Meet the Junior Handler: Sawyer Johnson

1. Where do you live? Where do you go to school?

I live in Lubbock, Texas, and am in the eighth grade at my local junior high school.

2. Do you have any hobbies or interests apart from purebred dogs? Do you have a job?

I’m not old enough for a real job yet, but I do have many interests. I play the clarinet and run cross country and track through my school. I’ve recently joined the National Junior Honor Society.

3. Have you grown up in a doggy family? What is your breed(s)?

I have! I am a third-generation dog fancier. I have grown up with Australian Shepherds. My grandparents and my mom raced sled dogs, and my grandma even did Obedience with her Siberian Huskies. In 1992, my mom and grandma started showing Australian Shepherds and formed our kennel, Rainyday.

4. How were you introduced to Junior Showmanship? When did you start competing?

I was introduced to Junior Showmanship, and the dog world, by my parents. I started showing in Pee Wees with my breed club when I was three. I then started Juniors in AKC as soon as I could. Once I turned eleven, I started competing in Rally. Shortly after I turned twelve, I started Obedience. Now, at thirteen, I am starting Agility. I am also looking forward to starting Herding.

5. What do you remember about the first time you showed as a Junior?

I do not remember my first time in Juniors, but when I wanted to try Rally, all of our dogs were either puppies or already had titles at the Excellent level or beyond. I chose to just start in Excellent. I showed our sweet girl Zumba (Rainyday’s Shut Up And Dance CD BN RAE NAJ NF CGC). My first Rally title was the RAE (requires 10 Double Q - in Advanced and Excellent. After that, Zumba was ready to retire, so I took over showing Frankie (Rainyday’s My Eyes Adored You CD BN RM4 RAE4 RC3 PT NF CGC TKN). I got my first Master title before I ever competed in Novice!

6. How do you prepare your dog and yourself for the ring? Any rituals? Any good luck charms?

Being prepared, for me, is quite simple. I really just get my dog and a couple high-value treats out. However, a few of our younger dogs do need more time out so that they can calm down from being so excited. I try to establish connection, so they will focus in the ring. For Conformation, I do any last-minute grooming, mainly brushing the hocks and smoothing the topline.

7. What’s it like in the ring when the pressure is on? Do you have a secret for handling the nerves?

I don’t let myself think about the situation. I just stay in the moment and go show. I focus on my handling. I normally have one little detail I want to work on, such as looking at the judge more often or baiting lower. If it’s Rally, I focus on the exercise in front of me.

8. Do you have a mentor in the sport? Have you assisted any Professional Handlers?

My Rally and Obedience mentors are members of my local Obedience club, SPOTC, Cathy Smith and Ashlynn Daniel. They have helped me a great deal in Obedience. We’ve recently started working on the dumbbell and I can’t wait to get more into upper level Obedience. Other than them, my parents help me with Juniors, Rally, Agility, and a little bit of Obedience. At the most recent National Specialty, a family friend and long-time Aussie person, Tim Preston, took the time to chat with me and work on offering me grooming advice, which I needed. There have been so many people who have offered me advice over the years; I have been quite fortunate.

9. Are there any wins for which you are particularly proud? Any memorable losses?

Recently, at our USASA National Specialty, I was High Scoring Rally Junior both days. I also got a perfect score of 100 in the Master class. I thought that was going to be my most exciting experience this year, but this past weekend, Lucy (RACH GCH CH Rainyday’s Timeless CD RM4 RAE3 RC4 PT CGC TKN) and I won Rally High Scoring Triple and High Combined two of the three days. I have only been showing Lucy in the upper level classes for a few months (I had to steal her from my dad). I have been working to get consistent high scores, and on this weekend, I feel my handling was sharp. I also had major ring conflicts each day. As Rally was in one building and Conformation/Juniors was in another, this was quite a disaster and I had several times where I had to run from one building to the other and go straight in the ring.

My most memorable loss was at our National Specialty a few years ago. My regular Junior’s dog woke up limping in the morning and I needed to borrow a dog five minutes before I was due in the ring! I had to quickly learn how to handle the new dog and how to present him to look his best. While we did not place, I was really proud that I was able to adjust at the last minute!

10. How do you accentuate your dog’s breed type in the ring? How do you try to stand out?

With Aussies being a movement breed, I make sure to find the right speed in the go-around and down-and-back to display the dog’s structure. In the Rally ring, I try to walk briskly, to keep the dog with me, but to be faster so that I can place easier. I also try to dress nicely, although I am often stuck in my Conformation show clothes.

11. Is your breed generally well-suited for a Junior Showmanship career?

Yes. Aussies are energetic and fun, and no two look alike. However, it is a little concerning to see how many there are in the ring these days. Popularity is not always a good thing for a breed.

12. Are there any breeds that you would like to show but haven’t shown yet?

Currently, I want to stick to Aussies. Maybe in the future I will try branching off to more breeds. I might try another Herding breed because of how much more familiar I am with them compared to other Groups.

13. What can be done to encourage more young people to participate in Junior Showmanship?

Most kids in Junior Showmanship have either a family, friend, or mentor who shows, which allows them to just ride along to go to the shows. But lots of kids do not, and most local clubs only have one or two shows a year, which makes it very difficult if you cannot travel often. Therefore, maybe people could help their local clubs put on more shows so that local people or Juniors do not have to travel multiple hours just to get to one show.

14. Have you bred or co-bred a litter? If so, can you share what you’ve learned from the experience?

So far, I have co-bred two litters. I have learned a lot. It has really caused me to realize how much work puppies are. I have also been learning to help my mom look at stud dogs. One of my favorite things about raising puppies is watching how the puppies grow. I like seeing how their features quickly change. Although it is sad when the puppies go to their forever homes, I do like getting updates from their people.

15. Is breeding something that you’d like to pursue? Is breed preservation important to you?

Looking a few years into the future, I definitely want to pursue breeding. I have already co-bred two litters, and my mom has bred for years and years. We don’t have litters very often, but I help as much as I can when we do. I help teach the puppies the basic culture. For example, they get new toys with different textures every day, they try out the wobble board, and they get to explore the different rooms in our house. I would very much like to help preserve the breed, and keep it in good shape. I want to always make sure my dogs have proper health testing, are sound in body and mind, and that my puppies are going to the right homes.

16. What are your goals for the future? Do you see yourself continuing in the sport once you’ve aged-out?

I do plan to continue all of my current sports and maybe even more. The thing is, in the Performance sports, there are not that many Juniors at shows. This makes it so that I am already accustomed to showing against mostly adults. Although recently, I have seen a couple more Juniors in the Performance sports than usual.

17. Can you share a word or two about your relationship with your current dog? What does s/he mean to you?

I’ve recently started working with Rosie (Rainyday’s Riveted By Rosie RN CGC TKN) in Juniors and in Rally. I’ve personally done all of her training, and am very proud because I am also her co-breeder. So far, she has earned her RN, has points, and has helped me win several RBJH. We also earned our CGC and TKN at our National, and we tried Fast CAT for the first time and earned a leg on her BCAT. Rosie is super energetic, loves to please, and always wants to work. She absolutely loves to play with rope toys, and she is always asking to do something with me. Her default offering is a down, and she folds back into her down whenever she is trying to get my attention or wants to practice. While it is super cute, we are trying to work away from it after she started offering it in the Junior ring!

18. Is there a funny story that you can share about your experiences as a Junior Handler?

When I was still a Pee Wee, I showed a retired special named Arden. She was a great starter dog for me. When I couldn’t run in a straight line, she would yank me back onto a straight path for my down-and-back. She was “all business” and showed me where I needed to be!