ARACELI ECHAVARRIA THE BREEDER/OWNER HANDLER
1. How were you first introduced to the sport of purebred dogs? To your breed? My husband was looking for something to do with our sons. Hunting is a big deal in Texas, and we love dogs, so we started to research for dogs we could take hunting. In our search, we ran into a beautiful video of the Dogo Argentino breed, work- ing together, hunting with their family. We were immediately enamored with the majestic breed and, as we researched more on it, we realized that they would be a great fit for our family. We looked for the right fit for us. It was important that we found not only dogs that would do the job, and came from a great line, but that they had the temperament to do their job and to be part of our family. And we found just that. We have been very blessed to have not only started with amazing dogs that had great temperament, form, and function, we have also been able to breed that as well. 2. How many years in dogs? How many as an Owner Handler? As a Breeder? We have been in the Dogo Argentino breed for almost seven years and I started showing them immediately as an Owner Handler. The pandemic put a little hold on our breeding pro- gram, so we bred our first litter in 2021. 3. Do you attend show handling classes? Have you attended in-per- son handling seminars? I have attended a few show handling classes when I have vis- ited friends in Texas. Unfortunately, there are no handling classes anywhere near where I live. The nearest AKC club is three hours away, so that has made it very difficult for me to be involved in classes and seminars. 4. Have you found virtual learning tools to be helpful? Videos? Web- sites? Social Media? AKC Canine College? When I first started showing I would watch a lot of videos on handling, but I am very much a hands-on learner. So, I reached out to people I would meet at shows to teach me how to handle. It has been beautiful to meet other Owner Handlers who have handled dogs for way longer than I and have taken the time to teach me what they know. Some of them have become great friends and we not only enjoy showing together, we also enjoy celebrating each other’s accomplishments!
5. Do you compete in the National Owner-Handled Series? Are rankings important to you? I do compete in NOHS. My female is currently ranked No. 4 and she is the No. 1 female. This year will be my first year competing in Florida’s NOHS. We are very excited about that! 6. How important is the Bred-By Class to you? How important are Specialties? Bred-By has been on the back of my mind throughout my jour- ney… although it is such a great honor to have a dog win BOB at Westminster. I sometimes focus on the fact that I am the owner handling the dog that I forget I also bred the dog. That is a point I am reminded of sometimes when the judge asks me about the dog and where she came from! Specialties are amazing! Our breed is very young as an AKC breed, but a Specialty will still bring out numbers that we don’t normally see at regular shows. So, compet- ing in Specialties is always exciting.
“IT HAS BEEN BEAUTIFUL TO MEET OTHER OWNER HANDLERS WHO HAVE HANDLED DOGS FOR WAY LONGER THAN I AND HAVE TAKEN THE TIME TO TEACH ME WHAT THEY KNOW.”
SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, FEBRUARY 2024 | 169
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