Page 12 - K9 News - Issue 15 - March2021
P. 12
TAKING
T AKING
THE LEAD
THE LEAD
Photo: Samantha Webster By Andrea Keepence-Keyte
I suppose it was timely that in the last issue handler shows a rapport and is sympathetic to
of K9 NEWS we featured a look back at their charge this is what I am looking for. I am
adult handling. It was sadly announced that looking for good pattern work, straight lines and
the adult handling finals will be cancelled for well turned out handlers and dogs. There was
the foreseeable future by Anne Defaye on much discussion surrounding this due to the
Facebook. Hopefully this will not be the end of wording about handling competition.
the finals and the popularity of adult handling!
It is vitally important that we show our support From the YKC website: “YKC handling
for our corner of the dog showing fancy and competitions let members compete against one
continue to support classes once we are another to find out who is the best at showing
permitted to start showing again. their dog. The competition is held in exactly the
same format as a breed ring, but it isn’t the dog
Sadly, we are still witnessing shows being being judged, it’s you! The most important thing
cancelled or postponed, although there is to remember is: Never come between your dog
light at the end of this very long dark tunnel and the judge.” The bone of contention came
with the various vaccines being approved for because of the phrase “competition is held in
use. I am personally hopeful that we will see exactly the same format as a breed ring” and as
showing return in the autumn, I sadly don’t see it crossbreeds have no breed ring, how are they to
happening before then. be shown!?
A topic of interest, posted by Simon Parsons in The answer for me is very plain – I would expect
his “BEYOND THE DOG HOUSE” group, about a crossbreed to be shown in a manner fitting to
the American Kennel Club (AKC) proposing the dog. If you had a large mix for example, I
a pilot scheme, where junior handlers can be would not be expecting you to pop it on the table
permitted to use cross breed dogs in handing and the opposite would be true for a smaller
competition. There appears to be much outcry mix in that I would expect it to be on the table.
from our cousins across the pond, here in the If your crossbreed has physical attributes to the
UK it has been permitted to handle a crossbred dominant breed in the mix, I would expect the
dog in competition for a while now. dog to be shown in the way that that breed is
shown – for example, if the crossbreed looked
In the infancy of the adult handling qualifiers, predominantly like a Staffordshire bull terrier,
you could qualify at a companion show, I would expect it to be show as if it were a
and many did. It was not unusual to see a Staffordshire bull terrier.
crossbreed dog in the finals in the beginning.
Personally, I have no issue, handling In my opinion I feel that in a sport where we
competition is all about the handler and nothing need to encourage more people, especially
to do with the “quality” of the dog. As long as the young people, anything that offers a gateway
12
K9 NEWS DIGITAL / MARCH 2021
