Meet the Professional Handler Adrian Ghione

Interview with a Professional Handler, Adrian Ghione

Where do I live? How long have I been in dogs?

Adrian Ghione: I live in Oakdale, California, near beautiful Yosemite National Park. I’ve been involved with dogs for almost 30 years.

When did I decide to become a Professional Handler?

Adrian Ghione: I decided to become a Professional Handler around the time I was 18-19 years old, after some years in Obedience and Agility.

Who did I apprentice under and for how many years?

Adrian Ghione: When I first came to the US, I worked for Mark and Sally George for about five years.

How many shows do I typically attend each year?

Adrian Ghione: I attend about 45 weekends of shows every year.

How many dogs do I generally show on a given weekend?

Adrian Ghione: I generally show 12-15 dogs each weekend.

How do you decide which all-breed shows to attend? What about specialties?

Adrian Ghione: I look at a lot of different variables to make a decision, but in the end, it’s which shows I think can give the best chance for a positive result to most of my clients.

Can I talk a bit about my facilities? Do I have a kennel?

Adrian Ghione: I have a kennel facility in Oakdale where Nicole and I live. It’s an indoor/outdoor set-up where the dogs have plenty of room to run. We also have a state-of-the-art grooming shop on site.

What’s it really like to be “on the road” with a group of show dogs?

Adrian Ghione: All I can say is that “it’s a gypsy life.”

Are we going to Orlando? If so, what are our goals for our current string of dogs?

Adrian Ghione: We are hopeful that our Specials can win their Breed and shine in the Group.

Just for laughs, do I have a funny story that I can share about my experiences as a Professional Handler?

Oh boy, if you really wanna laugh, I could tell you about that one time at the Kings County Kennel Club in Hanford, California, where, after a failed attempt to get up from a kneeling position in the Herding Group, my pants ripped to the point where my only choice was to step out of them and finish showing the Australian Cattle Dog wearing nothing more than my underwear. No, I did not win the Group…