Page 99 - K9News_Issue12_July2020

Our family had always had Dobermanns, however they
were far too strong for an 8 year old to use in Junior
Handling, so we downsized to a Miniature Pinscher and
here we are 16 years later. I am now an owner, breeder &
judge of this delightful breed.
I began showing my first Min Pin, Scooby, in August 2002,
he was a bigger dog, however he still managed to claim
his Stud Book Number. He taught me a lot about this breed
which I am still learning about to this day. We travelled the
country together competing in Junior Handling Association
& Young Kennel Club classes and we had some great
success. Throughout my Junior Handling career, I placed
at Richmond Semi Finals every year, normally being the
only boy in the Toy category, however I was never lucky
enough to win. In 2009, I made up my first champion aged
just 13 which back then was a great achievement as I felt
some judges wouldn’t “put up a kid” in breed competition,
thankfully these days that does not seem to be the case
and judges will reward the best dog.
In 2008, aged 13 I had my first breed judging appointment
and 10 years later I awarded my first set of Challenge
Certificates. I have also judged Junior Handling classes
at all levels. I have bred two litters with the guidance of some of the breed experts who are
always willing to help and give advice.
The Min Pin is a very alert breed, always on the look out to cause trouble. They are very
loyal too and a joy to live with. I can’t imagine my house without one or two! However, Min
Pins are not exactly the easiest of breeds to show and require quite a lot of work & patience.
Min Pins are not statues and should show character in the ring. It can be frustrating when
you are in a JHA class stood next to a handler with a Cavalier stood like a statue and your
Min Pin is too busy sniffing the floor (I’ve been there!). This is just the breed all over. Back
then, I would have trained probably once a week, however now I aim to train my dogs as
often as I can, about 10-15 minutes each time. This will help keep their attention and will stop
them becoming bored.
We are lucky that Min Pins are a short-coated breed so do not require grooming. When in
the ring, I try to put the dog on the table at the last minute, this means you can quickly set
the dog up in time for the judge to turn round. I tend to stack the dog and bring the collar up
so it is between the ears and I also hold the tail. This will give you full control of your fidgety
Min Pin on the table. I did find “shadowing” quite difficult with a Min Pin as mentioned before
they do not stand still for long.
On the move, the judge is looking for a hackney action on your Min Pin, so you do not
want to be racing around the ring, walk at a slow pace so the judge can see this, again it is
probably best to string the dog up but not too tightly as this will cause the dog to choke.
My advice should you wish to do Junior Handling with a Min Pin is be prepared to put a lot of
work in, don’t get too frustrated as this will go down the lead and they will completely ignore
you, talk to other Junior Handlers and people in the breed and ask for their advice.
Dom Santoriello

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K9 NEWS DIGITAL / JULY 2020