Page 273 - ShowSight - July 2019

The NOHS has been a great event for me, it has helped build my confidence, my handling skills and the determina- tion to always do better. I have also made wonder- ful friends outside of my breed.
Do I feel that owner/ handlers have an advan- tage because of their bond with their dogs? In part yes I think as an Owner/ Handler we do have a spe- cial bond, but I also think
the professionals form a very strong bond with their clients dogs.
I campaigned a dog, JON, last year with a handler, Jessica Legath and seeing them together was amazing, they made a wonderful team
and their bond was undeniable.
What’s more important to me, an all-breed win or a spe-
cialty win? A specialty win is most important to me, its rec- ognition by peers of my breeding program and to win is the highest complement.
If you’re a breeder/owner/handler, are your wins that much more special? Most definitely, showing and winning with a dog you have bred is so exciting, its recognition of your breeding program.
Is fitting the show schedule into my “regular” life a constant bal- ancing act? I’m lucky as I don’t have a fulltime job, I can pick and choose my shows and travel, although I prefer to stay close to home to keep the cost down.
Advice to a newcomer? I would say keep it fun and enjoy the time with your dogs and good people. Be Humble, Kind and always be a good sportsman.
I always think about my time in Agility, Judges meeting before we would start the trial always ended with,“Remember to be kind to your dog, they are here because you wanted them to be, they don’t care about the ribbons, they do it to please you”. Also important, at the end of the day we all take the best dog home.
LORI WHORFF
I’m originally from California, I moved to College Station, Texas in 1988, to Boston, Massachusetts in 1993, then back to Texas in 1995. I currently reside in East Texas with my husband and two col- lege age sons. I was a molecular biologist, but now own an Optical Shop. My passion aside from dogs? It’s baseball! A long time fan of the breed, I bought my first English Setter to show in 2000.
My main goal as an owner handler is to win at the breed and group level. I enjoy competing in the NOHS because I think it helps make us a better team. There are many strong owner handled teams out there and competing against them gives us great experience.
Do I feel that owner/handlers have an advantage because of their bond with their dogs? Yes, I do feel that owner handlers have an advantage because of the bond that they have with their dog. How- ever, to benefit from that bond you still have to work very hard. It’s important to practice at home with your dog, go to class, go to semi- nars, work on grooming. It’s only an advantage, if you take advantage of the opportunity.
I think that an owner handler can have just as much success with their dog as a breeder owner handler if they put in the work. As a breeder though, there is a great deal of pride in showing an ani- mal that you bred. When you have studied the pedigrees, gone over stud dogs and made the best choice for your bitch considering her strengths and shortcomings, and then whelped the litter and raised
Owner Handler Q & A
the puppies—it’s very special to take one of those youngsters on to a championship, a grand championship and beyond. On the day that I finished one of my young bitches from the bred by class—we went on to a Sporting Group One. It was an incredible moment for me as a breeder/owner/handler.
Where do I whelp pups and how do I determine optimal breeding time? Our litters are whelped and raised in our home. When a bitch that we plan to breed comes into season we use progesterone tim- ing to help ensure that the breeding takes place at the right time. I can’t stress how important it is to work with an accomplished canine reproduction veterinarian. Dr. Kirk Esmond in Carrollton, Texas is exceptional and he helps me execute all of my breedings. If you’ve done progesterone timing, then you know when your bitch ovulat- ed, so it’s fairly simple to determine the whelp date as the birth will occur approximately 63 days after ovulation. Within a few days of the due date, I monitor the bitch’s temperature, as a drop to around 98 degrees or lower indicates that whelping will occur within 24 hours. This has worked perfectly for me and it’s advice that I’ve shared.
At what age do I place show or pet pups? Our English Setter pup- pies head to their new homes at right around ten weeks. For choosing show prospects we grade the litter at eight weeks and I usually have several other dog fancier friends of mine over to look at the pups and share their thoughts and opinions.
Has local legislation affected my ability to own, breed and raise good dogs? Local dog legislation hasn’t affected our ability to own, breed, rear or train our English Setters. I’m fortunate to live in a rural, farm oriented area.
Which mentor gave me the most valuable advice? The things I’ve learned and the people that I’ve learned them from are far too numer- ous to list here. I’ve learned a lot about proper calcium supplementa- tion in the dam and early puppy grading from Sherri Doratti. I’ve learned about grooming and presenting the English Setter from Eileen Hackett. I’ve learned about pedigree lines and associated traits from M.A. Samuelson. I also am a member of Lee Whittier’s Dog Show Mentor Program and that has really helped me fine tune my skills as an exhibitor. All of these people and more have been so important to my success. I have to say though, that the most important lesson that I’ve learned is that there always, always, is more to be learned. Never take for granted what you know and always seek to add to it.
The advice that I would give to the newcomer would be to spend a few years in the breed before planning your own litter. Go to Spe- cialties, go to your National, really spend time watching your breed and learning about it. Talk to folks that have spent years already as breeders of your breed. Memorize your breed standard. Start out with the very best bitch that you can get and make sure that she is from a strong bitch line. Know her strengths and shortcomings. Seek advice from her breeder on selecting a sire for her litter. Work in conjunc- tion with a good canine reproduction veterinarian. Take advice from other breeders about preparing for whelping and caring for puppies. Learn as much as you can and be prepared. This is the advice that I have taken myself.
It’s possible to succeed as a breeder/owner/handler. You have to be tough, take criticism and work hard. Don’t make excuses for why you didn’t win that day. Always be ready to listen and learn. When you’ve been dedicated and have put in the work there is nothing sweeter than being a successful owner handled team with a dog that you have bred.
ShowSight Magazine, July 2019 • 267