Saunders' early obedience demonstrations at Yankee Stadium; Bairn's, by Jack Baird, long time dog writer,early interested in the Club. My tracking trainer was Jim Sharkey from the Boston area, a dog trainer with the Marines in World War Two. Tracking was then a closely guarded secret.

Of course this is much, much too much but you opened a Pandora's box. Use whatever you wish.

P.S. I am sending a check to Lyn Krivanek. Thanks for the information.

• The Carolyn Langdon letters
• PDF copy of original letter