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Explore why the divide between amateur and professional dog handlers may be more myth than reality in today’s show world.
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No. That’s my opinion. But that makes for an article of one word, so I will expound. First of all, when it comes to Conformation exhibiting, we are a sport where professionals and amateurs compete against one another. This is highly unusual in the world of sports, and from that perspective, there is no divide. So, why is there so much chatter about “us” and “them?”
Certainly, if you spend any time on social media, it is easy to find amateurs complaining that judges give professionals preference. I can tell you that my experience as an amateur has felt inclusive. I have never felt a divide.
In the early 2000s when my son, Freeman, and I started showing dogs in Conformation, we knew absolutely nothing. I had been a pet-dog owner my whole life, but this was a new world. Our breed at the time, Bull Terriers, was, and is still, largely owner-handled, so from that perspective it made perfect sense for my son and I to jump into the fray with our own dogs. I was blessed with an amazing first show dog, (as was my son), but for a while I was not up to the task of bringing my dog into the Terrier Group.
The first professional handler I met was Kerry McComiskey Boyd, who treated us equally as friend and client, and provided mentorship. My son, who was 12 at the time, was showing in Juniors Showmanship, as well as in Breed, with a Bull Terrier, and Kerry went so far as to put his name on one of her Doberman Pinschers so that he could take the dog into the Juniors ring.
I took the opportunity to watch Kerry in the ring with our dogs. I observed how she worked the lead and how little bait she needed to bring into the ring. I watched her eyes, both where she was looking, and when. I watched how she let our dog, Beckett, relax during the times he was not up to bat. And I watched how she interacted with others in the ring, both human and canine, in terms of body language, speech, and general sportsmanship.
At one point, I took eight years off from showing. When I came back, I had a competitive dog and we quickly found ourselves in the Terrier Group quite often. But I had lost some of the confidence I had gained years before. Then one day, as we were doing our go-round in the Group, I heard a woman’s voice yell out, “You got this, Dédé!” It was pro handler Tuni Conti, standing right outside the ring, cheering me on. In that moment, I literally felt my spirits, body, and determination lift. It was a huge boost and meant a lot. A perfect example of the lack of divide.
I am lucky to be based in the Northeast. At any given show, in addition to Kerry, I’ve had many top handlers to watch, from Tuni Conti, R.C. Carusi, and Shari Boyd to Ernesto Lara and Adam Bernardin, and so many more.
My attitude from the beginning was that I was entering a sport where there were professionals and there were amateurs. Professionals are, simply put, pros. This is their job. The amount of time that they spend per week focusing on the dogs they present is extensive and calculated.
When Nora was a puppy, she was still quite exuberant. We were waiting for the Terrier Group one afternoon, and I was worried that she would be a disruption to the proceedings. I spoke with R.C. about it. He was 100 percent encouraging. He said, “Of course you should show. Get in there.” He commented that this is how she and I would learn and how “we” have all been there, meaning handlers dealing with a new show dog. He was right.
Of course, the concept of politics in the ring, between judges and handlers, was introduced to me early on. And I’m not going to say that politics doesn’t exist, but in my opinion, it is a small percentage compared to what else is going on, which is that professionals are professionals because they do their job damn well. And they are supported by clients who have excellent dogs, which are brought to the ring by breeders and handlers who have a keen understanding of the Breed Standards and what individual judges are looking for.
For me, I always felt that I could learn from professionals, and every single one with whom I have interacted with over the years has offered me guidance in one way or another. The amount of support I have felt from numerous professional handlers, both inside and outside the ring, has been immense.
Being objective about an amateur’s role in the dog show world is an extension of what I’ve already written here. But to delve into it a little further, I would say there are those amateurs who have the ability to work as hard as the professionals, and have the talent to become as good as the professionals, but this usually entails someone who is financially and physically in a position to devote their full time (or nearly so) to their dogs. There is a joke, which is told in variously slightly different ways but in essence goes like this: Question: “How do you make $1 million a year showing dogs?” Answer: “Start with $2 million.” It’s one of those jokes that is really not a joke at all. IYKYK. This sport is not for the faint of heart, and it is very expensive. And hard.
In the Conformation dog world, professional handlers are working at an elite level. It is not unusual for clients to be paying quite good money for their dogs to be shown. We amateurs might be in the ring alongside the professionals, but we are often coming to the ring from a different place. Most amateurs are pursuing Conformation exhibiting as a passionate hobby, and it is logistically prohibitive for most of us to devote as much time to this sport as the professionals. So, why would we expect to be equally competitive?
The next time a professional handler wins, be objective about why. For the great majority of time it is because they have a superlative dog, they are presenting the dog to its best advantage, and they have studied what that judge likes. They know their job.
If I haven’t made my point already, let me be perfectly clear: I think anyone who has a dog that is typey and to the Breed Standard, and applies themselves properly, can have a winner. This has been my personal experience as well. My point is that amateurs have to think and act like professionals. In this way, I do not look at it as “us” and “them.”
For the last four years, my Miniature Bull Terrier, Nora, and I have been competing in the National Owner-Handled Series (NOHS) Group ring, as well as the “regular” Group rings. We have a few First Place Terrier Group wins (and many 2nds, 3rds, and 4ths), 14 Owner-Handled Bests in Show and a smattering of Owner-Handled Reserve Bests in Show, as well as multiple Bests in Specialty Show, a Morris & Essex Best of Breed, and our family has had two Breed/Variety winners at Westminster. We got there because our dogs are exemplary of their breed, and also because we put in the hard work to present them in the right way to the judges in the ring on the day. And sometimes luck plays a part, like who else shows up in the ring. But always remember, if YOU are not in the ring, you cannot win.
During our time in and around the NOHS rings we have met some very competitive, avid amateurs who are as “professional” as you can get. They have won “regular” Bests in Show. They place often in “regular” Groups. They buckle down and do the work.They know what they have (they are not kennel blind). They practice their handling skills. They study the judges, with their various likes and dislikes. They study the competition, and their dogs are ready to go in top condition and groomed impeccably.
When Hope, our white Bull Terrier show girl, was very competitive, and leading up to Westminster, I spent about three hours a day, seven days a week, on her training and conditioning. I work for myself, otherwise this would not have been possible. And I understand, it is not possible for many owner-handlers.
Exhibiting in Conformation is hard work. Professionals get paid to be the best in their field. As an amateur, you can rise through the ranks. Just look no further than the owner-handlers who have won at the National Dog Show, the AKC National Championship, and the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.
Some of my best friends in the show world are professional handlers. In my opinion, there is no “us” and “them” if you open yourself up to the opportunities at hand.
My parting shot: YOU CAN DO IT!
I had written this article and then put it aside. In the meantime, I started showing Nora’s daughter, CH Legacy & Old Forge Box Office Bombshell, “Ava.” She finished in two weekends with four majors, three Owner-Handled Group One wins, got two Grand Champion majors under her collar, and was turning heads.
One day, when we were getting a win photo taken with the judge, Beth Sweigert, professional handler Ernesto Lara was there at the podium. Posing on the podium was still new to Ava, and a challenge, so Ernesto came over and helped stack her, as did judge Sweigert. This is what professionals do. They know their job; they know dogs; and they want to celebrate dogs any way they can. The last thing I felt in that moment was a divide.
I thanked Ernesto the next morning for taking such care with Ava and for helping me. He shrugged it off as no big deal—because he is a pro. Let’s all learn from the pros and be more like them.
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