Meet Junior Handler Scarlett Wells as she shares her journey with Dachshunds, Junior Showmanship goals, and dreams for the future.
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Scarlett Wells: I live in Blissfield, Michigan, and I am a sixth grader at Blissfield Middle School.
Scarlett Wells: I have a lot of interests and am involved in many things. I participate in my church youth group. I am a member of 4-H where I show my dogs and cavy (guinea pigs). I also love to craft. I play volleyball and softball, and this past fall I ran for the cross country team for the first time.
Scarlett Wells: My mom showed dogs when she was a kid through AKC and 4-H. She really enjoyed showing dogs. Before I was born, she and my dad had two show dogs, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a German Shorthaired Pointer, but they were retired when I remember them. Now, we are a Dachshund family.
Scarlett Wells: When I was in kindergarten, I began asking my parents for a Dachshund. My kindergarten teacher would have us draw pictures and write a caption underneath, and I usually drew a Dachshund. My caption would say something along the lines of “My one wish in life is to have a Dachshund.” But honestly, my mom was thrilled that I was interested in something that she had loved when she was a child. When I was seven, we found a red Smooth Dachshund just like I wanted. I was very adamant that the color be red to match my hair. His name is Mason. When I first started showing him, I wasn’t quite old enough to show him in Juniors. But I did show him in the 4-6 Puppy class. I showed him in Breed as I waited to become old enough to show in Junior Showmanship.
Scarlett Wells: I had participated in Pee Wee competitions for Juniors and had a lot of fun. My first day that I was old enough to show in Juniors was a show in Columbus, Ohio. There was a Dachshund Specialty and an all-breed show. At both shows I got my first two wins in Novice. I remember being very nervous and thought I would forget to do something like touch the table or not set up my dog right.
Scarlett Wells: Well, the day before, I bathe my dog and trim his toe nails. Right before we go into the ring, I put some special good luck spray on him that gives him a good smell. I also take a mint to calm myself down. Mason’s breeder, Vicki, bought me and my dog a leash that I will always use when I show him because I feel lucky with it in my hand. I also have some necklaces and hair clips that I like to wear for good luck charms.
Scarlett Wells: In the ring, I try not to look nervous—and the mint always helps. But really, the thing that calms me down the most is my dog. I know he wants to do his best for me.
Scarlett Wells: Mason’s breeder, Vicki, is always a good mentor for dog shows and Dachshund questions. Also, the Dachshund community in general has been really good to me and my family. I haven’t yet assisted a Professional Handler, but I do like to help people show dogs, especially Dachshunds. I really would like to work for a Professional Handler!
Scarlett Wells: At Beaver County Kennel Club in Pennsylvania, Mason and I were in the Group ring for Owner-Handled and the judge pointed at me for Group First, and then we went on to win Reserve Best in Show! It was my first time in the Best in Show ring. My mom always said that if I beat her into Best in Show, she would get me a special meal; both Mason and I got a treat that night. Another win that I am proud of is that when I was only in Novice Junior at Cincinnati Kennel Club, I went into the Best Junior Handler ring and I got Reserve Best Junior Handler! I was so excited for that win early on. One loss that I will never forget was in Lexington, Kentucky, where my younger brother, Wyatt, beat me in Juniors and he had just moved up in the Open class that day. I was happy for him, but a tough pill to swallow for me since I have a lot more experience than him.
Scarlett Wells: I try to stay true to how the breed should be presented. I am always working and my parents try and video when we show, to show us how we look and what we can do to improve. I am on the smaller side and my Standard Dachshund is 30 pounds, so it is often hard for me to see how we actually look in the ring. This helps me improve and try and stand out.
Scarlett Wells: Dachshunds are a great breed. Dachshunds can be a bit sassy to teach and they are not known for their free-stacking ability. Some breeds draw in your eye. This breed may not have a flowy coat and show-stopping freestack, but you can definitely be successful with them. Be patient and keep training. Also, look back on past performances and see what you can improve on to make the breed stand out.
Scarlett Wells: I would love to show a Vizsla and a Bernese Mountain Dog. I would like to show those breeds because I just would love to show a dog that walks faster than a Dachshund. Also, I just love how pretty a Vizsla looks. My brother, one time, got to show a Bernese and I just fell in love with the personality and their faces.
Scarlett Wells: I would say that there could be more information that could be shared with 4-H-ers and all the activities you can do in the world of AKC. Also, reminders that to show in Juniors Showmanship you don’t need a show-quality dog to participate in Juniors. I would also tell people to join Junior groups on social media. There are a lot of people who want to help and will even let you borrow dogs if you do not have one.
Scarlett Wells: So far, our family has bred one Dachshund litter. I’ve learned that having a litter involves a lot of hard work and patience. We had to wake up in the middle of the night to check on the puppies for several weeks to make sure everyone was eating. It is also happy because I got to see the puppies go with different families and see their smiles. It is also a bit sad at the same time because I just want to keep them all.
Scarlett Wells: Yes, I would love to breed more in the future. I feel that breed preservation is very important. I feel like the dog you are breeding should fit the AKC Breed Standard, and have health testing done that the parent club recommends. My hope is to breed a National Specialty winner someday.
Scarlett Wells: My Juniors goals for myself are to qualify for Westminster and win the AKC National Championship so that I can show at Crufts. In Conformation, I want to win a Best in Show. I do see myself continuing in the sport as a Professional Handler and also to help organize Junior clinics. I would also like to work with the Dachshund Club of America in some way.
Scarlett Wells: Mason (GCHS Stormwind Top Pocket Find BCAT) is the dog of my dreams. He is a very loving, sassy, and social dog. I think he is me in dog form! Also, he always wants attention, and if I am not doing something with him in the ring then he will look at me and bark. His favorite place to go is the dog show. When he sees the dog show bag come out, he knows and is so excited. I hope to put more titles on him as we continue to grow.
Scarlett Wells: I was showing in the Juniors ring and taking Mason off the table after the examination. I was backing up, and this was the only spot on the mat without tape, and I backed up and fell. Luckily, Mason wasn’t hurt and I wasn’t hurt, just a bit embarrassed. The judge helped me get back up, and that day I actually got Best Junior Handler. It just goes to show that you should never give up!
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