Showing my age here, but I love the old MGM musicals with Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. Both amazing dancers with very different styles—Astaire elegant and fluid/Kelly dynamic and athletic. During their long careers, both paired with numerous partners. What made Astaire and Kelly stand out to me wasn’t just their extraordinary talent but how they brought out the best in each of their partners. Every pairing was special. But… Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse. Ah, those combinations were breathtaking!
An accomplished Junior Handler can make many dogs look good. However, partner the right kid with just the right dog and the results can be magical!
Over the years, I’ve helped put together hundreds of successful Junior Showmanship teams. In this and next month’s articles, I’ll share how I assist kids and their families with choosing an appropriate breed/suitable dog. Whether starting from scratch, considering shifting canine partners, or building a team with the only dog available to you, this choice can define a Junior’s competition path.
This month, I’ll talk about how I handle newbies starting in Junior Showmanship who don’t currently have an appropriate dog… or any dog at all.
With a “dogless” family, the starting point is easy. I have everyone—parents/siblings/Junior—list what the ideal dog for them would look like. Considerations include such factors as size of the Junior, canine coat length/care, energy levels of the child and the breed, trainability, and breed-specific behaviors such as strong prey drive or herding instinct. Is it an active family who likes jogging and hiking or are they more sedate? How busy is the household’s daily schedule? Do they want a dog that loves to snuggle or one that likes their personal space?
Another consideration is sex. Males can be flashier, having fuller coats and sometimes a greater “ring presence.” Bitches come into heat. A bitch in season may not be shown in Junior Showmanship. This means six to eight weeks a year when a bitch may not be available. I can tell you from experience, these periods will inevitably come at the most inopportune times! Spayed bitches and neutered dogs are eligible for (and may be shown in) Juniors but not in Conformation, which I believe may be a con on the pro/con list. Boy/girl, neutered/spayed—considerations with no right answers.
For a Junior with big goals and lofty ambitions, I may suggest Groups to consider more closely. If annual rankings aren’t a priority, Group choice doesn’t matter. However, if a Top Ten ranking in their Group is a personal goal, this becomes a consideration. For example, the Sporting and Herding Groups include many traditional Junior Showmanship breeds. The competition in these two Groups is always strong, with many Juniors opting for breeds in these Groups.
Having said this, understand that competitiveness in the Groups changes based on the Juniors currently exhibiting. For example, in 2016, the No. 1 Toy Dog Junior Handler in the country had 384 points, while the No. 10 Junior had a mere 84 points. In 2025, though, it took 197 points to take home the No. 10 Toy Junior Handler ranking while the No. 1 Junior in that Group amassed an impressive 1,178 points!
I frequently recommend a dog the Junior can succeed with in Conformation. One of the key elements in creating a strong team is ring time. Performance improves dramatically as a Junior grows less nervous about the outcome of each class. Yes, there will always be excitement and a level of anticipation entering the ring. After 63 years, I still get butterflies in my stomach at the ring gate. Butterflies, yes, but not a flock of trapped, panicking bald eagles! Nerves create adrenaline. Adrenaline lessens oxygen to the brain. Oxygen reduction makes it difficult to think. I like my students to think when they are in the ring competing! With an appropriate breed, a student can potentially get to show not only in their Juniors’ class but also in the Breed ring, and hopefully, the Owner-Handled and regular Groups.
Towards this end, I strongly encourage my Juniors to show “non-traditional” Junior Showmanship breeds, those towards the bottom of the annual AKC “Most Popular Breeds” list. There are multiple benefits to this strategy. Although you could go months without seeing an endangered breed at a show, the Junior/dog team can get frequent appearances in the Group rings. This raises awareness for the breed while allowing a student to better hone their skills. Judges on a circuit often sit ringside each day, and many of them judge Juniors. Skilled handling by a Junior in the Groups gets noticed.
Additionally, there’s the challenge of being in an all-breed Juniors’ ring with other kids showing the same breed as you. Subconscious bias can lead a judge to not only compare the Junior to another with a different breed but also to more critically evaluate handlers of the same breed against each other. For example, which of the four Pointer Juniors in the class is the best at showing a Pointer? It is an exceptionally uncommon occurrence in a large all-breed class to see multiple Juniors showing the same breed in the final ribbons.
True, with the atypical Juniors’ breeds, judges may not be familiar with traditional handling styles, but I feel the inherent benefits far outweigh this concern.
Finally, I gather everyone’s input. We narrow the choices to the top-five breed contenders, discussing the pros/cons of each. Breed specialists are consulted and time is really spent “meeting the breeds.”
Once a decision is reached, the real work begins—finding the “near-perfect” dog. I say near-perfect because no dog is perfect. Each is an individual. Learning to be a tactful, adaptive handler is at the core of Junior Showmanship. The “right” dog is the right dog for that kid…. and if not, it will be our job to make it so! All we need is solid potential.
It’s also crucial to note that the right dog for now might not be the right dog three years from now. Most Juniors will need two dogs to get through an active nine-year Junior Showmanship career. Some well-meaning parents consider a puppy for their novice Junior, believing the two can learn together. True, a number of successful upper-level teams started this way. Sadly, I’ve seen far more Juniors lose interest in showing with this approach. Training a puppy/inexperienced family pet while also mastering handling skills can be discouraging and frustrating. Without a knowledgeable dog-savvy support network, the process can be overwhelming. A family pet with no formal show ring training or an exuberant puppy who can’t stand still, won’t allow itself to be examined, and pulls the Junior around the ring virtually guarantees a one-time-only Junior Showmanship appearance!
In the world of equestrian sports, we never pair an inexperienced or “green” rider with a green, untrained horse. The old saying goes, “Green plus green equals black and blue!” New riders are traditionally paired with calm, older horses lovingly known as “schoolmasters.” If a newbie rider gives them even the vaguest hint of a correct aid, a schoolmaster will happily offer a correct response. I find it much the same in dogs.
The beginners I train are often paired with experienced “loaner” dogs provided by me, other supportive breeders/exhibitors, and even current/former Junior Handlers. These dogs know their job and can be counted on to behave appropriately. They aren’t “push-button!” All have their quirks but can be counted on to be consistent and willing. Newbies can then better master basic handling skills before taking on a more challenging dog. Loaners are typically only used until a Junior is ready to successfully take on training a new younger/less experienced partner. We always try to find a loaner in the breed that’s the family’s first choice. Loaners may live with a Junior or the breed mentor. If the latter, the dog visits for weekly classes and frequent sleepovers are arranged. This is vital in creating a Junior/dog bond, imperative in a winning team.
Loaner dogs allow a child to try the sport without making the long-term commitment of acquiring a new family member. If a kid tries ice skating and after a few months decides they hate the cold, their skates will be fine shoved to the back of the bedroom closet!
This process builds confidence and enthusiasm in the handler and allows me to observe them under show ring conditions. How do they move? How do they deal with nerves, i.e., do they fidget, constantly reset legs, over-groom, or repeatedly reposition themselves? Is their focus in the ring or wandering in the clouds? Are they aware of spacing and keeping control of their dog? All of these considerations factor into the ultimate choice for their first “real” Juniors’ dog.
Next month, I’ll cover experienced Juniors moving to new dogs and Juniors with “less-than-ideal” canine partners. I’ll also offer tips for developing Junior/canine teams that bring out the best in each other… like Kelly and Astaire!
