Meet the Professional Handler Kellie Williams

Meet the Professional Handler Kellie Williams

1. Please tell us a little bit about yourself. Where do you live? How long have you been a Professional Handler? How did you get your start? Who are/were your mentors and with whom did you apprentice?

Kellie Williams: I am a first-generation dog person who lucked into the sport of purebred dogs. My mother grew up in horses and I wanted to continue on in her shoes. At the time, we lived in the city and it was too difficult to have a horse, so I started with our family dog in our local 4-H club. I tried Obedience, Agility, and Showmanship. I gravitated towards the showmanship side and found myself quickly involved in AKC Junior Showmanship at the age of 10. We found that our local family dog wasn’t cutting it (she got to live out the rest of her life on our couch!) and I lucked into some beautiful Parson Russell Terriers to compete with in Junior Showmanship. My main Juniors dog, Tom, and I wrapped up our Junior Showmanship career with a huge Best Junior at the limited Junior Showmanship competition in Louisville, Kentucky, under legendary judge Michele Billings! While competing in Juniors, I worked for several professional handlers, including Larry Cornelius and Marcelo Veras, Jane and Greg Myers, and Rindi Gaudet.

I owe my foundation in dogs to these handlers whom I respect immensely. When I turned 18, I was lucky enough to land in the roll of handler of a breed I was not familiar with, an Australian Terrier by the name of Zeb. He was owned by a couple that had followed my Juniors career and were always very supportive of me. While enrolled in college, I took a leap of faith and started showing Zeb for his owners. I was young, had never campaigned a dog, and we were just doing it for fun! Zeb went on to win six Bests in Show, a National Specialty, Breeds at Westminster, Eukanuba (now Royal Canin), and Montgomery County with me on the end of his lead! I had shown a couple other dogs for clients for a short period, but I knew there was still more I needed to learn before I went professional. In 2014, I decided to pack up my life and go to work for Sporting dog experts Bruce and Tara Schultz in San Diego, California. Moving there was one of the best things I could have ever done and I learned so much from them, not only about the care and presentation of dogs, but how to properly run a business and how to treat clients. I started my own professional handling career in 2021 and am based out of Tampa, Florida. Since I have gone out on my own, I have campaigned many successful dogs (including multiple Best in Show and National Specialty winners). I am truly lucky to get to be around dogs all day, every day!

2. As a Professional Handler, can you share your thoughts on the sport today? Has judging changed since you first began showing dogs professionally? What do you think about the number of shows today? Is social media good for the sport? Is it harmful?

Kellie Williams: The sport is generally heading in a good direction. I don’t find that judging has changed much; I think as we get more involved in the sport we just “see” more of what happens as far as politics goes and who is friends with whom. I think there are too many shows, and more importantly, circuits that are too long. When I was growing up, Florida had a number of two-day shows, but we almost never had to leave the state. Now, shows are teaming up to make 5-10-day circuits. With more, and longer, shows, we lose the ability to focus on why we are truly here, which is taking care of and conditioning the dogs. These days, it seems we drive several hours from one circuit to another with little time to rest and regroup (both humans and dogs). Generally, I think social media is good for the sport, as people who never knew the sport existed can learn more about dog shows and purebred dogs, and potentially, even get involved themselves.

3. Have the changes made to the Rules Applying to Dog Shows been good for the sport of dogs? Any thoughts on Reserve Best in Show? What about earning points through a Group win or placement? What about Reserve Winners at a Specialty earning championship points?

Kellie Williams: I do like most of the changes. Best in Show lineups are often stacked with seven beautiful dogs, and I couldn’t imagine being a judge and only being able to award one dog, especially if there are two dogs they truly love. If a dog is nice enough to place or win a Group, I think it’s appropriate for them to be awarded points. Nationals are such a huge deal and winning Reserve Winners is a huge honor, so again, I think it’s great you can earn points towards a championship at this event!

4. In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges facing the dog show community as a whole today and how can these be addressed? What are some of the positive changes you’ve seen in your profession and in the dog show community over the past decade?

Kellie Williams: I think too many shows is one of the bigger problems. When looking ahead at shows, one week particularly stood out where, in the Southeast, I had five options of where I could go that would be drivable in one day. I think the shows lose their prestige when there are too many options and the numbers are spread too thin. We are seeing more and more 400-entry dog shows. Limiting the number of shows per weekend in a given region would help this problem. As far as positive changes, I believe the Junior Showmanship department of AKC has tried some excellent ideas to try to promote the future of our sport. Some ideas that were tried had failed, but others have had very positive impacts on Juniors that keep them engaged and returning. We have to remember to support the young people in our sport, as they are our future.

5. And finally, do you want to tell us anything else about yourself, your hobbies and interests outside of dogs, or do you have any messages for the rest of the fancy?

Kellie Williams: When not at a show, I really enjoy deep-sea fishing with my husband! Unfortunately, we haven’t had as much time for this lately. I also really enjoy raising our litters of Australian Terriers and Chesapeake Bay Retrievers! If ever I can’t be found at the house, I’m typically sitting in the whelping box. Also, a quick message to young people in the sport—find a mentor and learn all you can from them. Whether it be a breeder/owner/handler or a professional handler, there is so much to learn! If ever you feel like you’ve learned it all from that person, find someone else to mentor under, as they will have more knowledge to give you! Never stop learning.