THE OWNER HANDLER: JANET WEERTS
6. Who have been your mentor(s) as an Owner Handler? In the earlier days, primary resources were mentors, period. I was fortunate with my past mentor in Shelties to learn from Sharlene DeFee (Shu La Le), truly one of the all-time “greats” in breeding, grooming, and presenting the breed. And in recent times, I am MOST fortunate to be entrusted with an outstanding young male bred by Susan Thibodeaux of Kallmee Toy Fox Terriers and to receive her continued guidance (and friendship) in the training and presentation of “Dickens.” 7. What are the benefits of competing with your breed(s) as an Owner Handler? From the very (Sheltie) beginning, ALL have been owner- handled because, for me, it has always been the joy of par- ticipating together with my dog in (various) competitive venues. 8. How are you encouraging new exhibitors to participate in the sport? While I myself am a “restarted/new” exhibitor, I make a conscious effort to be supportive of those just starting out or struggling. Good sportsmanship must include kindness to others. 9. Are there any suggestions you’d like to pass along about the pre- sentation of your breed(s). While a member of the Toy Group, the Toy Fox TERRIER is truly a pint-sized terrier, complete with high prey drive and comparable high intelligence, which is always entertain- ing but occasionally quite challenging from a handling per- spective! For these reasons, I am of the opinion that correct presentation should never ignore the lively, sometimes feisty, character of the breed but rather embrace those differences that set the Toy Fox apart from most of the other Toys. TFTs are not by nature a “statue-stack breed,” staring at length at a piece of food! (And I wouldn’t have it any other way!) 10. What are your goals as an Owner Handler? Is there a victory that has eluded you? My current goals are to continue enjoying competition with my youngster and I’m hoping to add a promising new hope- ful in the near future. Dickens was recently awarded an OH Reserve BIS in Ocala, Florida, so I guess OH BIS has “eluded” us! 11. Is there a funny story that you can share about your experiences as an Owner Handler? Dickens lives up to his name both inside and outside the ring, so to single out ONE story is difficult! He is very fond of lovingly nibbling on one’s attire (both mine and others) and I recently caught him JUST IN TIME as he selected a judge’s long, filmy sleeve for his “attention!” I have always been strictly an Owner Handler because, for me, that is the joy in the sport of purebred dogs—having fun together!
“WHILE I MYSELF AM A ‘RESTARTED/NEW’ EXHIBITOR, I MAKE A CONSCIOUS EFFORT TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF THOSE JUST STARTING OUT OR STRUGGLING. GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP MUST INCLUDE KINDNESS TO OTHERS... I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN STRICTLY AN OWNER HANDLER BECAUSE, FOR ME, THAT IS THE JOY IN THE SPORT OF DOGS— HAVING FUN TOGETHER!”
138 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, MARCH 2024
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