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?
Tristen Lawrence: While many know me as “The Great Dane Girl,” my family’s endeavors in the sport of purebred dogs have been much broader. I was fortunate enough to be born a third-generation professional handler. While both sides of my family have always been highly involved in Great Danes as breeders, owners, and professional handlers, my grandfather (on my mother’s side) began multi-breed handling in the late 1970s, handling many hound breeds as well as several Belgian Tervurens, Gordon Setters, and many more. Additionally, my grandmother on my father’s side started out in Scotties, and had multiple terrier breeds along with her Great Danes. The Great Dane ring is where my parents met, and the rest, you could say, is history. I was just over a week old when I attended my first dog show, and have been an active participant ever since. I now reside in Southern Maryland and am fortunate to currently have beautiful dogs in the Sporting, Hound, Working, Herding, and Non-Sporting Groups!
Being fully immersed in the sport from my very beginnings, I must count my parents and grandparents as my biggest mentors in all aspects of life, but I have been so fortunate to have grown up with so many greats in our sport who have shaped my views since an early age. Hugo Gamboa of Daneboa Great Danes was a bonus grandparent to me. I grew up believing Carol Grossman was an actual celebrity, and I now call her friend and mentor. As a youngster, Carlos Puig took me under his wing and taught me so much about Dachshunds. I had a Standard Wire at the time that had no ties to him, but he took the time to teach us how to groom and condition him. At the age of nine, I had the amazing opportunity to stay with our Japanese friends and clients, Yuriko and Hitoshi Sayama. The Sayamas are international judges as well as very hands-on owners of grooming schools in Japan. The things I was able to glean not only about the dog business but about business in general was invaluable. The names are too many to list, but I feel so grateful to everyone who took the time to cultivate my love for the dogs and the sport, and gave me such enriching life experiences.
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?
Tristen Lawrence: As a third-generation dog fancier, I love that our sport is steeped in tradition. I love that skills and practices, as well as genetics, have been passed down for generations. That being said, I feel the biggest difference between the dog shows of my youth and the dog shows of today comes down to size and numbers. When my grandfather started professionally showing dogs, he would leave his job at Chrysler on Friday night, drive most of the night, in some cases, and start showing dogs bright and early. It was a weekend ritual that has become our week-long routine. Along that same vein, there were fewer options. Sometimes you had to travel a little farther or simply take the weekend off. I am conflicted, though. Yes, it made it easier for the average person to attend the dog show, but I think for the average person it was more difficult to come by a win. So, like most things, I see both sides. I love the sport and feel grateful to show up nearly every day of the week at a show, but I miss the high numbers and fierce competition—but also the fierce camaraderie we had.
I think social media in general is misleading. Not only in the sport of dogs but in all aspects of life. You only see what each individual wants you to see, and from the perfect angle they want you to see it. I truly believe that if I did not feel it was my job, I would not be on social media.
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?
Tristen Lawrence: As far as I can tell, the pillars of dog shows have remained the same. I think that steps taken to protect the dogs and the participants are admirable. As far as Reserve Best in Show is concerned, I believe that if it is going to be offered, points should count towards winning a Reserve Best in Show. I think we should consider awarding the RBIS winner the points for all of the other Groups defeated. This would, in most cases, give the Best in Show Winner around 100 points more than the RBIS winner. I personally believe that in order to achieve a championship, a dog should defeat a certain number of its own breed. If a dog earns only points towards its championship by receiving Group placements, did it truly have merit in its own breed? I think that there should be a stipulation that not all points towards a championship can come from only Group placements. On the other hand, I believe that the implementation of awarding points to Reserve Winners at large-entry Specialties is a positive. In order to be awarded points in this case, the entry must be double the number of dogs that make up a 5-point major. This would mean that Reserve Winners would have defeated many more dogs than it would have had to in order to receive a typical 3-point major. I would think, in that case, the dog should definitely be deserving of points.
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?
Tristen Lawrence: One of the biggest problems I see with the community as a whole is the need for instant gratification. I understand everyone wants to win, but many fail to realize the years of dedication that lifelong breeders, owners, and handlers have poured into their individual breeds, breeding programs, and businesses. It is easy to be discouraged, but failure is a great reason to start again, only wiser.
