Show cancellations keep hound from going for silver
Social distancing has been hard on Hercules.
Not only is it cutting him off from affection, it's preventing him from becoming a grand champion silver basset hound.
That's the opinion of Gary Nestor, of South Isabella Street, who owns the 4-year-old grand champion bronze dog.
“Basset hounds are so friendly. They are very social animals. They love people and other dogs,” said Nestor, 69. “They've had a problem with this pandemic because they are not able to greet other people. That tends to affect them a little bit. They are not getting that social touching and stuff. They suffer from social distancing.”
Hercules' American Kennel Club name is Tuckleberry Hercules Unchained Going The Distance.
Tuckleberry is the name of the Seattle kennel where Nester bought Hercules.
“When I was a kid, I liked the movie 'Hercules Unchained' with Steve Reeves,” he said.
Nestor also owns Queen, a 5-year-old basset hound and two English cocker spaniels.
But only Hercules is a show dog, one whose height, size and looks have him consistently finishing high in the dog shows he's entered.
The higher the place, the more points Hercules accumulates.
“Every time you do a show, if you do well, you receive points,” said Nestor, a retired auto technician.
Hercules has amassed enough points to be considered a grand champion bronze and needs 18 points to reach the 200 to be named grand champion silver.
But with the stay-at-home orders canceling dog shows across the country, Nestor said Hercules hasn't had a chance to advance in the rankings.
“The last time we showed him was in January or February over in Talmadge, Ohio,” he said.
Nestor said he and Hercules traveled to 25 to 30 dog shows last year around the tri-state area and as far afield as Virginia and Maryland.
Nestor says he does it for the fun in showing Hercules off and the camaraderie of the other dog owners as well as the points. It's certainly not for money.
“It's like the old joke: 'How do you make a small fortune showing dogs? Start with a large fortune,'” he said.
The hiatus especially hurts since Hercules is considered the epitome of basset hound beauty.
He has all the attributes that judges are looking for: no more than 15 inches tall at his withers (or shoulders) with good occipital protuberances, long ears extending past his muzzle, massive paws and well-shaped jaws and correctly fitting teeth.
Hercules also sports a superior chest and well-sprung ribs.The cancellations are also cutting into his show dog prime. Nestor said a show dog's life only lasts about seven years before age robs him of his good looks.Basset hounds are a breed that stretches back to 5th century France when they were bred to be small game hunting dogs.“They are not prone to disease or too many problems,” said Nestor, adding the dogs should be brushed fairly often and taken for daily walks.Basset hounds will weigh from 68 to 70 pounds when fully grown.Their bone structure is the heaviest of all dogs.“They can swim, but their bones are heavy, so they will sink. They love water, but not too deep,” Nestor said.However, their huge paws make it easy for them to tear through rough terrain and mud.Nestor is also a member of the Butler County Kennel Club, for which he teaches dog obedience classes.“He's been doing that for about five years. He's really good at what he does. He is gentle and patient with the dogs,” said Reba Namachar, a member and former secretary of the kennel club.
Nestor has owned basset hounds for 30 years.“My wife (Jeanette) and I had gone to Montgomery Ward to buy snow tires. They were $100 and I said that was too much, I'd get recaps,” said Nestor.“Then, we looked at winter coats and they were $50, and I said I'd get one at the thrift shop,” he said.The Nestors left the store and went into the mall, where there was a pet store that had a female basset hound on sale for $250. It was love at first sight.“I said, 'What do you think?' My wife's eyes were as big as saucers. She said, 'You won't spend $100 for snow tires or $50 for a coat, but you want to spend $250 for this dog?'” Nestor remembered.That dog's name was Sassafras. When she died, Nestor said he pined for five years before he bought another basset, Luke, who was a grand champion bronze.Hercules is probably going to be Nestor's last show dog, which makes the cancellation of dog shows for the future annoying.Showing dogs, Nestor said, “is a lot of fun as long as you are winning a lot.”
