Canine Experiences and Expectations
By: Sara Weise

At the age of seventeen, my childhood is beginning to fade into memory and my adult life is only around the corner. One of the chief highlights of my past is, unquestionably, my participation in the fancy. My passion for showing in the world of purebred dogs is the only thing that can persuade me to wake up at five o'clock several Saturday mornings of every month, sit through a day of snow and high winds at an October agility trial, and spend a major portion of my spending cash on show entry fees.

My interest in AKC dog shows began after two exiting years of 4-H fun matches with my adolescent Rottweiler, Carl. Once we graduated from the 4-H Beginner class and were well through Novice, Carl and I attempted our first AKC Obedience title. To my delight, Carl quickly earned his CD. When I found a club that could help us with more advanced training, I meticulously worked Carl through the Open and Utility exercises. After earning his CDX, Carl surprised me by finishing his UD in three straight shows. Encouraged by the support I received from my family, as well as my training buddies, Carl has made it halfway to the elusive UDX. While we work towards the second half of the UDX, Carl is always happy to take a break and practice agility. Despite the people who have told me “Rottweilers can’t do agility,” Carl has made it to the third level of competition and is working on his Excellent titles.

Over the years Carl has won almost a dozen titles and hundreds of ribbons. In retrospect, I can clearly see that dog shows have given me much more than the ribbons hanging on the wall and the title certificates I receive in the mail. There are many benefits that reach beyond the show ring. I have learned good sportsmanship through showing, self-discipline through training, and leadership skills through teaching. Additionally, I have made many friends from the dog world who I otherwise would not have had the honor of knowing. Training and trialing dogs have been the focal points of my teenage years. Through the weekend after weekend of obedience trials and night of training classes, the fancy has helped me grow up.

As I look ahead to the next few years of my life, I hope I will always have a dog at my side and a show on the calendar. Obedience and agility trials have become a part of my life that I will not easily give up. It would be very exciting to incorporate the dog world into my plans for becoming a journalist. I would like to see the perks of dog shows become every-day knowledge to the general public. I anticipate that as a journalist, I might accomplish a small piece of this. I am always looking for new converts to the wonderful world of dog shows.

When I am too old for the designation of “junior handler,” I will always be sure to support the young people in the sport. Encouragement from fellow competitors was the very thing that convinced me to continue training and showing. It is the outstanding people of the dog world that make it interesting and enjoyable. I will forever be in debt to the fancy and its participants (human and canine) for the hours of ringside and crate-side entertainment, the life lessons learned, and the friendships made. There are few places I would rather be than at a dog show.