At a recent dog show, it was a treat to watch a Junior Handler show her Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever.  Junior Handlers are the future of dog shows.

There are a couple of different ways Junior Handlers can participate in AKC dogs shows.  They can participate in the Junior Showmanship competition where young handlers (age 9-18) are judged on how they present and handle their dog.  The handler’s ability is judged rather than the dog itself.

AKC Junior Showmanship classes offer youngsters the opportunity to:

1. Develop their handling skills
2. Learn about good sportsmanship
3. Learn about dogs and dog shows.

Junior handlers can also show dogs in the regular competition where the dog is judged against the breed standard and competes for points toward its Championship or Grand Championship.  In a regular competition the Junior Handler may be showing a dog against more seasoned handlers, including breeders and professional handlers.

I am always amazed when I watch a Junior Handler because they usually do a fabulous job showing the dog and in some cases a better job than the more experienced handlers.

The girl showing her Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever did a wonderful job and was cute as a button.  She showed her dog to the best of her ability and those of us watching clapped in acknowledgement.  It was a nice Toller, but unfortunately she had the only Toller that showed up that day.  This meant there were no points to be awarded but her dog still earned placements.  The Judge awarded her Toller Winners Dog, Best Of Breed and Best Owner Handler.  She then had a chance to go on to compete in either the Sporting Group and the Owner Handler Sporting Group.

She also gained some valuable experience with quite a large crowd watching.

Have you ever watched a Junior Handler show a dog?