Veronica Dollar | The Owner/Handler

Interview with the Owner/Handler Veronica Dollar

1. How were you first introduced to the sport of purebred dogs? To your breed?

Veronica Dollar: I was allowed to pick out my own dog in the 5th grade as long as I paid for it. I have always been obsessed with the police K9s and would try to attend as many of the demonstrations they had in the parks of my hometown in Arizona. My Mom’s dog that she grew up with, “Rocky,” was half German Shepherd Dog and half Australian Cattle Dog, and my Dad’s dog, “Candy,” that he grew up with was a German Shepherd Dog. This is what led me to purchasing my first German Shepherd Dog from a non-show breeder for $100. At that point, I never thought that I would participate in the world of purebred dogs because I thought it was something that famous people did. I would watch any televised dog show and keep notes of who I thought would win and who actually won. I remember watching James Moses handling the famous “Dallas” and thinking that I wanted to be him someday.

I didn’t know much about dog training, and my first German Shepherd outweighed me, so my Dad got me connected with the local police department’s head K9 trainer, Ray Varner, and the rest is history. I would attend all of their K9 certifications all through middle school and high school. One of the people who had a K9 being certified, Hallie McMullen, offered to drive my dog and I home (not knowing that she went to high school with my Mom). I was in 8th grade when she invited me to my first GSDCA National in Tampa Bay, Florida. I was mesmerized by seeing so many beautiful German Shepherds in one place. My parents were very supportive and would let me have multiple German Shepherds at the house for training, most of them being younger than a year old.

Fast forward to 2009 and many GSDs later, Hallie sent me a puppy for training that she’d bred. This puppy girl, “Kate,” quickly stole my heart, but she was only supposed to be with me for a short time. When the breeder of Kate’s mom, Dr. Carmen Battaglia, couldn’t take her as per their agreement, Hallie surprised me and Kate became mine. Kate was my first real show dog that I owner-handled, my first champion, first grand champion, first grand champion bronze, and first Group-winning and Group-placing dog. She was my first Scentwork dog, going High in Trial Advanced at the age of 11.5 years old.

What made her even more special is that her pedigree had Dallas on both sides, which made everything we did even more surreal. Kate was more than a show dog, she was my medical alert service dog who went to work every day with me at the veterinary clinic. She laid in bed with me while I recovered from a major surgery. She moved with me multiple times, was an amazing support dog for nervous or sick animals at the vet hospital, would help foster puppies and kittens, and was such an amazing representative of the breed. She is one of the biggest reasons why I am so passionate about the beloved German Shepherd Dog!

2. How many years in dogs? In your breed?

Veronica Dollar: I have had dogs since the day I was born. My parents had Australian Shepherds, then I grew up with a chocolate Lab, and got my first German Shepherd in 2000. So, I have had dogs for almost 34 years and have been involved with German Shepherds for 24 of them.

3. Do you attend show handling classes? Have you attended in-person handling seminars?

Veronica Dollar: I do occasionally attend show handling classes. The in-person handling seminars are usually the ones that the clubs host after the end of a show day.

4. Have you found virtual learning tools to be helpful? Videos? Websites? Social Media? AKC Canine College?

Veronica Dollar: I love watching as many videos and webinars as I can. One of my favorites that I have watched multiple times is the George Alston Two-Day Handling Seminar that is on AKC.tv. I also make a point to watch other handlers in multiple breeds, and the Group rings when I can, as well as any televised dog shows. I find I learn a lot by watching what others do and don’t do.

5. Do you compete in the National Owner-Handled Series? Are rankings important to you?

Veronica Dollar: I do compete in the NOHS and love it. The rankings are not the end-all be-all of why I compete, but they are an additional driving factor and a way to see how we are doing compared to other NOHS dogs in our breed.

6. In which class(es) are you most likely to enter your dog(s)?

Veronica Dollar: I enter my current dog in Best of Breed and NOHS.

7. Who have been your mentor(s) as an Owner Handler?

Veronica Dollar: Carol Delsman, Hallie McMullen, J.R. Alcantara, and Tammie Sommerson-Wilcox. I know there are so many more out there, but these guys are the mentors that stand out.

8. What are the benefits of competing with your breed(s) as an Owner Handler?

Veronica Dollar: I love being able to show my own German Shepherd, as the teamwork and bond that we build is part of what makes showing dogs so special. I want to inspire other German Shepherd Owner Handlers that it is possible to show your own German Shepherd and be competitive with Professional Handlers.

9. How are you encouraging new exhibitors to participate in the sport?

Veronica Dollar: I love building positive connections with fellow exhibitors that I meet at dog shows in a variety of breeds and handling experiences. These bonds go far beyond the dog shows and involve staying connected through social media. We talk about all the positives of showing and some of the bummers. These forever friends and bonds that are built make even the most difficult of times both in and out of the show ring somehow still fun. Knowing that we are not alone through the wins and losses is what makes dog shows so memorable. I try to make a point to be at the ring to cheer on my fellow dog show friends and provide encouragement. This last dog show weekend, a fellow Owner Handler and I won NOHS Group Ones on the same day.

It was a great privilege to compete together in Best in Show, knowing it would be just as exciting to see them win as getting the win myself. Showing, in reality, is only a few minutes of a 24-hour day; it’s the community and relationships that are built through dog shows, along with the incredible and unforgettable memories made with friends and our dogs, that are what make dog shows addicting. I would encourage anyone who is already in the sport, or just starting out, to not get caught up in winning. Dog shows are about the relationships built, not only with our amazing dogs but also with our fellow exhibitors. Ribbons and points are tangible; memories last forever!

10. Are there any suggestions you’d like to pass along about the presentation of your breed(s).

Veronica Dollar: I would encourage people to consider showing their own German Shepherd Dogs and believe that it is possible to be successful. Anyone who knows me knows that I am not the tallest of German Shepherd handlers out there. I get frequent comments that they don’t know how I manage to run with a German Shepherd Dog. My reply is usually, “I don’t know how I do it either but I love it, so I do it.” There is something about being on the other end of the lead that is attached to a German Shepherd that makes you feel like you are flying.

With my first two German Shepherds I showed, it was drilled into me that in order to be successful in the ring I couldn’t show them myself, and if I did, then they couldn’t also live as a pet during the week and a show dog on the weekend. My GSD “Chaos” was an amazing Juniors dog and he was singled out, but he was never able to win a major. My GSD “Kate” was completely owner-handled, but Professional Handlers ended up putting her majors on her to finish her championship. I regret not sticking with it long enough to try to finish her on my own. It is why with my current show dog, “Ray,” my goal was that I would show him to all his achievements myself and prove that you don’t need a Professional Handler in order to win.

I am so proud that I not only put both his majors on him to finish his championship but we have gone above and beyond anything I ever thought possible. I finished his grand championship and we are halfway to completing his bronze level grand championship. We have had multiple Group placements, Group wins, and a regular Best in Show. We have won multiple Owner-Handled Groups and Group placements, a Reserve Best in Show, and a Best in Show, with this leading us to being a Top 10 NOHS GSD, finishing our NOHS Bronze, Silver, and being less than 100 points from our Gold.

Just because someone says that it should be done a certain way, that you’re not good enough, you’re too short, you’re not well known enough, or your breed can’t be or shouldn’t be owner-handled, etc., doesn’t mean it’s not possible to go your own way and succeed.

11. What are your goals as an Owner Handler? Is there a victory that has eluded you?

Veronica Dollar: My goal is to continue improving my skills as a handler, the enjoyment for my dog and I as a team, and meeting the goals we set for ourselves each weekend. The victories that have eluded us that we are striving for is a Canadian Championship, a Select and Best of Breed at the German Shepherd National and at the Canadian German Shepherd National, to win another Best in Show, both regular and Owner-Handled, to be in the Top 10 Breed and All-Breed, to finish as the No. 1 NOHS German Shepherd, and to be competitive at Westminster and the National Dog Show.

12. Is there a funny story that you can share about your experiences as an Owner Handler?

Veronica Dollar: This last dog show circuit, on the first day, my dog and I just finished showing in the regular Herding Group. We had just won a Herding Group Two, which we were so excited about. My dog and I ran to the other side to get ready to go into the Owner-Handled Herding Group. I was so hot and my jean jacket was not helping, which I was only wearing for the pockets it provided to hold my dog’s bait. I was worried that I wouldn’t survive a whole other Group of running around. A Professional Handler looked at me and said, “You have a bra, don’t ya?” I took my jerky and did what she said.

It was great! I was not only able to show my dog but we won an OH Herding Group Two. By the end of the ring time, my one piece of jerky had turned into 12 tiny pieces that were no longer in the strap of my bra. I figured we were good, since I could rectify the situation in the privacy of my travel trailer. Before heading back, my dog and I headed to get our photographs taken with the judges. My dog was not wanting to look at the many toys the photographer was throwing. The photographer turned to me and asked if I had any bait, and I could feel the color draining from my face as I replied, “Yes,” as I looked down my dress. His response was, “Eh, it’s a dog show!”