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Annabelle Fales shares her inspiring journey as a Junior Handler, her passion for terriers, and dreams of preserving purebreds.
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Annabelle Fales: I live in Canton, Michigan, and I go to school at Washtenaw Technical Middle College, where I am working on earning an Associate’s Degree in Science, and currently have a 4.0 GPA.
Annabelle Fales: I don’t really have any other hobbies or interests; however, I do have a job at a hobby farm where I care for horses, rabbits, goats, and a sheep to pay for my entries and other things that I might need such as show leads, treats, and show clothes.
Annabelle Fales: No, I did not grow up in a “doggy family.” I grew up in a household with pet-quality Scottish Terriers. I had no knowledge of dog shows or grooming until I read a book at the library that sparked my interest; I reached out to our breeder, Beth Cloven Hernández, and she helped me get started with show dogs. My primary breed is the Scottie, but I also show Toy Manchester Terriers and Kerry Blue Terriers.
Annabelle Fales: I was introduced to Junior Showmanship when I went to my first dog show ever, where I was amazed by the dogs, rings, and venue. I thought I would never be able to show there, because everything looked so perfect, but I fell in love with the dog show world on that day. Also, on that day, I met my Junior mentor, Dr. Judi Fleischaker, who sat ringside with me and explained Junior Showmanship to me in depth. A few months after that I showed for my first time when I went to the Ann Arbor Kennel Club to compete with my first Junior dog, a Scottie named Duncan. Duncan was not the most enthusiastic Junior dog ever, but he led me to two of my Novice Class wins, and ultimately, helped me learn how to show and groom a Scottie.
Annabelle Fales: I exhibited in Juniors for my first time at the Ann Arbor Kennel Club, as I mentioned previously. It was a warm, sunny day and it was in an outdoor ring. I was really nervous about going into the ring and I had no idea how to get my number, so one of my mentors taught me how to get it. I was so scared of going in that I almost missed my number being called! Once I got in the ring, and went around, I put Duncan on the table, backwards! I then proceeded to put him the right way; thankfully, I didn’t forget how to show his bite! As I mentioned before, Duncan was not the most enthusiastic Junior dog. In fact, he hated showing! He hated it so much that he refused to walk the whole diagonal! I needed to drag him almost the whole way! Unfortunately, I did not win my class on that day; however, a girl showing a Beagle did, and a few years after that she became one of my best friends!
Annabelle Fales: “The things you consistently do every day are going to pay off in the future.” I have a terrier that needs to be hand-stripped, so preparing my breed for the ring is year-round. It consists of bathing and blow drying her once a week as well as weekly stripping. I usually cut up the stripping into segments, where I do my current show dog’s head one day, her body another, and her butt on the final day. This makes things easier and more relaxed, as I get to do things over three days as opposed to rushing around, and potentially messing her up trying to get her done in one day. For show prep, I usually bathe and blow-dry her the day before the show, and on the day of the show, I brush her out and tidy up anything that is amiss. As for good luck charms, I don’t really have any, unless my dog counts!
Annabelle Fales: According to Dr. Judi, my ears turn red when I am stressed or nervous; conveniently enough that is what Manchesters do too! To calm myself down, I usually hum a song, go into work mode, and show my dog the way my mentors have taught me! My dogs are also really good at sensing when I am nervous, and they do a great job of being there for me!
Annabelle Fales: Yes, I have many mentors in this sport. Probably too many to mention; I wish that I could mention all of them, as they have all made an imprint on me in one way or another! But to name a few, my Scottie mentors are Beth Cloven Hernández and Nancy Hurren. In Manchesters, they are Dr. Judi Fleischaker and her daughter, Marit Alsager, along with Jerri Hobbes, who has sadly passed away, and Dianna Texter, who has also remotely helped me out with Manchesters. And Heather Hunter Jacoby along with Monica Doyle-Adair have mentored me in Kerries. As for assisting professional handlers, I have helped Johann Emeidi. My mentors have made it very clear to me that Breed Standards are very important, and Dr. Judi requires that I memorize the Breed Standard to the satisfaction of a breeder before I can show their breed.
Annabelle Fales: I have many memorable wins, but I should probably narrow it down to just two. The first one is when I won the Manchester District 2 Designated Specialty from the Veteran classes with my dog, Sailor. The real excitement of this specialty was that it was Jerri’s memorial show, and I was the last person she mentored before she passed. That win meant, and still does mean, the world to me. The second memorable win was when I finished my first dog, a Scottie, at a specialty during Royal Canin weekend! I had been trying to finish Joni for almost a year at that point, and she went Winners Bitch and Best of Winners at a Scottie specialty! I was on cloud nine that day, and I will never forget that win as long as I live.
Annabelle Fales: Breed type is so important, especially in the Juniors ring. It is something that can help you stand out, because every breed is shown differently. For example, you wouldn’t show a Scottie like a Great Dane! Or a Manchester like a Skye Terrier! It also makes it clear to the judge that you know the breed you are showing. Breed type is something that makes your breed unique.
When I am showing my Scottie, I always make sure that the dog’s tail is up, as the Scottish Terrier Standard says, “No Judge should put up to Winners or Best of Breed any Scottish Terrier not showing real terrier character in the ring.” This basically means a heads up, tails up attitude. I also always make sure that I arch their neck, as this helps it to blend into their shoulders. To quote the Standard, “The neck should be moderately short, strong, thick and muscular, blending smoothly into well laid back shoulders.”
For my Manchesters, like the Scotties, I arch their neck, as the Standard describes it should be “slim, graceful and of moderate length. It gradually becomes larger as it approaches and blends smoothly with the sloping shoulders.” Arching the neck helps to create that graceful neck that the Standard requires. Thankfully, their tail does not always need to be up like the Scottie, as they can get quite cold and put their tails between their legs.
Kerries are not much different from the Scotties, other than the fact that they are much more suited to free-stacking as opposed to hard-stacking; they too require an upright happy tail, as the Standard says it should be “set on high, of moderate length and carried gaily erect, the straighter the tail the better.” Overall, breed type is defined by the Standard, and what the Standard says, goes.
Annabelle Fales: No, I don’t think so. Scotties are a stubborn breed that require a ton of grooming. I spend a minimum of eight hours a week grooming my Scottie, and at least twenty minutes a day training her. Scotties take a while to learn something, but they also get bored very easily, and if they don’t want to do something, they won’t. Manchesters are good but challenging for Juniors. Grooming them is quite easy, as they are a short-coated breed; however, showing them can be quite impossible sometimes, as they can be drama queens. Kerries are an easier breed to show, but the grooming is more difficult, as they are a scissored breed. Overall, I have found that every breed has its ups and downs, and any breed can be a good Junior dog, for the right Junior.
Annabelle Fales: I would be interested in showing some more of the Sporting and Non-Sporting breeds, as I have only shown one breed from each Group. I think that in order to become a well-rounded Junior you have to experiment with different breeds to better learn how to handle your own breed.
Annabelle Fales: Honestly, I think that if more people knew about it, we would have more Juniors. Currently, not many people know much about the American Kennel Club (AKC), or even purebred dogs in general. If we could somehow present dog sports to kids who are in elementary schools, and make this sport more well known, we would probably see the number of Juniors in this sport start to rise. I know that it is possible for kids to convince their parents to allow them to compete in things like this, because that is how I started competing in Juniors.
Annabelle Fales: No, I have never bred or co-bred a litter, but I have been mentored in breeding, and I hope to have litters in the future. I am currently working with my AMAZING breeder-mentors to work up to that.
Annabelle Fales: Yes! Preservation breeding is something I would love to pursue! I am currently working with my mentors to work up to breeding a litter. Breed preservation is incredibly important to me, because without it, what do we have?
Annabelle Fales: My short-term goals for the future include qualifying for The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show and making it to the Junior Showmanship Finals at both Royal Canin and Westminster. I also aspire to be the Number One Scottish Terrier Junior Handler in the country for as many years as possible. My long-term goals include being a preservation breeder and becoming a veterinarian. Yes, I do see myself continuing in the sport once I have aged-out. And I hope to mentor Juniors just like my mentors have mentored, and helped, me.
Annabelle Fales: Angel, my puppy and current show dog, means the world to me! I have been as involved with her as much as I can ever since she was born. I am 100 percent sure that Ms. Beth got bored of me asking for pictures of her and her littermates, as well as asking to come over and meet the puppies. Ms. Beth gave me the privilege of coming to watch Angel’s puppy evaluations, and she even let me go over the puppies. When I was asked which puppy I would want, I told her which one I wanted and why. Thankfully, Ms. Beth let me have my pick, and I currently co-own Angel with her. So far, Angel has taken two Puppy Group Ones! I can’t wait to see what the future holds for us!
Annabelle Fales: The funniest thing I can think of that happened in Juniors—other than me putting my dog on the table backwards—is when I won my first Juniors class. I was showing Duncan and Every. Single. Time. the judge looked away from us he would stop walking, and whenever the judge looked back at us, he would resume walking like he had never stopped! Right after I got out of that ring I ran over to my grandparents, as they were the ones who had brought me, and I just couldn’t stop laughing! I couldn’t believe that he was right on beat with the judge. I still laugh about that today!
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