I have no answer for your question, but have noticed alot of the handlers are a strange shade of orange (too much fake tan? ) and american. I couldn't believe 'Wonderful Willy', or whatever his name was, had an entourage of 2 very camp men that pampered and preened him all day! I'd love to lend them Boomer for the day and watch them despair
I do agree though, what better feeling than showing your own dog...
Sadly in the USA it is thus... almost exclusively professional handlers. Its a culture thing, and its coming here. Its about hiring someone to get your dog to win basically. They are talented at their job, work exclusively on it, get paid well and eventually its hard to 'get past' them to win because judges see them as 'only taking on good dogs because its his reputation on the line, so therefore that dog he has must be good'
Its not a nice trend as far as I am concerned. Dog showing will step up and even further gear towards being all money and seriousness and have no room for fun and it as a hobby sport.
Di
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The boys!
Read: Wylanbriar Dog Blog on the website: Updated! 1st February 12´!
I think there are several reasons why people use handlers.
Some people take more than one dog to show, so need another pair of hands. Some are too nervous to get the best out of their dog. Some are inexperienced in the ring. Some dogs just go better for someone else.
Handlers are after all professionals, so should know how to give the dog the very best chance of winning......And for a lot of people that is what it's all about... *winning*.
very few people do not show their own dogs. Nervous ort not. And some people take 3, 5, 6 dogs to a show and the rings just have to wait for them.
Its something having someone move your dog for you because you are old and 'can't run so well these days' but these are paid full time professional handlers who demand a lot of money and usually walk to the front of the queue for various reasons.
Its a sickening trend into showing. I've watched it in the States for years and years increase and increase and it means the rich can huire handlers and win, normal people can't, and often don't.
Please god our judges see through this trend here because they don't in the states and its rare as hens teeth for someone to owner handler their own dog in the shoring.
Di
____________
The boys!
Read: Wylanbriar Dog Blog on the website: Updated! 1st February 12´!
Oh there are no professional handlers in our breed yet thank god. Generally speaking they are in mostly the 'camp, coated' breeds, many of the toy breeds and the smaller heavily coated breeds for reasons that so many of the professional handlers appear to be gay men for some reason. Not being sexist, just somehow it is true having watched several shows in the United States.
Please know, NO LABRADOR is professaionlly handled yet. If this trend beomes as common here as it is in the States I feel that strongly about it I would pick a date and never show again, and I really mean that.
Di
____________
The boys!
Read: Wylanbriar Dog Blog on the website: Updated! 1st February 12´!
Oh there are no professional handlers in our breed yet thank god. Generally speaking they are in mostly the 'camp, coated' breeds, many of the toy breeds and the smaller heavily coated breeds
Di
Thank god for that! When i was watching last night and they showed the best in show with his 2 handlers, my first reaction was that's not a dog, it's a trophy, how very sad, i wonder if Willy is allowed to be a dog or not.
He did look very nice, but i just thought it was very sad!
Sadly I doubt he is, BUT that said they retire these top winning dogs very young, so probably AFTER that he will have more coat removed and allowed to relax a bit
Di
____________
The boys!
Read: Wylanbriar Dog Blog on the website: Updated! 1st February 12´!
It's not only in the show ring in America. Very few working dogs are trained by their owner, and most are run in trials by a professional trainer/handler who turns up at a trial with a trailer with something like 20 dogs in it!
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) and american. I couldn't believe 'Wonderful Willy', or whatever his name was, had an entourage of 2 very camp men that pampered and preened him all day! I'd love to lend them Boomer for the day and watch them despair 
