Call it your own

When I came across the photo above, one thing came to mind: Don't compare your Chapter 1 to someone else's Chapter 20.

When I was in my teens, my father and I opened our own dog kennel to breed and show handle dogs. (My father later told me that he wanted something to help us bond while I was in my teens. Kudos to him!)

After dipping our toes into the breeds of short-haired St. Bernards and (long haired) Afghan Hounds, we decided on Welsh Springer Spaniels. Because this breed was relatively rare, the chances of winning in the ring would be heightened, and we wanted to win.

My father showed Deckherd's Sir Barney (a gorgeous clutsy male) and brought him to his US Championship.? At the same time we imported a bitch from Wales (a regal looking, demure pooch), already with her Welsh Championship.?She arrived in the United States afraid and wary of everyone, particularly men. Naturally, being a female, I would be the one to train her. Knowing that a significant number of those judging her in the ring would be men, my initial mission was to build trust within her... trust of everyone. Slowly and surely she acclimated. Slowly and surely she was able to control her jitters in the ring.

All the while that we were flexing Menna's comfort muscle, I was building my own show handling skills. I knew a little but not enough to win in a big show and it was our goal to do just that. We wanted her United States Championship as well as her Welsh Championship.

Here I was, in my teens, competing against professional show handlers who were paid to train and show dogs. I was nervous, until my father pointed out that all I had to do was watch what the professionals were doing, learn from them, study them, research the judges, learn their hot buttons and adjust my handling style accordingly. Before long, I was off and running... quite literally, with Menna around the ring. I showed Menna to her U.S. Championship soon after. ?

The above photo captures a glorious moment when Menna took Best of Opposite (sex) during the Westminster Kennel Club show at Madison Square Garden. I vividly remember feeling completely confident having studied, listened and learned from the best. Menna, too, was ready. Male judge and all.

The moral of the story is to not compare your Chapter 1 to someone else's Chapter 20. In fact, here's my recommendation: Imagine you are them until you develop your own comfort level that you know is your very own Chapter 20.

Sidenote for my friends curious about the dog show experience: The 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show will be in Madison Square Garden once again! The dates are February 10 and 11th, 2025. Link to learn more, below.

?Westminster Kennel Club - Madison Square Garden