My dog’s better than your dog. That catch phrase was from a popular dog food advertising jingle in the 1960s. But it might as well be the definition of dog showing. For at its heart, a dog show is a competition to prove who has, at least on that particular day, the best dog. And although there is fun to be had, make no mistake about it, the quest for best-dog bragging rights is serious business. Purebred dog breeders are devoted to their chosen breed or breeds. They spend years and make considerable financial investments to develop their particular bloodlines. The goal is to produce dogs that best meet their particular breed standard of conformation, temperament and movement. Dog shows are the proving ground for their breeding program. Puppies from champion show dogs fetch top prices from dog enthusiasts, perhaps looking for the next best dog. All this doggy drama will be on full display at the Horse Country Cluster Dog Show November 12 through 15. Sponsored by the Greater Ocala Dog Club and the Seminole Dog Fanciers Association, the four-day canine extravaganza will take place at the GODC’s 40-acre facility in Lowell, just northwest of Ocala. The showgrounds take on a festival atmosphere with non-stop action in 10 rings from 8am until 5pm. A virtual city of dog fanciers’ recreational vehicles, as many as 140, rolls in and sets up on the showgrounds, complete with a food and merchandise vendor village. “It’s our biggest show of the year,” says Phil Briasco, GODC president and show chairman. “We have dogs that come from all over the country. It’s an all-breed show with conformation and obedience competition. The total entries for the four days is about 6,000 dogs. We invite everyone to come out and enjoy the show.” For the general public, the Horse Country Cluster Dog Show provides a great opportunity to see a variety of dog breeds in one place. The American Kennel Club, the official United States registry for purebred dogs, currently recognizes 184 breeds. Expect to see many Labrador retrievers, the top AKC-registered dog for 24 consecutive years. But newer additions to the AKC roster, such as the boerboel or the xoloitzcuintli, might make an appearance, too. All will be competing to be named Best In Show, and there’s a unique bonus. The Horse Country Cluster Dog Show is actually comprised of a different complete show on each of the four days. This means that there will actually be four Best In Show dogs chosen over the course of the event.
and they play a key role in a dog’s show career. Ocala native Caitlyn Jewett is a third-generation dog handler and began showing dogs in fun matches when she was just 6. By the time she was 10, Caitlyn had shown her first AKC champion, a border terrier named CB’s Frankly My Dear. She has since followed that with two more champion greyhounds—Grandcru Stag’s Leap With Mistweave JC and Grandcru Kistler in 2012 and 2013, respectively. All three dogs, which Caitlyn raised from puppies, live with her. At home, they’re known by their call names, Scarlett, Jo and Kist, respectively. Joining the champion trio is Noble, a year-old Briard, as well as a pony, a goat and two rabbits. “I grew up at dog shows,” says Caitlyn, now 14. “The family story is that I went to my first dog show when I was 1 month old. I’ve been going ever since.” Caityln’s mother, Maureen, is an AKC-registered professional dog handler, as was her late father, Frank. When she turned 9, Caitlyn began showing as an AKC junior handler and can
“When we use a new dry cleaner, we always have to explain why our jackets smell like hot dogs.” continue showing as such right up until she turns 18. “I show in both junior showmanship and conformation,” says Caitlyn, who has been homeschooled, attended Blessed Trinity and will go to a charter school before transitioning to Florida Virtual School. “In junior showmanship, it’s all about the handler’s abilities. In conformation, the dog and how it’s shown is more important. The handler and the dog have to work as a team.” Caitlyn likes to start training puppies as soon as possible, focusing on walking on the leash and posing for the judge. She generally puts in “short daily sessions to keep the dogs fresh and happy.” In AKC shows, puppies can first be shown in 6 to 9 months
The Handler Matters
Most people have watched the nationally televised annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show and seen the dogs being led in on leashes. The person on the other end of the leash is called the handler, Caitlyn Jewett
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