INTERVIEW WITH LEE WHITTIER / DOG SHOW MENTOR (DSM)
left: Lee Whittier announces the winner of a DSM t-shirt giveaway. above: At a DSM seminar, Lee asks a participant, “What did you miss to come here?”
higher standard than your brother-in-law who is doing you a favor. While we appreciate the support and advice from friends and family, and even our greater network, what we really need is a mentor who will take us as we are. There is value in a professional who doesn’t have a personal stake in whether or not we win, but is simply paid to do their best for us. Now, if we’re talking about breed mentors, that’s a whole different conver- sation. I have an entire diatribe about choosing breed mentors; whether they should or should not include your breeder, and how to tell which is which. That’s for another time! 3. Is it important for the owner handler to establish specific goals? Are the goals different depending on the experience level? Absolutely, it’s very important for all exhibitors to establish goals. They will be different depending on the experience level. Most first-graders have a goal to learn to read, but a high school student can be ready to tackle something a lot more complex—maybe even Shakespeare. You would not give a first-grader Shakespeare when they’re just learning to sound out a few words. So, the goal depends on each person’s current skill level and experience. Yes, we can aspire to win in the ring. However, with that said, it’s also neces- sary to know that there are steps to get there. In terms of goals, most of us are not starting at absolute zero, but we do need to have a destination in mind. Otherwise, how would we choose the best tools needed and the best route to get there? 4. Do owner handlers need to understand ring procedure from the judge’s perspective? What about that “two minutes per dog” timeframe? Whether owner handlers need to understand ring procedure from the judge’s perspective depends on the individual’s goals. If your goal is to learn how to simply show your dog, then you’re going to learn about judging pro- cedure through osmosis. As we know, it’s certainly possible to be in the ring for the first time, know absolutely nothing, and just follow the judge’s instruc- tions. Occasionally, those newbies win something. More often, they don’t. If your goal is to win and keep winning, then understanding ring proce- dure from the judge’s perspective is essential. As a judge, I have to stay on time. AKC expects experienced judges to judge at least 25 dogs per hour, which breaks down to 2.4 minutes per dog. This includes taking photos, marking our books, choosing Best Puppy or Veteran, any non-regular classes and, most recently, using hand sanitizer between each dog. This also means decisive decision-making—who’s winning what award— in less than two minutes! We are happy to welcome new people to the ring. It’s my personal pleasure to know it’s an exhibitor’s first time or someone has a new puppy that’s gleefully untrained. However, the extra time it takes to give additional instructions to someone who hasn’t been paying attention to
SHHHHH! Here’s a tip. Understanding the judge’s ring procedure is just one more way to make it easy for the judge to point to your dog.
that for those with some experience, particularly owner handlers, authentic information was missing about what judges were thinking. That was the seed that started Dog Show Mentor. It was in that moment that I appreciated “someone should do something” and that I could do something about this gap. I could take action in a way that would bring great joy to many as well as add significant value to our sport. So, I created a program that provides authentic information about what the judges are really looking for, how decisions are really made, and how to ethically use that information to win more often in the ring. 2. How would you describe the relationship between the owner handler and his or her mentor? Does it have to be a formal relationship? You say that like every owner handler has a mentor, and how I wish that were true! Just imagine how the quality of presentation in the ring would improve if all owner handlers dedicated themselves to improving the craft in the same way a professional does. The answer to your question is: It doesn’t have to be a formal rela- tionship between an owner handler and a mentor, but it sure does help. The problem with personal relation- ships is that sometimes personal boundaries or agendas get in the way. But, when an owner handler makes a commitment to “up their game” in the ring and choos- es a paid professional mentor, the expectations of that relationship are not, “Be my buddy tomorrow.” Instead, they are, “Will you help me be my best, so I can help my dog win more in the ring?” In the same way, this is why many people prefer to hire a professional contractor rather than relying on their handy brother-in-law. You can hold a contractor (with whom you have a professional relationship) to a
120 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, APRIL 2021
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