Junior Handler question

One word of advice I got for Juniors, since I'll be starting my granddaughter next year. Don't start your daughter with a puppy...let her handle a seasoned dog who's very used to showing so she can learn what she needs to do rather than coping with puppy antics in the ring. Since Juniors are judged on handling, not on the dog, they're much more successful with a dog who knows what to do.

Emily, my granddaughter, will start out with my Checkers, who could happily show herself with no handler , and eventually graduate to Ruffles if things go well.

 

That's the ideal situation, but not always the case, if they don't have access to a finished champion. A dog who's at least experienced in the ring -- doesn't necessarily have to be finished -- is the best choice.

 

Good questions. I don't have any experience with learning disabilities, or with being a parent... but I did AKC juniors for years and years. (I also did 4H, but we didn't really have an active club, so I don't know that I can comment on the social aspect there.)

I was a "quirky" kid. I didn't have any siblings, and I didn't have a lot of interest in socializing with my peers (I wasn't very good at it). I knew how to engage socially with grown-ups, and I felt more comfortable with them. I felt most comfortable spending time with my dog, though.

It was easy to be a reserved, quirky kid at conformation shows. I didn't really have to socialize with anyone my age if I didn't want to, and I spent most of my time with my mother and other adults. Juniors isn't a team sport; you can just sort of do your own thing and focus on your dog and on honing your skills. When I wasn't working on my dog, I was working for handlers, ex-ing, grooming, and taking dogs into the ring.

I guess what I'm saying is that AKC Juniors won't necessarily improve peer-to-peer social skills. It will put a high polish on a child's manners, though, and with the right supervision it will teach them at an early age how to navigate in a grown-up world.

I like to think I turned out OK. When I was about 18, it seemed like everyone my age became more-or-less an adult, so the fact that I was utterly clueless about child/adolescent social skills became less of a liability. I have a loving husband and good friends, and a career where I spend most of my time working on behalf of people age 60+ (so I guess I still like spending time with "grown-ups"!).

 

Oh yeah, and I'll second (third?) the suggestion of starting with a more-experienced dog (or at least a dog who you know enjoys the dog-show game).

Mark was far and away the best gift I've ever received. The right dog and the right junior can be a life-changing match. For me, it wasn't so much that Mark was trained (I ended up having to re-train him to my rhythm and signals) as that he loved to show and that we loved each other. When we worked together, we were partners with a common goal - and more than that, he was "my own dog", and my dearest friend.