the way I would approach the business of dogs. I am truly grateful for all of it. Shows in those earlier times for me felt more family oriented. Exhibi- tors arrived in station wagons, which in those days our version of the dog show van, and now we laugh about how cheap the fuel was and how inexpensive the lodging was, those were fun times. The dog show people truly were my large extended family and still are to this day. My whole child- hood was all about dogs and the shows. Even when we weren’t at the shows we had a grooming shop that I worked at during the week after school. I did man- age to work in my school’s cross coun- try running competitions between dog show events. My family started with the Boxer breed, then also added Bulldogs and Boston Terriers later. I myself, co- owned Miniature Pinchers. Following
that, I bred Shetland Sheepdogs, Whip- pets and French Bulldogs. Shows back then were wonderful for young people. We learned responsibility for our dogs and good
sportsmanship. The kids or anyone aspiring to become a handler in those days were expected to apprentice under the handlers; it was hard work and absolutely no money was paid to the apprentice. We worked very hard and learned what we needed to maybe become handler if that’s what we chose to become one day. I feel that we had a better sense of community and camara- derie and seemed we were more aware of our fellow competitors. Times were a bit harder in some aspects and we would always lend a hand if one of us where stuck on the side of the road. It seems “SHOWS BACK THEN WERE WONDERFUL FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. WE LEARNED RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR DOGS AND GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP.”
92 • S how S ight M agazine , J anuary 2017
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