Dogs I have had the pleasure of Handling

In the U.K. the vast majority of exhibitors are owner/exhibitors, professional handlers are in a minority. However, in some breed and by some people they are frowned upon. It is a peculiarity that one can be a perfectly regular and accepted breeder/exhibitor but  looked upon in a less than accepted light if one exhibits someone else's animal. I have done both and often in tandem and the thrills and spills are exactly the same, whether handling others dog or my own. I think that the attitude of some is unfortunate and detrimental to the world of dogs. In my very formative years I spent many hours watching, talking with and silently taking in, all that the pro-handlers could teach. What could be learned in half an hour with them was worth a thousand seminars. People like the lates; Teddy Clarke, Fred Sills, Herbert Atlinson, Albert Langley & Frank Kellett plus others like Vincent Mitchell & Ernie Sharpe have forgotten more than most will ever know.

As I have said before in another place, handlers have an important role to play in our world of dogs. I often wonder how many top class dogs would have been consigned to the "also ran" category through lack of know-how and expertise if it were not for a good handler. I know that I for one have made up some top class exhibits who, for a variety of reasons, were struggling and who have gone on, not only to take a place in history, but also to further the breed with their bloodlines.

Quite by chance, with no preconception I became a "professional handler" in 1986. I had just shown Ch Cregneash Candytuft to win Open Dog and the RCC under Miss F.M.C. Cook at Three Counties 1996 and he was retiring that day.

Watching the bitch classes my eye was taken by, what looked from the ringside, as a rather nice one. When the owner came out of the ring we got into conversation along the lines of what could be done to improve the bitch's chances of success and someone in the group jokingly suggested I show her. Having just retired one dog, it seemed like a good idea. The owners, Heather Cery along with mum and dad Dave & Linda Thomas were keen, so after further discussion that's what happened, Ch Ashgate Donna became my first handled dog. I never really considered myself to be a full time pro-handler and continued to show my own dogs alongside the handled ones. Any serious pro-handling was really confined to just two years 1987 & 1989, when I was fortunate to be the breeds top handler, making up two champions in each of those years .

Over the years I have shown many breeds for their owners, not only professionally, just for the fun of it including most of the terrier group, Dachshunds,  Beagles, Pugs, Ibizan Hounds, in fact almost anything and having successes in each.

Here are some of the dogs I have had the pleasure of handling: (click on selection in the menu)