10 Tips for Hobby Handlers
1.
Know Your Limits. Can you show every weekend or just once a month? Let your friends
know which shows you plan to attend and stick to your schedule.
2.
Set Realistic Goals. What does your friend want to achieve for her dog? A championship? Grand Championship? Group placements? Make sure you’re both on the same page.
3. Establish a Budget. Know how much money you’ll need on show weekends, but remember
in fatigue that could lead to traffic accidents.
Freezing temperatures can be life-threatening
to some breeds, and extreme heat kills indiscriminately. Generators can and do quit, and
Stick to a Routine. Repetition equals reputation. Practice good training habits so that
circuit breakers have been known to trip. Box
you and the dogs you’re showing are in top condition and ready to compete.
trucks and vans can become ovens in just a few
Keep Your Word. Honoring your commitment to show a friend’s dog will maintain your
minutes should the power fail. Although profesreputation for reliability. Make promises and keep them.
sional handlers are paid to win, their fees and
bonuses are really the cost to ensure that their
Have a Contingency Plan. Ring conflicts may occur, so let your friend know ahead of
time if it is her dog or yours that is the priority.
clients’ dogs are kept safe and sound.
Exhibitors who find themselves taking
Be Prepared. Emergencies can and do happen. Be sure your cell phone is always charged
friends’ dogs into the ring regularly should deand programmed with the numbers of your hotel, emergency vets and roadside assistance.
cide early on if they want to keep things light
or take the plunge. Should a career change be
Take Time Out. The pressures to win can be great, but the welfare of the dogs must always
come first. Be sure to take time out each day for a game of fetch or a little cuddling.
in the offing, the AKC provides candidates with
the necessary guidelines to ensure that every
Reevaluate Priorities. If a single loss pushes you over the edge, showing dogs may not be
dog shown by a handler is provided with the
for you. Consider other ways you can participate, like volunteering your time to your local club.
best possible care at home, on the road and
in the ring. As stated on the AKC website, the
Have Fun. Amateurs have the advantage of showing dogs because it’s fun, not because
the mortgage is due. Keeping things fun is up to you, so remember to smile, win or lose.
new AKC RHP Initiate Program allows upcoming career-driven professional handlers into the
program who meet the requirements for membership. According to the website, “The Initiate candidate must
continued from page 73
be sponsored by two existing RHP members in good standing,
to stay on the class dog. I quickly realized that I’d made a
who are willing to sign on to the Initiate’s application indicating
promise and there was no choice to be made. I’d agreed to
a willingness to act as mentor for a period of two years.” Once
show both dogs without having a caveat in place should the
the two-year preliminary period is up, the sponsors must propuppy become eligible to compete for Best of Breed. Either I
vide a “sign-off” indicating their endorsement of the candidate
was a man of my word or I was not.
for full RHP membership. Annual dues are currently $350, and
When the steward finally called the champions into the
ongoing education is mandatory. Bi-annual vehicle inspections
ring in catalog order, I was on the other end of Bravo’s lead.
are likewise compulsory.
Lukas showed well for his breeder and was awarded Best
Although many of today’s profesof Winners. Bravo was left out of the
sional handlers have come up through
ribbons, and I walked away having
the ranks of owner-handlers, not every
learned a valuable lesson: When showShowing dogs can
successful owner-handler desires proing dogs for friends, be sure to have an
be a lot of fun, but
fessional status. Some enjoy their day
agreement in place that covers every
jobs every bit as much as they enjoy
eventuality. When conflicts arise, the
doing it well requires
showing dogs. Many exhibitors see
professionals have a contingency plan
total commitment.
themselves as breeders first, content to
in place, and so should amateurs who
take another generation of their breedagree to take someone else’s beloved
ing into the ring, and countless owndog into the ring.
er-handlers have decided that their commitment to purebred
dogs is best served in the role of judge, steward, show chair
Making a Commitment
or supervisor of parking. The AKC National Owner-Handled
Showing dogs can be a lot of fun, but doing it well requires
Series has proven that the majority of exhibitors are more
total commitment. For the professionals, it is a way of life,
than happy to maintain their amateur status. Some may ocand the risks can be great. A string of dogs on the road for
casionally “pick up” a dog ringside to show for a friend, but
weeks at a time requires the utmost vigilance to ensure each
most simply enjoy showing dogs that are permanent memanimal is kept healthy and in condition. Feeding, exercising
bers of the family. Afterall, when the judge points in your
and cleaning up are neverending tasks. Medical emergencies
direction, it’s especially gratifying to know that the dog being
such as bloat can occur without warning and ex pens are defirewarded is one of your own. DIR
nitely not escape-proof. Traveling through the night results
that showing dogs for a fee will jeopardize your amateur status. Your friend can thank you
by treating you to lunch.
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