My wee girl is great at clicker training the brutes and maybe its just 'me' and something i want to get my daughter involved in but how young can they be to show as a junior handler? I was thinking maybe age 10 and upwards?

For YKC  classes, handlers can be as young as 6 years old, I think it's the same for JHA too.

Dawn R.

I think you can start competing from age 6 :) But I've seen children even younger than that handling at companion shows, it nice to see kids getting involved so early.

Age six? as young as that? oh thats fantastic!!
My wee girl is disabled not badly but has limited mobility but enough to show our old gal (the more sensible one) i was thinking of putting them both into a companion show to get the experience.

Oh thanks thats really great info.

It depends on the dog.  Charlotte is 11 and still cant handle our dallies our puny 8 year old can handle the beagle.  I have seen a tiny girl with a huge dog. 

I have a tiny girl with a big dog !!!!!!!  Maybe the one you have seen. Luckily he is a fantastic dog and very biddable as Erin trains him and does agility and obedience with him . I have another big dog that she wouldn't attempt at the moment and he is completey different. Depends on the dog. 6 is the age the YKc starts from, unless you read SKC award cards that say 8 [they are behind the times!!!!]

I was in the ring at 3 with a boxer!!!!! :D (at companion shows!)

Started at 6 at open shows again with boxers and by 7 had a red and white setter and was handling rough collies aswell now and again!

At companion shows in my area we had a girl doing junior handling in a wheelchair.  She often got a good place. 

My daughter was 7 when she started showing.Although she still does the odd handling class she prefers the breed ring and as of last weekend took over showing my youngster as well as the older 2 boys....so now I'm redundant again!!!!! So go on....let her have a go...its a great feeling watching your child with your dog in the ring!
Archer

BUt Archer do you like being redundent?  Just sitting by the side of the ring, having a chat, not worrying about when the class is as your daughter is all prepared! :D

My grandad has taken the redundent postion and thourgly enjoys not having to do anything.  All he has to do is drive! :D

I first went in the ring age 4 at a companion show with an Afghan (im sure I had to say I was 6 though because that was the minimum age) I started showing in open / champ show JHA classes at 6 and I was then about the same height as my dog, you should go for it, I used to love it and the showing bug has stayed with me and im now 27

Ohhhhh...now thats the question Ice_queen! At times...yes.When she does a good job and I can look and see the reward for the hard work done...win or lose its great.When one of the boys makes life hard and she has a bad time I want nothing more than to walk in and take over or pull her and the dog out.In fact at LKA in 2003 she was in the ring with my oldest dog who as soon as he got in the ring decided he would glue his nose to the floor.She was only 9 and had no chance of getting an adult male elkhounds head up if he didn't want to.So before they were moved I ran and grabbed my jacket and asked the steward if I could ask the judge if I could take over.The judge agreed thankfully and my boy went on to win the limit class and get his first RCC.The only other time shes really had a problem was Crufts 2004 when handling a different dog but same problem.He started to play up half way through the class and she fell to pieces,....ending up in tears.It was her first ever time in the ring at Crufts and she then lost her confidence and refused to show for the next 5 months.
Archer