.com Forum · Real Show Dogs

Ok so everyone knows, I'm trying to find a handler to assist after high school. I've contacted over 35 people, only 5 or 6 responses, only 3 which have said maybe. But my main concern is my pets.... All 3 of these people seem very nice and are willing to meet me at a show and let me work with them. I must be live-in and they know that but my issue..... my dogs....

1 of the REALLY good handlers that I think would be the best person to work with and that I earn the most experience under since she works this full time and attends shows every weekend, top dogs ect... says I can only bring one dog... As you all know I have 2, getting a 3rd in the summer... WELLL... I KNOW THERE IS NO WAY I can leave Dasota behind... But what about Coal? Ill just have to hold off on a puppy next year... but im afraid to leave him behind with my disabled family....

1 of the other ladies has been in dogs for 10 years and some some decent dogs. She attends shows 2 or 3 times a month and works a full time job as a vet tech. She will let me bring all my dogs but shes not as notable as this other woman...

the last lady has not contacted me and is always very busy. If she said I could live in and take my dogs, Id choose her in a heartbeat because she specializes in the breed I want to get next year.

I had many people; tell me that what I wanted was probably never going to happen and was unrealistic.... I already know this but you never know...

I don't plan to take my dogs on the road with me... Coal will be shaved down as soon as I start to travel and... I guess not show anymore for a while...Id love to take Dasota with me but I know that's not going to happen because of room and stuff...

I'm starting to lose hope and everything just seems so difficult... I've literally gotten to the point where I ask handlers and breeders so many questions, that they end up telling me to do research and contact them next year or something..

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Last edited by Beach Dunes on 8/24/2014 6:49:31 PM

I'm not going to sugar coat this. You can't always get everything you want. You will have to make sacrifices for your career, what ever that ends up being.

If you really want to be a professional handler you should assist/apprentice with a professional handler . Only another professional will have the knowledge, experience and connections you will need to go professional yourself.

Of course, you could start with a hobbyist until you have the skill/experience to be able to get in with a professional handler you greatly admire. But that is going to mean a longer time learning.

grif,

The second woman is registered as a professional handler by the akc. Im just not sure If I can handle leaving my dogs... I would give a know ything else up but they are all I have thats important to me.

Im also not sure if going by results is a good thing either. The 1st woman handler cockers so shes mostly always in the top, plus she has a couple of campaign dogs, but the 2nd woman has less common breeds that dont win as much.... t he 3rd woman only shows one breed but its my breed of choice.

It's not an easy life or career, but if you really want it...
- go with the most successful and ethical handler you can find
- wait to get another puppy - many things will change over the next few years
- be willing to give up everything while you are learning to art of professional handling


Good luck - this was once my plan too but I just couldn't give up all that I had to in order to be a full time handler. Many years later, I am very glad it didn't work out

Let us know how it works out!
K

The very first thing you should realize about being a Pro is: the client's dogs come FIRST! ALWAYS!
I don't know how they do it in the US but I do know here in Canada that the TOP Pro's will only consider taking on an "apprentice" in very rare cases if they are adults.
They will usually take on a Junior handler that shows they are serious by having shown a lot and assisting anyone they can (hanging around the rings),hanging around the Pro's setups to watch them groom etc.
Also Jr's cannot be paid in cash. They also get to do all the grunt work,exercising the dogs, cleaning up, doing the running from rings to setup and back.
The great thing is the Jr's get expose to a lot of breeds, will get to handle them in Jr's and get their "faces" out there.
If they are traveling with the Pro they never take their own dog's. That only happens if they are with parents who are already in the show scene and only helping the Pro at the show.
I don't know your situation ( adult vs jr )but if you're serious about this being a career for you, then you may have to put your own showing on hold for the sake of learning all you can.
It is a very competitive business! And it IS a business not a hobby for a Pro.

Just my two cents...first of all, to poster above me, juniors can get paid in cash. Just not for handling a dog. They get paid for everything else.

To the OP, I've been working for professional handlers for 4 years now and luckily they've always allowed me to bring my dog on the road as long as there is room. She was also shown at every show we went to. (I don't think it's fair to any dog to sit in a crate all weekend. Being on the road is hard enough) I never expected this when I first started working but it was a nice surprise. NEVER would I have even thought to ask about bringing more than one dog. Your job as an assistant is to take care of the CLIENTS, not to babysit your own dogs. It's rough but it is what it is and it's soo worth it. As long as you have a good mentor the information you learn is priceless.

oops. should have specified ' not paid in cash for handling'. My bad.
And I should I know as I started out as a Jr a very very very long time ago. lol

Not to rain on anyone's parade, but it has always been my view that being a pro handler is rather like show business - there are a lot of folks hoping to get into it but only a relatively few actually make a decent living from handling exclusively.

I hope Beach Dunes, that you have a backup plan. Finish high school, get some secondary education, a job, get your own show dog, and practise. Offer to help those around you whoever they are - breeders, handlers, someone greener than you are even - you can learn a lot by teaching others. When you get good, offer to handle for the folks around you - free at first if you have to. Build your skills and career gradually.

I'd be afraid that you might wind up as an underpaid, overworked indentured live-in slave. I'm sure there are good "situations" of this sort around and I hope you can find one, but be careful!

I work overtime at Mcdonalds till 3am almost everynight, im already an overworked slave (;

But in all seriousness, I unserstand what you are saying, however, school is not an option for me due to medical reasons.

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posted by Beach Dunes
The second woman is registered as a professional handler by the akc. Im just not sure If I can handle leaving my dogs... I would give a know ything else up but they are all I have thats important to me.

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Being registered isn't the same. If you want to make a living at something you should work with someone who has succeeded at making a living at it because there is more to it than just being skilled -> you can be the best handler in the world but if you can only handle one client dog at a time you won't be making a living. Things like budgeting, advertising, contracts, insurance, how to pick the right shows balancing the needs of different dogs & different clients, etc...
People who do it as a hobby or to make a bit of extra money don't have the same pressures as people making a living at it.

Also remember it is a competitive field so for each requirement you have there will be dozens if not hundreds of others willing to forego that need for the same opportunity.

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posted by Beach Dunes
School is not an option for me due to medical reasons.

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You of course know your situation better than me but all the Universities/Colleges I know are willing to go to great lengths to ensure everyone with the intellectual ability can attend/succeed regardless of physical disability or medical issues.

grif,

Not sure how it is in your area, but most young people volunteer to travel with handlers at first (unpaid). Some of those who do well as volunteers may be paid a stipend. So don't give up McDonalds yet!

Also, when you are showing your own dog, schedule some time after the show to meet with handlers - when they see you are seriously showing your own dog in AKC, they may be more responsive. Handlers often teach show handling and that's a good way to get to know them (and for them to see you in action with your own dogs).

And have a back up plan (and yes it can still be in dogs)! Do you groom? That can be a great job for those who are good at it and enjoy it. Kennel work is also good experience and usually a paying job.

K

Who do you click with best? You're going to be spending so much time with this person, you need to get along or it won't last long!!
If you're set on getting an ess puppy- I would go with the ess lady. However if you're not sure, go with whomever you click best with. You have to enjoy handling and working for someone.

I started with a breeder, not an all breed handler, and it was still a great experience. Even though I was only grooming and handling one breed regularly, I got to handle so many different dogs. She also had many friends that were in other breeds that I got to help out. By the time I split away, I had brought in paying clients for her!
My next step was to work with an all breed handler, and again it was a great experience too. Grooming and handling more breeds. But I would never replace the breed specific knowledge I got from the breeder I worked with.

I'm not saying any of this to be mean, but this is a reality check. With your very limited experience (only 1 AKC show and only entered in Juniors) the best you can hope for as a new apprentice is to be taken on as as "kennel boy" to start. You will be walking and cleaning up after the dogs, carrying tons of heavy equipment, packing, setting up and taking down and repacking. You will probably be allowed to bath and blow dry the dogs and hold them at ringside but it will be a very busy day if you are actually allowed in the ring with one. You start before dawn and don't finish until the last dog is pottied at bedtime. It's not a life for the faint of heart ... long hours on your feet and many missed meals. If you have health problems that preclude you're ability to attend school, this probably isn't a job you are physically capable of continuing at for a long period. Perhaps you should start at a doggy daycare or boarding kennel to get an idea what it's like to deal with a lot of dogs 24/7 and the amount of work actually involved in just routine care.

I too had aspirations to become a handler and was a good enough Junior Handler to have lots of opportunities to show a variety of breeds at every show ... this was done for the experience NOT paid. The trips I took with a handler as a helper showed me what a hard life it is and I'm very happy that I continued on to University and another career. I still enjoy showing dogs and always help out friends and other breeders with their dogs. I really encourage you not to neglect your formal education and have a "back up plan"

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Last edited by Beach Dunes on 8/24/2014 6:14:21 PM

It's very kind of people to share their experiences honestly - especially when so many have been where you are and know that you won't want to hear the truth.

That said, you won't know unless you try!

Unfortunately, I have to echo most of everyone else's sentiments. I worked for professional handlers for over 5 years. I was allowed to bring ON E dog, the dog I showed in juniors, and I knew that I would never be allowed to bring more than that. Just bringing the one dog is a privilege, as handling is how pro handlers make money. The space that your dog/dogs takes up in the rig and at the kennel is essentially money out of their pockets, as it is space that could have been filled by client dogs. Client dogs ALWAYS come first. I missed juniors in several occasions, almost at the AKC/Eukanuba Championship (good thing I didn't, as I did pretty damn well!), and all of the client dogs always got pottied before mine.

Another bit of reality is that you probably won't get a job with a top handler without some more experience under your belt. I like someone else's suggestion of working at a kennel/doggy daycare to get some more experience, or helping a well-known breeder/owner at shows. It is a HARD lifestyle to work full-time for professional handlers, and you will have a LOT of responsibility- both in care of the dogs and making sure that they get to the ring.

Good luck. I truly do hope it works out for you! I started out in a hard place too (not the same situation as you, but still), and it did work out for me. I also echo what people have said about education. I had great aspirations of being a handler (I still know that I could be a successful one), but decided to get a Bachelor's as a backup plan (if you're a pro and become paralyzed- you're done), and I have now graduated and will be on to getting my Masters/Doctorate soon. Life works in mysterious ways- not always the way you imagined.

Ok, so perhaps I choose to go to a nice handler that allows me 1 dog? What should I do with my other dog? The one I would pick first to take would not be shown, she's a rescue. What do I do with Coal, My poodle I show in juniors? I know I would have to give up juniors and I wasn't planning on showing him while traveling anyways. But what do I do with him?

Also I just want to let everyone know that I know I have to work super hard, Ive talked to so many people and have done so much research that I KNOW I will get treated like garbage. I may be unrealistic in wanting to bring my dogs but I am realistic as far as what I will be doing and how I'm going to be treated. I work for anyone I can at this point when I go to shows. I've even worked with a fellow SD'er a little.

I know I haven't been to many shows but I feel that I know a lot, especially because all the big juniors out there have GCH quality dogs who are wash and wear when I have a Puppy novice dog who takes careful grooming which I'm still learning. Honestly I think I'm pretty good since I learned everything by myself, no classes, no mentors, nothing other than books and videos.

I know no ones trying to talk me out of it but I REFUSE to give up. My back up plan is grooming but that's not my first choice. And again, school is no option for me in any soon period. Maybe in 10 years... But not now. Complicated situation.

BTW I want to point out that I'm not trying to be mean to anyone. I can sometimes take frustration out on people >_>

I don't know much about your situation, but have you thought about working for a handler while living at home? They either pick you up on the way to the show/you go to their house before leaving for the show/you catch a ride with someone to the show, and then your dogs can stay at home? That's what I ended up doing. This way you could bring your dog for juniors and your other dogs would be at home while you were away for the weekends. Just a thought!

Also, I want to say something. While you will start out on the bottom, you should not expect to be treated like garbage. You should be paid fairly for your work (even if it isn't much in the beginning), have decent meals (although they won't be when you normally eat), have a safe living situation, etc. You should be treated fairly. I have seen some handlers treat their assistants like garbage- and that is NOT okay. You should never tolerate that. You will not learn how to be a successful handler in that environment, you will learn how not to be one.

I see what you're saying Lumen. Would that pay off though? The gas that is. Id rather do that but the traveling part is what stops me form going out. I really have NO clue what the ranger of pay is for assistants since I've never really cared.

So lets say there was a 2 day show. Sat & Sun

So I could stay at home/work Mon-Wed, Travel to the handlers house on Thursday, leave with them on Friday finish the weekend and repeat? Its a lot of traveling but I do get to keep my dogs...

Honestly I have no idea what is considered being treated well and not since I've only ever had 2 jobs. 1 not being official.

*Edit: Typos

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Last edited by Beach Dunes on 8/24/2014 7:11:07 PM

It's what I did for 5+ years. My handlers lived 45 minutes north of me, and since 95% of the shows were south of us, we would meet up at a gas station, and they'd just take me. Or I'd come up to their house on Friday before we left for the show.

I would say a starting pay would be ~$50 a day. All of your food and lodging costs should be covered by your handler as well. After a couple of years you should be in the $75/day area. It really, and I mean, REALLY ranges depending on the handler though. I worked for one handler who paid me $150/day when I was still in juniors.