Competing in Junior Showmanship
The AKC website (http://www.akc.org/kids_juniors/jr_getting_started.cfm)
will help you know how to proceed in this very
rewarding activity. The
sport of dogs should encourage young people to
become involved, because
they are our future.
As with other events, Junior Showmanship requires that one learn the basics, and it is most helpful if another Junior Exhibitor can provide help and guidance to the one just starting out.
Here is the story of a girl and her dog who took up Junior Showmanship and how it changed their lives — for the better.
When Allison Chiger was born, her parents took her straight home from the hospital
and plopped her down on the floor in the middle of her new pack: a Boxer, a
Doberman Pinscher, and a Pug. Since that time, another Boxer, another Doberman,
and a couple of dwarf rabbits have been added to the family, and the original
Doberman and boxer and one rabbit are, alas, now deceased. But for Allison, the
most important addition to the Chiger pack came when she was 8-1/2 years old:
Winston, her very own personal French Bulldog.
As is often the case with kids and pets, Winston is more than Allison’s dog; he’s her
best friend. As bed buddy, study companion, faithful friend who goes along to pick
her up after school, Winston plays a central role in Allison’s everyday life. But more
than that, he is a Therapy Dog (though until Allison turns 16 an adult must go along
on Therapy outings), her Jr. Showmanship star (their wins and awards being too
numerous to mention here), and a central figure in her life.
Allison began showing Winston in Junior Showmanship as soon as she turned 10.
She soon discovered that a big side benefit of her participation in the sport has been
making friends with other Junior Handlers from all over the country, including other
Frenchie handlers, as the French Bulldog National Specialty now draws a good entry
of Junior Handlers every year. As a metaphor for life, the sport of dogs has shown
Allison the good, the bad, and the ugly. She has had rude judges (one of whom
munched on popcorn while going over the dogs on the table), judges who were
unfamiliar with the breed standard for Frenchies, and judges who obviously did not
consider Junior Showmanship all that important.
But luckily Allison has also had good judges who were polite, respectful, and helpful
to the Juniors showing under them. One suspects that this range of experiences has
served to prepare her for going on to show in general conformation when she
outgrows Junior Showmanship ... though probably she won’t have to repeat the
popcorn experience again. And numerous breeders, judges, and handlers have
helped her along the way, with valuable tips on showing Winston to best effect.
Mentoring of this sort has done a lot toward making her the skilled and effective
handler that she already is.
Frenchies, though, require some special care, particularly since short-faced dogs do
not tolerate overheating. Allison has therefore made special provision for Winston’s
wellbeing.
When she
and Winston go to dog shows, or other outdoor
activities in weather that might give him
difficulty, she puts him in a doll baby
carriage and lets him just enjoy the ride in
cool comfort. This serves an additional
purpose: allowing her to educate the public
about the breed when passers-by, struck
by the spectacle of Winston in the doll buggy,
stop her to ask questions about him.
Winston, being a Frenchie (which means that he
loves getting lots of attention), has had his
photo
taken with people from all over the world, as they pose next to him in his little buggy.
The future for Allison will include dogs. Maybe not as a profession, which is as yet
undecided, but as part of her “real” life. She looks forward to showing, breeding, and
doing therapy work for a lifetime.
As with other events, Junior Showmanship requires that one learn the basics, and it is most helpful if another Junior Exhibitor can provide help and guidance to the one just starting out.
Here is the story of a girl and her dog who took up Junior Showmanship and how it changed their lives — for the better.
A GIRL AND HER
DOG
When Allison Chiger was born, her parents took her straight home from the hospital
and plopped her down on the floor in the middle of her new pack: a Boxer, a
Doberman Pinscher, and a Pug. Since that time, another Boxer, another Doberman,
and a couple of dwarf rabbits have been added to the family, and the original
Doberman and boxer and one rabbit are, alas, now deceased. But for Allison, the
most important addition to the Chiger pack came when she was 8-1/2 years old:
Winston, her very own personal French Bulldog.
As is often the case with kids and pets, Winston is more than Allison’s dog; he’s her
best friend. As bed buddy, study companion, faithful friend who goes along to pick
her up after school, Winston plays a central role in Allison’s everyday life. But more
than that, he is a Therapy Dog (though until Allison turns 16 an adult must go along
on Therapy outings), her Jr. Showmanship star (their wins and awards being too
numerous to mention here), and a central figure in her life.
Allison began showing Winston in Junior Showmanship as soon as she turned 10.
She soon discovered that a big side benefit of her participation in the sport has been
making friends with other Junior Handlers from all over the country, including other
Frenchie handlers, as the French Bulldog National Specialty now draws a good entry
of Junior Handlers every year. As a metaphor for life, the sport of dogs has shown
Allison the good, the bad, and the ugly. She has had rude judges (one of whom
munched on popcorn while going over the dogs on the table), judges who were
unfamiliar with the breed standard for Frenchies, and judges who obviously did not
consider Junior Showmanship all that important.
But luckily Allison has also had good judges who were polite, respectful, and helpful
to the Juniors showing under them. One suspects that this range of experiences has
served to prepare her for going on to show in general conformation when she
outgrows Junior Showmanship ... though probably she won’t have to repeat the
popcorn experience again. And numerous breeders, judges, and handlers have
helped her along the way, with valuable tips on showing Winston to best effect.
Mentoring of this sort has done a lot toward making her the skilled and effective
handler that she already is.
Frenchies, though, require some special care, particularly since short-faced dogs do
not tolerate overheating. Allison has therefore made special provision for Winston’s
wellbeing.
taken with people from all over the world, as they pose next to him in his little buggy.
The future for Allison will include dogs. Maybe not as a profession, which is as yet
undecided, but as part of her “real” life. She looks forward to showing, breeding, and
doing therapy work for a lifetime.