THE OWNER HANDLER
KATIE CECILIO
1. When were you first introduced to the sport of purebred dogs? To your breed? I’ve been into purebred dogs as an intense interest since I was twelve years old. I was actually a registered junior handler, but never got to do anything with it. I knew Bedlington Ter- riers existed for a long time before getting one, and even knew a few that belonged to my sister’s friend’s family. It wasn’t until I became a professional groomer, many years later, that I settled on them as the first breed of dog I would own as an adult. I finally got my start in 2018 after purchasing my first Bedlington Terrier puppy earlier that year. Three Bedlingtons later, you could say that I’m hooked! 2. How many years in dogs? How many as an Owner Handler? I’ve been involved in the fancy for almost four years, all of those as an Owner Handler! 3. Do you attend show handling classes? Have you attended any handling seminars? Before COVID began, I attended handling classes semi-regu- larly, fitting them in between college and work. I haven’t been to any since, but now that my schedule has allowed for the time, I plan to go back! Nothing can replace the real thing, but classes have been very helpful in developing and fine- tuning my skills. 4. Have you found virtual learning tools to be helpful? Classes? Videos? Websites? Social Media? I have learned a good deal of theory from online sources. Social media gives me the chance to expose myself to dif- ferent techniques, pieces of advice and the like from other exhibitors. Ultimately, I run any new ideas by my mentors or experienced friends, but being exposed to new ideas gives me more tools to address new challenges. 5. Do you compete in the National Owner-Handled Series? Are rankings important to you? Whenever it’s offered, I check the box on my entries. I do my best to reach, increase, and maintain my ranking, but I try not to lose any sleep over it! 6. In which class(es) are you most likely to enter your dog(s)? Why? Once a given dog ages out of the 9-12 Month Class, I opt to enter them in the Open Class. In my breed, I have been advised that they will receive the best possible consideration for Winners Dog/Bitch this way.
“I HAVE LEARNED A GOOD DEAL OF THEORY FROM ONLINE SOURCES. SOCIAL MEDIA GIVES ME THE CHANCE TO EXPOSE MYSELF TO DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES, PIECES OF ADVICE AND THE LIKE FROM OTHER EXHIBITORS.”
170 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, MAY 2022
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