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Makin' It Look Easy - The All-Breed Handler

The mark of a gifted professional is the art of making it look easy, no matter the field of endeavor. Proficient skill is a combination of innate talent, practice and long-term study, coupled with an intense focus on achieving success.
 
The sport of dogs is unique among other competitive venues in that it is made up of two distinct groups of people. The first are the hobbyists; breeder/owners who devote expendable time and income doing what they enjoy apart and aside from their money-earning professions and second, the professional who is “in his office” once setting foot on the show grounds. Within the second group are two subdivisions of pros - specialists and all-breed handlers. The specialist channels his background and area of expertise into a more limited scope of breeds normally within a unique group. Some specialize in breeds such as Poodles where expertise in grooming and presentation is extremely specific, allowing minimal time for other breeds within the scheduling constraints of a show day. Terrier handlers face similar challenges but with a very different skill requirement in grooming and presentation, technique and style.
 
The all-breed handler is the equivalent of the medical field’s general practitioner. Whether an M.D.’s medical journal or the all-breed pro’s AKC Book of Breed Standards, a continual review and research of the textbook is a mandatory practice. Professional handlers are often times AKC’s future judges. It follows that those handlers who through the years have spent a significant amount of time studying standards and observing the really good dogs whether they have been shown by them or not, develop into the most qualified judges.
 
Breed-specific presentation is the stock-in-trade skill of an accomplished all-breed handler. A one-fits-all generic presentation regardless of the breed is the bane of the all-breed handling profession. A studied familiarity with the AKC’s breed standard’s description of the ideal is how a qualified professional accurately assesses how closely a dog fits that picture and how he goes about creating the “choreography” for the most effective ring presentation.
 
During the course of the evaluation process, a judge is looking for the salient characteristics that make the breed what it is in both physicality and temperament. The presenter’s ability to enhance the positive features while drawing attention away from the negative is what ultimately leads to the win. A clever handler knows that no two dogs respond the same way. Individual dogs have their own quirks and triggers. Understanding a dog’s limit for hand-stacking and posing and at what speed he can maintain for full body extension is incumbent on the handler to determine. The knack for getting into a dog’s head and establishing a rapport with each as an individual is a talent only a proficient handler is able to effectively accomplish.
 
A judge’s initial impression in a class is identifying the correct silhouette for the breed. The handler’s job is to make that dog’s outline look the part “on the line” from the first look by the judge to the last. For example, a dog that may be a little long in body according to the standard can be stacked on the line at a slight enough angle that it creates the illusion of less body length. Being aware of what the standard calls for in the primary characteristics of the breed is the professional’s staple skill. As a judge goes about his task of finding and awarding the best in the class, he is visualizing the breed’s ideal and how closely each exhibit comes to that mark. Accomplished handling skill facilitates that process for the judge whether it’s a cleverly-crafted illusion or the real deal. Minimizing errors and learning how to optimize your ring time to full advantage when the judge’s attention is on your dog is critical.  Timing is everything; knowing when and how to grab the eye is a big part of presentation.  
 
Grooming, trimming and conditioning is a large part of a handler’s bag of tricks. The right combination makes a good dog stand out. Mentoring sessions with breed experts is the obvious and most effective path in obtaining these valuable tools. Observing a great groomer through all phases of the process combined with continual practice is essential.
To summarize the 5 skills essential to an all-breed handler:
  • Developing quality mentoring and apprenticeship relationships
  • Studying the AKC breed standards
  • Accurately and honestly assess the virtue and faults of your client’s dogs
  • Never show two dogs the same way-recognize individual triggers and traits
  • Affiliation with a creditable professional handling organization
Picture
Sue Vroom
Contributing Author

All Articles by Sue

  • Function and Purpose
    of the Bouvier
  • Getting the Edge -
    The Owner/Handler
  • Making it Look East -
    The All-Breed Handler
  • Taking it to the Next Level - The Making of
    a Special's Dog
  • Losing is only Fun
    if You're Dieting -
    Be a Winner


© Copyright 2018. This article is copyrighted by the American Bouvier des Flandres Club (ABdFC) and may not be reproduced without the expressed written permission of the ABdFC.
Questions or feedback? Contact a Committee or the Officers & Board of Directors directly.
All photos, illustrations, charts, articles or content may not be reproduced without the express permission of the ABdFC and the photographer.

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  • Home
  • About Us
    • Code of Ethics
    • Committees
    • Constitution & By-Laws
    • Contact Us
    • Membership Info
    • Officers & Board of Directors
    • Club Officer History
    • Partner Organizations
    • President's Message
  • Bouvier Info
    • Get to Know the Bouvier
    • AKC Breed Standard
    • Articles of Interest >
      • A Farmer's Dog
      • Function and Purpose of the Bouvier
      • Diet Associated Dilated Cardiomyopathy
      • Canine Hemangiosarcoma Cells
      • Getting the Edge – The Owner/Handler
      • Makin' It Look Easy - The All-Breed Handler
      • Taking it to the Next Level - The Making of a Special's Dog
      • Losing is Only Fun if You're Dieting
      • Why I Love Herding
    • Find a Bouvier
    • Beginners Guide to the Bouvier >
      • Beginner's Guide to the Bouvier
      • How to Read a Pedigree
      • How to Select a Breeder
      • Selecting Your Bouvier Puppy
      • What About a Rescue Dog?
    • Judges Education
    • Breeder Judges & Mentors
    • Position on cross-breeding bouviers
  • Events & News
    • National Specialty
    • Upcoming Events & News
    • Past National Specialties >
      • 2018 Specialty Results
  • Programs
    • Futurity
    • Multi-Level Performance
    • Outstanding Sportsmanship
    • Owner/Handler and Owner/ Breeder/ Handler
    • Register of Merit (ROM) >
      • ROM: Program Info
      • ROM: Sires and Dams by Rank
      • ROM: Sires and Dams in Alphabetical Order
    • Top 20 Bouviers >
      • Top 20: Annual Celebration
      • Top 20: Breeder Honor Roll
      • Top 20: Conformation Program
      • Top 20: Conformation Winners
      • Top 20: Performance Program
    • Versatile Bouvier >
      • Versatile Bouvier Program Information
      • Versatile Bouvier Award Recipients 2015-2024
      • Versatile Bouvier Award Recipients 2005-2014
      • Versatile Bouvier Award Recipients 1995-2004
    • Volunteer of the Year
  • Statistics
    • Current Statistics >
      • 2023 >
        • Top 20 NOHS 2022-2023
        • Top 20 Statistics: Conformation 2022-2023
        • Best in Show/Group 2022
        • Best of Breed 2022
        • Top Producers 2022
        • Junior Handler - 2022
    • Performance Statistics Archive >
      • 2022 >
        • Agility 2022
        • Herding 2022
        • Obedience 2022
        • Other Titles Earned 2022
        • Rally 2022
      • 2021 >
        • Agility 2021
        • Herding 2021
        • Obedience 2021
        • Other Titles Earned 2021
        • Rally 2021
        • Top Producers 2021
      • 2020 >
        • Agility 2020
        • Herding 2020
        • Obedience 2020
        • Other Titles Earned 2020
        • Rally 2020
        • Top Producers 2020
      • 2019 >
        • Best in Show/Group 2019
        • Best of Breed 2019
        • Agility 2019
        • Herding 2019
        • Other Titles Earned 2019
        • Rally 2019
        • Top Producers 2019
      • 2018 >
        • Best in Show/Group 2018
        • Best of Breed 2018
        • Agility 2018
        • Herding 2018
        • Obedience 2018
        • Other Titles Earned 2018
        • Rally 2018
        • Top Producers 2018
    • Conformation Statistics Archive >
      • 2021-2022 >
        • Top 20: NOHS 2021-2022
        • Top 20 Statistics: Conformation 2021-2022
      • 2020-2021 >
        • Top 20: Conformation - 2020-2021
        • Top 20: NOHS -- 2020-2021
        • Top 20: Performance - 2020-2021
      • 2019-2020 >
        • Top 20 Statistics: Conformation - 2019-2020
        • Natl. Owner-Handled Series 2019-20
        • Top 20 Statistics: Performance - 2019-2020
      • 2018-2019 >
        • Top 20 Statistics: Conformation - 2018-2019
        • Top 20 Statistics: NOHS - 2018-2019
        • Top 20 Statistics: Performance - 2018-2019
  • A Versatile Breed
    • Work & Play
    • Carting
  • Member Area
    • Member Payments & Donations
    • Member Portal
    • Breed Mentors