I have a dilema. My 12 year old daughter is now using my young bitch for junior handling, they are doing very well and Millie is really responding to her new handling requirements. Today was our breed club champ show. Millie needs just 3 points for her junior warrant and the judge had recently placed her 4th out of 26 in a stakes class at birmingham so I was quietly confident ( as much as you can be in showing!!!!) The trouble was it was very hot and it ended up that junior handling was on just 20 mins before Millie went in for her breed class. I was not keen for Millie to do both but felt it would be unfair on my daughter if I withdrew her. The trouble was the dogs were listed in the entry as well as the handler so didn't feel we could swop. Anyway, I let her go in and even with wet blankets, spray and plenty of water, by the time it was my turn, Millie was just too hot and ran around like a sack of potatoes!! She was placed 4th! So, when you haven't got an abundance of dogs to choose from how do you get the balance right between junior and breed class. I don't want to deter my daughter but feel frustrated that I wasted an opportunity. I know there was no guarentees even if she had been fresh in the ring but at least I know I would have given it my best shot. So any thoughts on how I manage this in the future????????

At 12 would she understand the importance of being fresh in the ring and the junior warrant points ? maybe she would understand?  I remember as a kid showing one of the familys Afghans in the Richmond semi finals in the pouring rain then having to take a wet dog into open in the breed class.  I had to explain to the judge we had been in the junior handling class outside - I think we ended up with 5th out of 5 !!!

How many more shows do you have to obtain these points? Are they Ch points or open as well?

Does your daughter also take the dog into the breed classes? my eldest is 14 and has been showing our boy since he was 9 months old (now 3 years) and our 13 month old since she was 6 months, i find this way if it is too hot or the classes clash my daughter understands that the breed class is a little more important than a jh class, so far we have been lucky if we are lucky enough to do well in the breed class she usually takes the other dog into the junior handeling, i know it is sometimes hard to say no to your child as a i think the jh classes are great for kids, but they also need to understand the importance of the breed classes and maybe letting her take the dog into the breed may help this a little, that way if she does well in the class and gets the needed point they feel they have help in some way to get a title like a junior warrant and so missing the odd class here and there is not such a big deal

> How many more shows do you have to obtain these points? Are they Ch points or open as well?

I have plenty of time to get the points, Millie is only 13 months old and they can be either type, I know I will get there, its just that, after junior warrant, it will be something else, show certificate of merit, we have already discussed the priority between junior and group as this has happened several times before, then I have to deal with sulky teenager!!!! lol

> Does your daughter also take the dog into the breed classes?

She can but then, what would I show!!! Its my hobby as well and I love to show so don't want to give that up. Amy knows that the handling today was one class too many so , I think until we get the points we will have to agree that breed class comes first at the moment especially during the summer months!

Tricky........I have given over all responsibility to my 13 year old.
Sometimes the judges overlook the dog in favour of the 'professional looking man handler' and his dog. Just as when she is jH the judges over look skills in favour of the dog.
We have still had favourable critques about which we are happy.
But I am happy that part of my pleasure / hobby is as a team with my daughter. I show (nervously) if she is ill or away for any other reason (very rare).

Karen :)

Ok I'm just going to clear up afew things for you.

You can't let the dog go into JH and miss a breed class.

Despite being enterd with a dog you can change dogs for a handling class.  Quite often I enter with one dog and find a dog on the day.  For EOE Champ show a friend has enterd me but I'm hopeing to show a different dog.  Just remember when you take a different dog in you must still wear the number you are enterd with (as this is what s in the judges book)

Also I would expect your daughter to understand if one day you feel breed class is more important, especially for a young dog and you only want her to do the one class.  The dogs health and well being comes first ALWAYS and if it's hot sometimes handling will have to take a back seat until the next show.

It's difficult to balance handling and breed and hense why when I turned 8 and wanted to show in the breed classes aswell (that was the age you could join the KCJO (now YKC) and get points in breed!)  So my mum brought Dad another dog for him to show! :-D  Now we only have 1 showing/handling dog it's tempting to keep two pups from our litter as there's 3 of us who show and do adult handling...:-O

Good Post Ice Queen.  I am now, for the first time in my 20 year showing career encouraging my own little junior handler.  Yesterday she had to show a dog she wasn't used to as her usual dog was going in the challenge straight away afterwards and my hubby put his foot down!

I think it's a very good lesson for kids to learn (that life doesn't always go their way) and I am 100% all for junior handling, it makes me incredibly proud to watch her in the ring :-).  It's also very good for confidence as well as practice to go and ask to borrow someones dog, as I did a few times when I was a JH.  

I understand completely!  When my daughter was 9 years old she thought that her junior handling classes were more important and I thought that the breed classes should take priority.  So I bought her a 3 year old bitch from a very successful kennel for her 10th birthday to use in the handling classes and as they have to be entered in breed classes too she could make her own decision about priority.  She would beat me hands down, winning not only the handling classes but the breed classes too! :) :)  It took her 3 years but she made her bitch up and she was the foundation for our line. :)

Thanks for your posts. Since another dog for her is not feasable at the moment it will have to be tough love lol Breed before junior handling if weather is too hot. Another show, I will just find her another dog, it all happened too quickly this time and I just didn't react to my gut feeling!