A Handler and his Dachshunds by Woodie Dorward of Red Locket Kennel
Download this page in PDF formatThere has been perhaps unlimited discussion on a handler’s responsibility or obligation to his or her clients andthe client’s responsibility and obligations to the handler.
The writer is of the opinion that both handler and owner, as a rule today, are accomplishing a top job together as both have the same object in mind, the presentation of specimen , in the most attractive manner possible to the show judges and show viewers, and, as a result, gain more prestige for the individual dog with added show wins, possible championship points, trophies and the resulting stud fees or increased puppy sale prices, be it of the male or female species.
It is nice to recieve a dog for bench show training in top show condition athought this is usually not the case. The tendency on the part of most owners is keep their dogs in top heavy weight rather than on the thin side. In my opinion, in preparing a dog for the start of a show career it is easier and quicker to take the weight off rather than put it on. Quite the opposite of humans, perhaps. It is nice to recieve a dog that is properly leash broken, the ability to move easily and freely on either the right or left side of the handler. However, if a dog has had no leash training, it is still possible to give this training and obtain wonderful results in aminimum period of time. It is nice to start with a dog who has been trained at home to pose at attention , but even this can be obtained without too much effort and work on the part of the handler. The secret to this with a Dachshund posed on either the ground or for the judge’s inspection on the table is for training that encourages the dog to pull or reach forward ratther than back up. The secret, too, of a Dachshund posed at his best is the proper distribution of his body weight so that he is not leaning or pulling backwards. If the tendency is to reach too far forward, this can be easily controlled by the handler. By the same token, more good moving dogs are “bunched up” in the moving by the head being too tight or the dog being pulled too much to one side or the other which will encourage an appearance of faulty movement. It is nice to recieve a dog with clean teeth which is very important with one of the hound breeds especially. This perhaps goes back to the old saying “clean as a hound’s tooth”.
An 0wner could aid a handler, too, by starting early, at only a few weeks of age, and keep the nails down on the puppy. As a result, the quick of the nail will be back enough to make it easy for the professional handler to keep up the nails. It is the opinion of most handlers that it is better if the owner is not too closely associated with his dog on show day. Oftentimes, days and weeks of training go up in smoke upon recognition of the dog’s owner sitting close by the ringside before the entrance of the dog and handler to the ring for the class.
All professional handlers are expectedto maintain sanitary living conditions for their charges. It is important to maintain a schedule of feeding the same time each day, and the same for exercie and work periods. In case of apparent illlness of any animal, it is important to isolate it at once, notify owner and consult with a veterinarian. This is at the client’s expense, of course. Most handlers charge a flat fee for local shows, handling and transportation for distant shows and a flat daily fee or boarding the show dogs Bonuses or extra fees for top group wins ad best in shows are not unusual. The tendency on the part of most handlers is one of attachment to their temporary charges. kindness and firmness goes a long ways and the writer’s experience has been that most all handlers exercise this to a great degree.
All show dogs seem to have a great ability to “get the message” all of the way down through the show lead. It is the writer’s calculated opinion that each individual dog is able to know and is aware of his or her handler’s mental state at any and all times inside of the round circle. It is possible in my opinion , for the dog to know whether the handler is nervous, relaxed, keyed up or phlegmatic, at any given time. This temperament or feeling on the part of the handler, as a rule passes on to the dog and is usually noticeable on the dog’s show ring mannerisms. Dogs seem to sense just when the heat of the battle is the strongest and give with their all. In other words, their ring reactions are quite the same as their handler’s inner feelings. Your writer has experienced showing three or four different dogs on a given day in tough competition when the going has been the roughest, have them show to perfection, give their all, then a few minutes later turn them over to their owners or another handler for further judging competition, and have them quit completely and practically refuse to show after the changeover.
At any rate, no matter how hard the client or the handler may try, or no matter how proficient they both may be, the individual dog has to have it in order to do the winning and gain the wins. The owner and the handler can only give the assistance; a top example of any breed, in spite of early or occasional setbacks, will find his niche and do his share of winning.