A JUNIOR’S JOURNAL: AUDREY BOYER
12. Have you bred or co-bred a litter? If so, can you share what you’ve learned from the experience? I have not; however, we own a stud dog. It’s been really cool to watch puppies being born, watch them grow up, and show and finish their AKC Championships. We got Yoshi from Disco’s first litter. It was so amazing to see them grow up, stack them (Jell-O on chopsticks), and be there for the grading. I learned how to compare puppies to the Breed Standard—as compared to the adults. Disco (Diamond’s sire) has produced eight, almost nine, bench champions in just a few litters. We hope he will get his ROM. At some point, if Juno proves herself in the ring, and with OFA testing, we may breed her, but that won’t be for a long time. 13. With so many “low entry” breeds, what are your thoughts on breed preservation? With several breeds being found as rare nowadays, I feel that breed preservation is important and people in the dog world should want to teach others about said breed to invite more people in and keep the breed going. I have met some really good breed ambassadors (like my friends in Kuvasz and Shikoku). They use every opportunity to talk to people about their breeds and it’s so informative. We have to be careful to take care of our rare breeds. It’s like the endangered species on this planet. We have to be their protectors or we will lose them. 14. Are there any breeds that you would love to show but haven’t shown yet? I have always wanted to show a Dogue de Bordeaux due to their super- unique look. They seem like they would be fun and goofy, but still a powerful breed. I would love to learn to handle more Working breeds. 15. If you could choose only one breed to live with forever, which breed would it be and why? This is a really hard question for me! There are so many breeds that I love, and lots that I want to get to know. I think I can say that I do like living with medium-sized dogs. I can comfortably walk a couple at a time. And though I will probably (really) have multiple breeds, including Whippets, I am a little bit obsessed with the Shikoku. They are not an AKC breed (yet), but my understanding is that they have a hound-like temperament in a cute Shiba-like look. I really want to get one! (My mom only wants “naked” short-haired dogs in the house right now!) 16. Can you share a word or two about your relationship with your current dog? What does s/he mean to you? I live with Disco, Yoshi, and my new puppy, Juno. Juno is my little shadow. I feed her, she sleeps with me, I play with her, hike, and do just about everything with her. It makes me really happy that I get to show her in Juniors and practice all the things we’ve worked on. I don’t think I could imagine life without her. She’s as “spicy” as can be and she brings a lot of life and energy into our home. I have also been lucky to be part Diamond’s life. She is also a Disco daughter, so I feel an extra special connection with her. I’ve been showing her for the last year, but I’ve watched her grow up from a puppy. Diamond is such a sweet dog and she is such a happy girl. She wags her tail in the ring—it’s so cute! I also have been showing my other part-timers, which includes “Tyson” (the Bison!) the Red Doberman, “Gunner” the Borzoi, and “Banjo” the cute Boston Ter- rier. Banjo just about screams when she sees me walk up! I love that we all have a special connection in and out of the ring.
Audrey taking Juno in for the first time ever in Juniors (Juno 7 months old) and placing 4th out of 10 in Open Senior
17. What are your goals for the future? Do you see yourself continuing in the sport once you’ve aged-out? In the near future, I will be going to Westminster for my first time EVER! I’m so excited. I will be showing Diamond in Breed, and Juno in Juniors. I also want to see if I can help keep Diamond in the Top 20 for 2023. She’s been a very special dog for me to show, and I hope the judge will find us in such a beautiful lineup. This upcoming year, I want to see how far I can go with my puppy, Juno, in Juniors. I have been the only person to train her, so it will feel extra special. In a couple of years, I want to be able to take her to back Westminster to compete in the Breed ring. I know we can do it! When I age-out, I will have a lot more school ahead of me, but I will most definitely come out on the week- ends and show dogs for my mom and friends. Dogs will always be close to my heart and part of my life. 18. Is there a funny story that you can share about experi- ences as a Junior Handler? I would say my funniest story was about two years ago. I was showing Disco in the Owner-Handled Groups. We were inside a school gym with shiny wooden floors and there were NO mats. It was one of the days that was about 109 degrees outside, and everyone was using cool coats and spray bottles on their dogs. I’m sure you can guess what happened! I was doing my go-around and slipped on a wet patch and did the splits—but I didn’t go down! I caught myself with my front foot and DIDN’T SKIP A BEAT! I could hear my friends cheering for me for not “eating it!”
166 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, APRIL 2023
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