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Looking back at Bulldog Ch. Marinebull's All the Way's success for Joyce and Karl Dingman. By Muriel Lee
printed in Dogs In Review September 2004 Volume 8, Issue 7
"Goober" Dingman! What a name, and what a guy! Look into the Bulldog annals, and you will find the wins and awards that Goober garnered. Come to Minnesota and you will find admirers who remember him well from his glory years.
Joyce and Karl Dingman were your everyday couple. In the early 1970s, they lived in a modest home in a first ring suburb of Minneapolis. High-school sweethearts, they married shortly after graduation and had four children. Karl worked on cars and Joyce drove a school bus. Somewhere along the way, Karl decided to get a Bulldog.
Their first two Bullies died at too young an age from health problems, and Karl decided to see Frank Cox from Chippewa Falls, Wis., about a puppy. Frank was highly regarded in the area for producing healthy and sound Bulldogs which did more than their share of winning in the ring. In addition, Frank was a down-to-earth and honest man, and Karl appreciated having him as a mentor. Frank helped them to acquire their first champion Bulldog, and later the Dingmans talked Frank into selling them a cute red and white puppy... Goober.
"Who was Goober and where did he come from?" ask those who have only been around dogs for 10 or 20 years. Goober was born on February 16, 1973, a singleton puppy sired by Ch. Golden Carmel Coach out of Ch. Marinebull's Here She Comes, both Bulldog Club of America Hall of Famers and Beckett Award winners for numbers of champions produced. Goober was named Marinebull's All The Way, and all the way he went!
Owner-handler! What a wonderful ring to those words! Karl and Joyce may not have been able to do today what they did 30 years ago, as the world of showing dogs has changed. However, the Dingmans, with little money to spare, had a dream, and the family was ready to work and sacrifice to put their Bulldog before the public.
Goober was Best in Match at his first outing and finished his championship at 9 months of age, a record at that time for a Bulldog. Even without advertising, those who knew a good dog recognized Goober the minute he came in the ring. With the proper Bulldog roll and his attitude, it was hard to take your eyes off him.
Goober, Karl and often Joyce traveled the country, and what a trip the three of them had!
In the 1960s and 1970s there were two kinds of trophies: the "Armpit" and the "S.P." An Armpit could be as tall as a 4-foot-tall wooden pedestal with a Winged Victory and her raised arms at the top. S.P.'s were anything that was silver-plated, including tea sets (yes, they really had tea sets then, and a few were actually used), coffee sets, trays and bowls. Karl and Joyce, living in their modest suburban home, traveling all over the country in their motor home with a winning dog, found themselves not only inundated with coffee pots, trays and such, but a bit short of cash. Joyce decided to hold a private sale for her friends from the Twin Cities area. And what a sale—what a good time, and what fun memories! To this day, it's not unusu al to attend a cocktail party and see a silver tray engraved Group One 1975 or Best in Show 1976. Thus, Karl and Joyce were able to continue to show Goober, taking him throughout the country so he could be seen and appreciated.
Goober's wins included two Bulldog Club of America Bests of Breed, 36 Specialty Bests, 48 all-breed Bests in Show, 110 Non-Sporting Group Firsts and 220 Best of Breeds. Among his notable wins were Best in Show at the Chicago International KC show under Anne Rogers Clark in 1976, and Westminster Kennel Club Group First under Peter Knoop in 1978. In 1976 Goober was the top Non-Sporting dog (Ken-L-Ration) and one of the top 10 dogs of all breeds in the country, and Karl was honored as the top owner-handler. Goober's get included two BCA National Specialty BOB winners, six all-breed Best in Show winners, 12 Group First winners, 14 Specialty Best of Breed winners, and four offspring in the BCA Hall of Fame. He sired nearly 90 champions. He was the top Bulldog sire of champions in 1977, 1978 and 1979 and the top Non-Sporting sire in 1978.
Denny Kodner wrote to the Dingmans in 1995: "I shall never forget the first time I saw [Goober]. I was still handling then. He ambled by with, I presume, Karl in tow, with such an attitude. I said to whatever judge I was talking to, 'Look at that guy, what a hell of a dog.' I believe you won your first group that day. He was such fun to watch. And I sure knew next to nothing about Bulldogs at the time, but he's one I'll always remember."
In 1983 Vincent Perry wrote: "Goober is the most noted Bulldog of all time, the most beloved show dog by the general public that has ever lived, adored by all Midwestern dog fanciers, and the greatest attraction at every dog show in which he was entered... This writer could not believe his eyes when Goober, at one of the dog's early shows, walked into his group ring. Perfection! And in a breed so very close to my heart. I remember my fingers trembling as I 'went over' this unusual specimen. Heavens above, what a dog!"
Of course, having a great and smart dog can also be a humbling experience. Goober quickly learned that the best place to be was on the podium and sometimes would surprise Karl as he was being taken on the "down and back" by making a leap for the middle of the ring and positioning himself on the podium, ready for the BIS ribbon. In addition, the handlers quickly learned about Goober's penchant for bait, and liver was freely flying about the ring. What a field day for this dog, who was quickly becoming very ring-smart and overly confident! So, back to conformation training classes he went. A podium was set up in the ring and Karl and Goober's friends would gather around the ring, cheer and throw bait as the pair took the down and back. When Goober made a dash for the podium, Karl would correct him and Goober learned that to be a winner, he also had to have some manners.
Joyce wrote that without the advice of friends like Hannelore Heller and John Sheehan, they would not have been able to do what they did with Goober. Joyce noted that Goober had charisma, personality, and an eagerness to show. His enthusiasm and outgoing attitude set him apart, and he had a zest for life that was hard to describe. He loved to show, as he was certain that everyone came to see him perform.
Goober died at home with Joyce and Karl in 1985 at the age of 12. They noted that he was a good friend, always healthy, and he loved doing everything, as he took it all in stride. He loved being the center of attention and knew in his heart that every dog show was for him and that he belonged on the podium, whether he won Best in Show or not... he was a joy, a crowd pleaser and a winner in all respects.
Ah, Ch. Marinebull's All The Way—Goober Dingman, who "went all the way," could not have been better named!
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