PROFESSIONAL HANDLER Q&A
facility, as well as working on things that were void of my attention due to all of our travels over the years. I have a portfolio of rental properties and they held strong through the pandemic. I feel strongly that each and every host club of the shows that I have attended have done an amazing job with procedure and proto- col in an effort to protect us at our events. Site Control, once again (as always!) has stepped up to the plate and has seamlessly helped the clubs to transition into the “New Normal.” I have always said that “Dog People” are so strong, hardy, resilient, and disciplined that we can handle anything thrown our way. My expectation for our sport moving forward is simple: We will find a way to get back to normal. We will find ways to work around any obstacles put before us. We will continue to breed, show, and judge (and everything in between). We will prevail! My clients, like me, have been very concerned about 2021 and how it will take shape. However, we all remain optimistic and will take each weekend as it comes, and try to make the best decisions for the career and for the safety of our dogs and ourselves. I plan to attend Westminster and Morris and Essex. I’m really looking forward to both and the shows surrounding them! The first thing I plan to do once the pandemic is behind us is to go visit my Dad and Stepmom—if not before! SHAWNA SWANSON I live in Glendale, Arizona. I have
Anything else I wish to share? God, please bless all whom we have lost this year and please help everyone to understand that we are all fighting battles that no one knows. GREG STRONG I am blessed to live in beautiful Easton, Maryland; an area where people go to vacation. I was born into dogs (my parents bred Afghans and Lhasa Apsos), but have shown dogs professionally for 36 years. I was a long-time member of the PHA, serving as Vice President for many of those years. When the AKC Registered Handlers Pro- gram was established I was eager to become a member. I am proud to conduct my business by the standards set forth by the program and help to contribute through the program towards the growth, continual education, and mentorship of the youth coming into our sport of dogs. I have mentored many young students in our sport and encourage all assistants to AKC Registered Handlers to become members of the AKC Registered Handlers Apprentice Program. I am proud to have Yoon Jung (Annie) Choi working with me as an AKC Registered Apprentice. Early in my career, I was a member of Talbot Kennel Club in Easton, Maryland. I felt an all-or-nothing level of participation. However, due to all the traveling to shows, I regretfully resigned from the club, feeling as though I wasn’t able to give it my full atten- tion and be a viable contributor. I have whelped and raised so many litters for my clients over the years, and have recently taken over (with breeding partner Peggy Cropsey) my late mother’s breeding program of Löwchens. Through it all I have become a Breeder of Merit. My interests/hobbies are simple. I enjoy boating, golfing, design and construction. I enjoy nature and the simplicity and relaxation of watching Bald Eagle, Great Blue Herons, and many other trea- sures of wildlife while relaxing on my deck. As a youngster in grade school, I worked for Sporting dog han- dler Diane Gerthoffer for many years. I was also an assistant groom- er in my mom’s grooming shop and, for several years, worked for a vet clinic. After high school, I ventured out to Southern California to work for the best Terrier handlers in our sport, Clay and Bergit Coady. The combined experiences (and a lot of trial and error) led me down a career path that I’m proud of. I don’t really call myself a “specialist” in any breed or Group— that is left to the Poodle experts. I do, however, take each breed I show very seriously and try to study that breed en route to finding the best way to trim and present each breed to its full potential. I have Best in Show winners from all seven Groups and find myself showing a lot of Terriers, Working, and Herding breeds. COVID-19 has had a huge negative impact not only for my business, but for all professional handlers, boarding, and grooming facilities as well. I own a well-established boarding, grooming, and training facility and, needless to say, it has suffered greatly. Our training portion of the business has done very well and grooming has held its own, but anything related to travel (boarding, day- care etc.) is basically nonexistent. The details, impact, and plan for recovery is immense and will take some time and a lot of strategic thought as the months (years) click on. I did not attend any shows from the first weekend in March to the third weekend in September. In October and November, we attended a normal amount of shows for us, but the shows we entered in December were all cancelled. I am very fortunate that, as of this writing, I have not had to supplement my income. Though I probably could have gone on unemployment, I felt that I didn’t really need to at this point and did not want to take advantage of the system as there were so many Americans who needed the help more than I did. I have focused on revamping/restructuring the policy and procedures within my
owned dogs all my adult life and got my first Rottweiler puppy in 1994. I got my first show dog (also a Rott- weiler) in 2003, and my first Pharaoh Hound in 2008. I started handling professionally (only a couple of dogs at first) in 2009. Am I a member of PHA or AKC
Registered Handlers Program? I am not; I do not have a kennel. Most of my clients are ringside dogs, so the professional handler programs don’t really fit with what I do. In which breed and all-breed clubs am I a member? I am a mem- ber of the American Rottweiler Club, the Pharaoh Hound Club of America, the Working Dog Club of Arizona, and the Phoenix Field & Obedience Club. Am I an AKC Breeder of Merit? Yes, I am. I have only bred one litter of Pharaoh Hounds (and only had four pups in the litter), but was able to meet all the requirements to become an AKC Breeder of Merit with that one litter. Do I have any hobbies or interests apart from purebred dogs? Most of my life revolves around dogs, but I do enjoy traveling, camping and, recently, started paddle boarding. With whom have I worked as an assistant? I got into dogs at a later age than most so, unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to work as an assistant. Instead, I am eternally grateful to all the profes- sional handlers who have offered me suggestions and taught me tips and tricks throughout the years. A few of the many who come to mind include Mari Lynn Davisson, Juliet Clendenon, and Stephen Cabral. Do I specialize in certain breeds or Groups? Since grooming is something I am still not an expert in, I tend to show breeds that don’t require extensive grooming. Although I’ve managed to finish dogs in six of the seven Groups and have earned Group placements in all sev- en Groups, I feel that my expertise is more in Sighthounds, Working breeds, and some Herding breeds. How has COVID-19 impacted my business this year? It has made things extremely difficult for me. I was used to traveling to shows at least three or four weekends each month, so having all the shows can- celed for almost four months was devastating.
192 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, DECEMBER 2020
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