INTERVIEW WITH LEE WHITTIER / DOG SHOW MENTOR (DSM)
MENTORSHIP IS SO IMPORTANT TO THOSE OF US WHO WISH TO EXCEL AND HAVE BIG GOALS TO ACHIEVE.
only one other woman in the ring, and the judge was ignoring both of us. They had even put us at the end of the line. (Make note, this was a time when judges lined the dogs up in order of preference as they judged them.) So, we were painfully aware of our placement. My lone, fellow female handler looked at me and said, “Well, we may not win this, but let’s put on a show for ringside.” And so, we did. We pretended we were at the Garden with everyone watching our dogs. We created this beautiful competition, first stacking our dogs and then free-baiting. Rottweilers were a free-baiting breed back then. We showed off all of our dogs’ virtues and we pretended that ringside was our very own cheering section. This was one of my first insights into owning my presentations. I didn’t have to wait to be noticed as I stepped into the ring. I know the value of professional, competent coach- ing and mentorship. And so, I am propelled forward by all these years of experience, which I continually use to develop Dog Show Mentor. I have created a mentoring and learning community where our members support, encourage, and help each other. This camaraderie per- severes now, just as it did in that Rottweiler ring some thirty years ago.
in everything. It’s honoring our sport and honoring others. That’s a big part of what dog shows are about; building community and camaraderie. One of the DSM Core Values is Kindness. Interestingly, new members have asked, “Why is Kindness a Core Value? How can it help me win more in the ring?” I believe that kindness is a core value to have in any community. Particularly, in a competitive setting, simple kindness is unexpected and pow- erful. In short, it shows your confidence in yourself, and that confidence oozes out into the larger community. Kindness is a leadership quality, and leaders are winners, and winners are leaders. 10. Finally, who were your mentors in the sport? Can you share a story about how one of your mentors helped you when you were a novice owner handler? Mentorship is so important to those of us who wish to excel and have big goals to achieve. Thirty years ago, I had a number of mentors when I started to seriously engage in the dog world. Looking back, I don’t think many of my mentors realized their role and the impact they made. Up until 2016, our sport was the only sport (the only recognized sport) that did not have professional coaches, let alone a formalized mentoring program. All golfers have coaches. Tennis players, football players, equestrians—they all have coaches. You get the picture. Had I known such a thing was possible, it would have seemed like heaven to me when I was first showing as an owner handler. I do have a story. It’s a serendipitous mentoring moment that happened during the 1980s. The Rottweiler ring was male-dominated, in both numbers and wins. One weekend, I was at a show with my Rottweiler, Tamar. There was
ABOUT LEE WHITTIER
Ms. Lee Whittier has been involved in the sport of purebred dogs for over three decades. Her involvement began as an owner, exhibitor and, subsequently, a breeder of Rottweilers. She has owned Akitas, Bullmastiffs, and a Sussex Spaniel. She currently owns, breeds, and exhibits Tibetan Terriers. Ms. Whittier began judging in 2000, and then took a hiatus for several years to work for the American Kennel Club as an Executive Field Representative in the Pacific Northwest. She returned to judging in 2011, and currently judges the Working, Terrier, Toy, and Non-Sporting Groups, eleven Hound Breeds, six Sporting Breeds, Bouvier des Flandres, and Best in Show. Ms. Whittier has judged dog shows around the world, from the United States to Asia, at shows large and small; all of great importance to each and every exhibitor. Some of the larger shows are Westminster Kennel Club, Kennel Club of Philadelphia, Del Valle, Great Western Terrier Association, Northern California Terrier Association, Hatboro, Malibu Kennel Club, and the Kennel Club of Palm Springs. Ms. Lee Whittier is a standing member of Dog Fanciers of Oregon, the American Rottweiler Club, and the Tibetan Terrier Club of America. She is Show Chair for Vancouver Kennel Club and the Terrier Association of Oregon’s January show with Rose City Classic. As an active member in numerous clubs, she has worked in the capacity of Show Chair, President, Vice-President, Secretary, Board Member, and Constitution & By-Laws Revision Committee Member.
In addition to judging, Ms. Whittier developed the Dog Show Mentor program, exclusively for owner handlers. This is an online program where owner handlers of all stages and levels learn to develop an individual, strategic approach to showing dogs. She also travels to speak to owner handlers all over the world. She currently lives in Vancouver, Washington, with her husband, Wayne, and their three Tibetan Terriers. Her other interests include gardening and hiking with the dogs.
124 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, APRIL 2021
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