Pam Lambie – Family First

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98 – January/February, 2022

By Joan Harrigan

Pam Lambie was introduced to the world of dog shows as a teenager in Phoenix, Arizona. Growing up as a “Navy brat,” her family relocated frequently, though she considers herself born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia. When she was in high school, her father retired and moved the family west. “We had acreage, with horses, goats, donkeys, and calves,” she recalls. Her parents wanted a guard dog and protector for their home and livestock—so they brought home a Mastiff/Great Dane mix. This first dog “kind of gave them the bug,” as Lambie says. In time, female Mastiffs joined the family, and as their breeder wanted them shown to their championships, Pam Lambie got her introduction to the dog show world.

After high school, Lambie worked full-time while studying business and communications at Glendale Community College in Arizona. She married Bob Lambie, also a student with a full-time job. The young couple purchased a Mastiff—familiar for Pam, and her husband’s very first dog. They shared a passion for learning, and joined a local kennel club. One dog led to another, and so on… They actively bred and showed Mastiffs under their LamBay prefix for more than 20 years. They prided themselves on producing dogs with “titles on both ends,” and competed in obedience, as well as conformation. When daughters Amber and Audra joined the family, dogs became a sport that all could enjoy. “When the girls were young, we even did some carting with the dogs, just for fun. We’d decorate the cart for the holidays and tour the neighborhood,” Lambie says.

When they first ventured into the show ring, the Lambies learned by doing. They found their own way, and together discovered a passion for teaching, as well as learning. They taught handling classes at their kennel club, motivated by a desire to help others, and remembering what it was like to be novices. Recognizing his wife’s talent, Bob Lambie suggested that she consider making it her career. She left her job in the marketing department of Anheuser-Busch to stay home with her children–and a growing cadre of dogs. No longer a part-time hobby, handling grew into a successful career. Lambie thanks Tom Tobin, an all-breed handler from California, for his mentorship. “Tom encouraged me to go into handling as a business,” Lambie says. “He was a good businessman and a great friend–always there to give advice and encouragement. He saw my drive and work ethic, but mostly, my love for the dogs and the sport. I absorbed what he taught me like a sponge.”

Click here to read the complete article
98 – January/February, 2022

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