Teen readies dogs for AKC show
I love these stories about kids and their dogs. Many people don't realize how many teenagers are involved in showing dogs, but for many families that's why they get a show dog — because their teenager is crazy about dogs and wants to learn to show. A few years ago I read a book about dog shows that stated that showing dogs was one of the most popular family sports/activities in the country, second only to Little Leaque baseball. It's true that if you go to a dog show the place is jam-packed with people under 20. Many people moan and groan that dog shows are "greying" — that the age of people participating in the sport is creeping up. I'm not sure they've spent any time watching the Juniors compete. In my breed we have numerous young women who have already won Best In Show honors and they are barely 18.
(There are lots of girls in Juniors, but there are guys, too. I don't know why, but English Setters seem to attract women and girls often. Some breeds seem to attract more men. There are plenty of male and female professional handlers, however.)
Teenagers are certainly proving that they have the dedication, talent and commitment to excel at showing dogs. Plus, it's fun. It's an activity that their families can endorse and feel good about. It's even something that the whole family can be involved in together — it takes the whole family to take care of a dog. And it's great when a family can travel to shows together and be supportive of each other.
(I used to drag my mom to dog shows with me but she would fall asleep while I was showing. But she tried, God Bless her. She went to the shows and listened to me talk about dogs for hours at a time.)
If you want to get started and you're not sure what to do, it's not as hard as it may seem. Go to some shows. Watch and learn. Talk to people, including the Juniors competing and the breeders in the grooming area. (Just be polite and don't talk to people right before they're ready to enter the ring: that's a tense time and people are focusing on competing then. People are more relaxed after they have shown.) Making these connections is the best way to learn about upcoming litters. If you're not sure you want a puppy, you may be interested in a dog who is already a champion. Some breeders place their finished champions (dogs who have completed their championships) in good pet homes or with Juniors so they won't end up with more dogs than they can manage in their home. If you talk to people and let them know you would like to show in Juniors, you may hear about someone who would like to place such a dog with a co-ownership.
Dog show people are extremely picky about where they place their puppies and dogs so don't be surprised if they really want to get to know you first.
The rest of your job is to watch dogs and handlers and learn all you can about showing dogs. It takes lots of practice. You'll be learning to groom, too — which also takes practice! Juniors are judged on their handling skills, but the whole presentation certainly counts.
The Juniors I know love what they do and have lots of friends at the shows. They are devoted to their dogs. I think Junior Showmanship is a great program. For more information about Juniors, check out the AKC web site.
Here's Junior Kellie Dahlberg's story from Florida.
Teen readies dogs for AKC show
Kellie Dahlberg shows off her two show dogs, Bobby, right, and Tom, left, at her home in Palm-Aire Monday afternoon. BRIAN BLANCO/bblanco@bradenton.com
By TIFFANY ST. MARTIN
tstmartin@bradenton.com
Almost every weekend, Kellie Dahlberg piles into a motor home with her parents and six - count 'em, six - purebred terriers to travel from Palm-Aire to dog shows across the state and beyond its borders.
On Jan. 12, 13 and 16-20, Kellie, 16, will show Tom, a 4-year-old Parson Russell terrier, and Bobby, a 2-year-old Cairn terrier, at Florida Classic Park in Brooksville. The competition there, Florida Classic Clusters, features an American Kennel Club all-breed dog show.
Also in the brood are Puzzle, 13; Tuffy, 10; Celyanne, 7; and Olivia, 3, all of whom are Parson Russell terriers. The dogs have registered names like Ch. Edison's TNT Aftershock (Tom) and Ch. Glencoe Bobby McGhee (Bobby).
Bobby, Kellie's newest show dog, already is a champion, as is Tom, who was named Best of Opposite Sex in the 2007 AKC/Eukanuba National Championship in Long Beach, Calif. That means a female won Best of Breed, and Tom was the best male in the competition, Kellie said. In 2006, Tom was named Best of Breed in that championship.
A 10th-grader at Braden River High, Kellie is a serious competitor, going up against 9- through 18-year-olds in the Junior Showmanship division and professionals in breed competitions.
"In that, they judge you on how you present a dog, but in the breed competition, it's all about the structure and movement of the dog and there you compete with anybody," she said.
Competing against adults was intimidating at first, but Kellie has the hang of it now. After all, she's been at it since she was 10 years old, when the breeder of the family's first dog asked her to show dogs.
When the dogs are young, they go to training classes, and Kellie works with them to get them used to being on a table and walking on a lead. Once they've learned those things, she works with them about once a week.
"I've made a lot of friends and gained a lot of confidence," she said.
It helps that her parents, Cathy and Dan, are supportive. Cathy Dahlberg competed in horse shows when she was younger, and the couple bought their first motor home a few years ago so the family can travel together.
"It keeps her out of trouble," Dahlberg said, boasting that Kellie is No. 2 in Junior Showmanship in the state right now and an honors student. Kellie does her homework and studies during the week but brings assignments on the road when she has to, like when she goes to New York. The Westminster Kennel Club dog show is held there in February.
Now in their third motor home, nine of them share 34 feet of space, so everyone has room to roam, Dahlberg said.
Their home on wheels will be on the road every weekend in January. Kellie has competed in Georgia, Alabama, New York, California and all over Florida, and over the summer she traveled to more than 20 states with a professional handler. She's done that the last three summers, Dahlberg said.
When it can, the family turns trips to dog shows into vacations, Kellie said. They spent time in Hollywood and Santa Monica around the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship.
For the most part, everyone gets along, she said. "My parents stress out at the ring, but they get over it. I just have to walk away at those moments."
Tiffany St. Martin, Herald reporter, can be reached at 708-7918.
