Dog Shows Through the Eyes of a Handler

It's 8 a.m. and the National Anthem starts blaring from the loudspeakers. The first breeds will begin just moments after the last note echoes across the grounds. We arrived late last night after traveling hours in our RV with kennels of energetic dogs stacked in the back. To say the least, it was unpleasant to wake up at 5 a.m. to begin feeding, walking, grooming dogs, and getting all dressed up in formal wear. By 8, the first dogs are ringside and the others are waiting in the wings. It really takes at least two people to handle multiple dogs at a show because breed call times are often right on top of each other - if not at the very same time. It is not uncommon to see a handler sprinting across the grounds, snatching their next dog from an assistant, to make the next breed call. There is always a backup handler (that's me), and often that backup takes the dog into the ring until the handler can show up. As a spectator, you are so busy watching the dogs you may not take very much time to watch what's going on at the other end of the least. I suggest you try that sometime; You just may get a laugh or two! From last minute handler swaps to wardrobe malfunctions, handlers deal with a lot in the ring but are certain to never let it impact the dog's performance.

Outside of the ring, you will first encounter a sea of grooming tables, tack boxes, dog bathes, and blow dryers in the grooming areas. Some dogs, the "wash and wears," require only a quick wipe and trim, while other dogs take constant grooming to get that perfect look. The scene is the same out in the parking lot where owners and handlers have brought their cars, vans, and RVs and set up kennels and grooming areas. You will see many fancy set ups here and RVs that cost hundreds of thousands everywhere. All around the rings and show buildings you will find the vendors, which, at a larger show are numerous and diverse. Get a massage, a cup of coffee, and a new chew toy all in the same place! Get your favorite scissors sharpened and get a picture with your dog. The vendors are one of the best parts of a dog show for attendees and depend on your patronage and support.

Aside from frantic handlers running around and dog owners holding nothing back to get every hair on their pooch in just the right place, you'll find a number of different types of competition. That's right - dog shows aren't only about running perfectly groomed dogs back and forth and around in a circle. What you see on TV from Westminster is called a "confirmation" show, with the focus being on how well the dog matches their breed's standard as defined by the American Kennel Club (AKC). The winner of a dog show is the dog who, in the judge's opinion, is the best match for their breed standard. But prior to what you see televised from Westminster, there have been agility and obedience competitions. Agility is fascinating to watch and requires a lot of energy and training on the part of the handler and the dog. Agility courses are those with tunnels, ramps, and teeter totters that the dogs are carefully guided through at top speed by their handlers; The fastest dog wins! Obedience competitions are an amazing demonstration of how much you can train a dog to do. Handlers use voice and hand commands to get what is often a stunning display of communication between handler and dog. Agility and obedience competitions have their own awards and championships different from those for confirmation shows. The next dog show you go to, look for these competitions which are frankly much more exciting than confirmation showing!

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