INTERVIEW WITH JUNIOR HANDLER THE PEKIGNESE · HISTORY IN ENGLAND

What have been some of your greatest achievements in the breed ring?

Some of my greatest achievements in the breed ring have been qualifying for the MPCA Top 20 with both of my Min Pins CH Marlex Sunsprite How Can I Resist You (Mia) and GCHB RBIS Charkara Sadie in Red At Sabrie (Sadie). Additionally, I have won multiple regular Toy groups and a regular Reserve Best in Show as well as multiple NOHS BIS and being number one NOHS in 2022 with my Min Pin, Sadie. I have finished several of our Black Russian puppies as well.

If you could not show your own dogs, what handler would you ask to show them?

If I could not show my own dogs, without a doubt, I would ask Clint and Karen and Kimmie. They all bring out the best in the dogs that they handle, and all their dogs are happy when showing with their handler.

You recently had a great accomplishment at the AKC show in Orlando, can you please share this with our readers?

My Black Russian Terrier, (GCHB Sparta-Naissur I am No One To Be Trifled With) Dread, and I were selected as a JuniorShowmanshipFinalistunderjudgeMarianneConti. Her kind words and compliments were very encouraging to hear. I was ecstatic and so proud of Dread. He never missed a beat when we showed that day, and considering he is a young dog, he held his own and lasted for 3+ hours in the junior’s ring. Additionally, as I mentioned earlier, he represents our line of dogs, and I am proud that I am showing a dog my sister and I raised and trained.

What is your favorite show of the year to attend, and why?

My favorite show of the year to attend is the AKC National

Championship in Orlando because I get to see so many of my dog friends that I do not get to see on a regular basis. It is always fun to catch up and spend time with them. Another great part of Orlando is that dogs I admire in magazines are often there. I learn a lot by sitting and watching the best dogs in the country compete and watching how their handlers handle and prepare them. Not to mention, the junior competition is fierce, and it makes me rise to the challenge. Looking at the different vendors is fun, too.

Have you been to any shows outside of the USA, if not, would you like to?

I have not been to shows outside of the USA. I think it would be a very educational experience. I would find it interesting to see how the shows are run in other countries, what the atmosphere is between competitors, and the ratio of professional handlers to breeder-ownerhandlers. Since I have an interest in grooming, I would study the grooming and presentation of the various breeds I know well.

Is there anything you wish judges understood more when it comes to judging Junior Showmanship?

I have thought about this question often. I had difficulty puttingitintowords,soIamgoingtocomparemyfeelings to the breed ring. When you are judging in the breed ring and you see a great dog that is young but there are several well-known dogs in the ring, do you take the chance on the young dog? You do not know the handler, pedigree, etc. You decide to go for it and give the breed to the class dog. Two years later, you see that dog in the best in show line-up. You lean over and say two years ago, I gave the breed to that dog over some well-known specials.

Iwishmorejudgestookthechanceonthejuniorthatdoes not have a well-known family, the outspoken handler, or the handler’s trained special. That chance may give you the opportunity to say I took a chance and gave that best in show handler a best junior. I am afraid if we do not take chances on juniors, they will bottleneck like many breeds are. Also, when juniors ask what they can improve, being able to tell why or what can be improved validates the placing and encourages us to move forward. Please do not respond “You did great, it just wasn’t your day, or you did great, you did nothing wrong.” It makes us wonder if you remember us at all. If you cannot tell us what we can improve, tell us what made the best junior stand out. Inspire us to move forward and walk away not knowing. We put so much of our time into this and want to hear the opinions of the people we look up to.

Junior handlers are the future of the sport. Do you feel in general that you and other juniors are treated with the respect you deserve to inspire you to stay in the sport?

Personally, I feel like I have been treated with respect and have received tremendous support from people in my breed, handlers I have worked for, and dog people in general. Breeders have trusted me with great dogs, which allowed me to experience success in the ring and hopefully eventually in the whelping box.

Forexample,ArmandoAngebelloandMarciaTuckerwere willing to take a chance and put one of their breeding’s with a junior. With that being said, the Min Pin they gave mewillnowbemyfoundationbitchwhenIstartbreeding, and I am forever grateful to them. By taking a chance on me, they inspired me to stay in Miniature Pinschers for a lifetime. However, that said, not all juniors are treated with respect from others. I have heard and witnessed people being rude to juniors and degrading them with their words and actions; whether that be in person or through social media, and I find that sad because that is one of the biggest reasons that this sport could die: people not being kind and respectful to juniors.

Do you have any pastimes outside of the world of dogs?

Before I got involved in the world of dogs, I used to dance. I started when I was about 5 years old. I did classical ballet, jazz, contemporary, tap, and Broadway. With dance, there comes a certain time when you must really decide if you want to pursue dance since it is so time consuming; you are either committed or not. When I was fifteen, I decided I wanted to go the route of dog shows, and I do not regret the choice I made.

What are your own personal future goals in the world of dogs?

My personal future goals in the dog world would be to continue to work for different handlers to gain and expand my knowledge in grooming and to continue to improve my handling skills. I will be attending college next year but will show as often as I can. I hope my future career involves dogs in some way.