Hi I was wondering if any of you would or does use a Show Handler. I personally would not as I go to shows to enjoy and have fun with my dogs. IMO If people have to use a handler they have far to many dogs. Whats you opinions

I'm on the fence on this one 'cos one of my nieces wants to be a professional handler.

I can see what you mean though - why pay someone to do something when you can do it yourself and have fun? However, I can also see reasons where professional handlers are necessary - for example, if the owner is disabled or otherwise unable to exhibit their dog, or someone has two dogs they want to show in the same class, or sometimes a dog misbehaves with the owner but does not misbehave wth a handler, or for someone who is just learning how to exhibit. Sadly, however, I have to admit that the reason most people use professional handlers is that the judge will recognise the face at the end of the lead!

Thanks Spellweaver a lot of good points for. My opinions were based on the amount of Crested people in America that I speak to who use Handlers, there is nothing wrong with them to stop them showing their own dogs and always thought Why use handlers I feel they only breed the dogs, they are not involving themselves in any way re training etc... But they class themselves as Show People

Like me!!! I can see why they can be useful because although once I know what I'm doing I'd like to be involved as much as possible in showing Jayjay I just won't have the time to take him to every show, so I'll need someone to show him when I can't.

From what I understand of the show scene in America (and bear in mind it's only what I've been told; I've never been!) showing there is vastly different from here. Just about everyone uses professional handlers - it's a big business over there; handlers are the "stars" and they have their own assistants! Owners send their dogs to the handlers for training, and in most cases the dogs actually live with the handlers (and not their owners) for the show season. Sometimes the handlers won't even let the owners attend shows because it upsets the dogs.

Humm, i will handle friends dogs for them if they have a good enough reason and will probably be taking one of the pups to a few shows for experience before her owner takes her as i have been asked but apart from Will and another young girl who occasionally comes with me to shows I'm on my own

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heh heh - wait until you see the list of shows I have lined up for you .....

I dont use a handler on my dogs but I have handled for other people and so has hubby - neither of us have ever done it for money - just favours - sometimes a friend who has 2 breeds and the classes clash - so she needs someone to handle one of them. I dont have a problem with handlers - but in America it seems most dogs have handlers - it kinda takes the fun outta it for me but if I had both my girls entered and both ended up against each other and hubby wasnt there then I would have a friend handle 1 of them for me. I do know a couple of handlers in the UK but cannot see me ever using them

I have never shown a dog or any other animal in my life so I am only having a guess why someone would use a handler as opposed to doing it themselves. Pople own race horses for instance but they don't necessarily ride them themselves - they employ skilled jockeys. Jockeys with the knowledge skill etc.

May be similar with dogs - not all dog handlers will have the skill or knowledge perhaps to show and handle their dog.

You have got that more or less right - in the States it is a great acheivement to show and win as an owner/breeder, one of the dogs that was with us is now 4 and has only ever spent a week of his life with his owner!! But most of the dogs that we had on the truck were dropped off at the start of the show season and then picked up at the end of the season. It is a different way of life over there and the shows are very very different from the shows in the UK I had the pleasure of handling many breeds whilst there and the professional handlers also 'borrow' handlers off one another (hope that makes sense). The dogs are bathed and blow dried everyday before going in the ring and the morning starts at about 5.30 am with the exercising and feeding of the dogs and ends at about 10 at night after all the dogs have been exercised again before going back on the truck for the night.

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