Handling

There are a number of dogs I train or handle for other people: both in conformation and agility. It isn't always easy to get the best out of your dog in the conformation ring, for example, it can be difficult to get the dog to focus ahead if your usual activity is obedience, or it can be difficult to keep a dog motivated in agility if you always require a start line stay.

I started handling Misti while she was in Britain, as her owner focused mainly on obedience (and so was free to do as much heelwork as she liked — where she has a surprisingly high stepping action), but I could make sure that Misti's movement was what it is supposed to be in the breed ring (and she's a stunning mover in the ring!).

Edward's owner said that she couldn't run around the ring with him any more. He's a stunning looking dog with a nice, steady movement and it'd be a waste for people not to get to see him, and we qualified him for Crufts 2009.

At the Border Collie National 2009 in Wisconsin, I handled Eowyn's golden red and white brother, Avatar's Charliebear Of Bayshore, and he won his Sweeps class, as did Eowyn! I also handled the blue & white Border Collie Bebe, Cloverdale Beo Barr Cailin, and we got a 3rd and a 2nd in the large Open Bitch classes. I have also handled a number of other breeds including: Corgi, Belgian Sheepdogs, Papillons and of course Schnauzers.

For a while, I run Quid, Just Enuff Quid Pro Quo MX MXJ NAP RN OAC AC NJC NCC, in agility competitions (until his back injury made us retire him): he's a friend's Parson Rusell Terrier without a start line stay! Our first standard run can be seen here. I have run a number of BCs other than mine: memorable run being handling Tyler (Bayshore's Lucky N Tyler Too NAJ) at the BCSA National in 2009 — I'd never run him before (and I'd only seen him run once before), but in our jumpers run together there we got the elusive third leg for his NAJ title and third place! Other breeds I have trained or run in agility include: Corgi, Belgian Tervueren, Rottweiler, American Staffordshire Terrier, ...