You probably don鈥檛 immediately think of farms when you see dogs gliding about a conformation ring under the watchful eye of a judge. And on the other side, it can be hard to imagine a farm dog traversing his 100-acre farm or working the crowd at a nearby petting zoo in the conformation ring. But 6-year-old 鈥淧erogie鈥� the Bernese Mountain Dog, does both and more in 24 hours.
鈥淗e basically lives in two worlds,鈥� says Sally Wolfgang, Perogie鈥檚 co-owner, of Bucks County, PA. Despite his success in the ring, Perogie was a late bloomer when it came to conformation. Wolfgang didn鈥檛 start training Perogie for dog shows and working with a professional handler until he was 5 years old.
Instant Celebrity on the Farm
Charis Matey, Wolfgang鈥檚 neighbor and Perogie鈥檚 co-owner, from a Polish breeder when he was a puppy. 鈥淚 was drawn to what a cute, fluffy puppy he was in Facebook photos,鈥� she says. 鈥淎s soon as I spotted those photos, I contacted the breeder and told her I wanted him.鈥�
Matey lives on a farm and has a traveling petting zoo, . She was looking for a dog that could be not only a watchdog and companion, but one that she could also bring along on petting zoo visits for birthday parties, fundraisers, carnivals, corporate events, picnics, and more.
Perogie turned out to be all of that and more, becoming the magnet and center of attention at most of these events. 鈥淐hildren are always on the ground rubbing his belly,鈥� Matey says. 鈥淲hile he is very laid back, Perogie has that 鈥業鈥檓 here, so you can devote your attention to me鈥� attitude.鈥�
Bringing Neighbors Together
Matey knew he was a star in his own way, but it wasn鈥檛 until 2022, when a friend introduced her to Wolfgang, that they recognized his show potential.
鈥淲hen I first set eyes on Perogie, I knew he was special,鈥� recalls Wolfgang, who has owned Bernese Mountain Dogs for 18 years. 鈥淚 offered to co-own, train, and show him.鈥� Matey, despite never having shown dogs and knowing little about the conformation world, agreed. 鈥淪he had a gem and didn鈥檛 know it,鈥� Wolfgang says. 鈥淧erogie met her needs on the farm and with the traveling petting zoo.鈥�
The neighbors, who may never have met otherwise, started the process of signing a co-ownership agreement for Perogie. The only problem? Where the dog would live. Matey was initially opposed to Perogie living away from her with Wolfgang, as he had been her companion full-time for many years.
Since Matey had never co-owned a dog and wasn鈥檛 familiar with conformation handling, it took her a moment to get on board. 鈥淥nce I convinced her that he needed to live with and build a relationship with the person who would train and show him, she understood,鈥� Wolfgang says.
From the Farm to the Show Ring
Perogie had been his own boss for five years, sleeping between the barn and the house and doing what he pleased. Wolfgang recognized that he needed basic training with a strong hand and skill set. 鈥淚 am not a dog trainer,鈥� Wolfgang explains. 鈥淚 can show and finish a young dog that I have worked with or that lives with me.鈥� He knew he鈥檇 need to do a lot of training with the adult dog to get him comfortable showing and being handled.
During early training, Wolfgang gradually brought in conformation skills and the show scene into Perogie鈥檚 life. 鈥淚 would take him to shows,鈥� she recalls, 鈥渁nd he just wanted to drag me back to the van. He wanted nothing to do with it.鈥�
By July 2022, Wolfgang felt they were ready. She handled him in a few more events before professional handler Bobbi Kinley-Blewitt took over in late August 2023. Even with limited showing, Perogie earned his championship in August 2023 under Kinley-Blewett鈥檚 tutelage. Two months later, he took Best in Specialty at the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Northeastern Illinois independent regional specialty.
A Professional Handler for Perogie
Wolfgang, a full-time pharmacist and senior product manager, also has a farm of her own. On top of her work, she runs a 40-acre farm with horses, chickens, and several Bernese Mountain Dogs. And still, she makes time for Perogie.
Although Wolfgang had intended on being Perogie鈥檚 conformation handler, she wasn鈥檛 able to devote the time that was necessary. This included the strict training schedule, as well as being on the road, traveling to shows.
She knew of Kinley-Blewitt through the Bernese Mountain Dog community. Like Wolfgang, she was also a longtime Berner owner, and is very passionate about the breed. 鈥淏obbi is a far better handler,鈥� Wolfgang says, 鈥渁nd is highly respected in the Bernese Mountain Dog world.鈥�
Matey says that Perogie has adapted well to travel, training, and trust. 鈥淚 want to compliment Bobbi and Sally for their efforts. I could have never imagined it,鈥� Matey says. 鈥淲hen he returns home, it鈥檚 like he has never missed a beat, and he鈥檚 ready to go to work.鈥�
A Typical Day on the Farm
Matey notes that this 鈥渟weet and loving鈥� dog is the perfect fit for the farm. Perogie has never had any fights or confrontations with the farm animals, or the 35 different species of zoo animals they have.
A typical day on the farm for Perogie has him accompanying Matey to the pastures while feeding the sheep and cows, barking at visitors, and sleeping under the pine trees.
鈥淟ast summer, my three domestic turkeys went a bit further down my lane than they normally do. I was taking care of the wallabies at the time and not paying attention to the turkeys,鈥� Matey recalls. 鈥淧erogie thought they were leaving and came running back to me barking. At first, I didn鈥檛 know what he was barking about, but I stopped what I was doing, and we walked back toward the house. At that point, he took off, running down the road to show me where they went. Eventually, we were able to direct them back to their barn.鈥�
Perogie is a vigilant farm dog, and his smart and attentive nature makes him the perfect extra-hand that Matey often needs on the farm. A few years ago, Matey recalls taking care of an orphan lamb in the house and bottle feeding it. 鈥淧erogie decided he needed to be the lamb鈥檚 protector. Whenever we were back in the house, he would not let the lamb out of his sight.鈥� Every night, Perogie would sleep with him until he was big enough to be on his own in the barn.
Perogie from Poland
The backstory to Perogie鈥檚 name comes from his origins, but is also influenced by the farm. Matey explains, 鈥淲e frequently name animals in the petting zoo after food, as the children like those names.鈥� And since Perogie, Bernese Mountain Dog, came from Poland, 鈥淧ierogi,鈥� the name of the popular European country鈥檚 dish, seemed to fit.
Perogie has done more for Matey and Wolfgang than just excelling on the farm and in the ring. He鈥檚 also brought the neighbors closer together and strengthened their bond in a way they could鈥檝e never imagined. The co-owners agree that Perogie is a vibrant, multi-talented dog. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a fairy-tale story with a Cinderella touch,鈥� they say.