Page 271 - ShowSight - December 2019

Professional HandlerQ & A
“What made me know that this was where I belonged? Simply put—the Universe. I never wanted to be a Profes- sional Handler. I knew there was a physical, mental and emotional toll on people that chose this life.”
Georgia Hymmen continued
do its business!) and packing guru. Up until about a year ago, he was active helping me handle but some health issues have prevented that recently.
Are we involved with an all-breed club and held positions within the club? I am a member of the Mt. Baker Kennel Club. However, due to some life events, I have not been an active member recently. In the past, I’ve been vendor chairperson and my husband did RV parking. I do belong to several Dane clubs and hold positions in the various clubs.
What can Clubs do to make handlers’ job easier? I think clear communication for things like parking and grooming space can make life much easier for handlers. It’s so frustrating to drive for hours in heavy traffic and arrive at the site knowing you have to set up and have dogs to care for—and only to find the parking staff has parked your RV in a spot with a rock or a tree in the middle of it and there is no way to fit. Then, you wait hours until they figure out where to put you. Such problems could be easily resolved by parking staff actually doing a walk through so they are familiar with the spaces.
Also, having a go-to person for problems regarding parking or grooming would be very helpful. While most clubs DO have a person that can help, it’s super frustrating to have to wander around trying to find someone who can help.
What can Clubs do to make handlers want to enter? Good judges! It seems many of the newer judges aren’t that familiar—or comfortable—with the breed they are judging. Again, clear com- munication and signage can go a long way in helping know what is where and when.
And, choosing a superintendent that is “user friendly”. Some of the supers are great, very helpful and others not so much!
The most amusing thing I’ve ever witnessed at a dog show? I had a VERY large harl male who was a bit on the obnoxious side that I showed years ago. He was very bonded with me, and put up a fuss if I asked someone to hold him while I attended to something else. It got so people saw me coming with him and turned the other way because they did NOT want to hold him.
It was almost ring time. I had to use the restroom like NOW. I looked around; everybody who was skilled enough to hold him had disappeared. It was like there was an evacuation. However, I noticed Scott Hamlin sitting in a metal folding chair ringside, with his back to me. (Now, if you didn’t know Scott, he was a very large man both in stature and height.)
I approached Scott, and before he could turn around, asked if he could hold my dog and he agreed to it before he saw who the dog was. Being a good sport, he grudgingly agreed and I ran off to use the facilities.
As I returned, the dog saw me. He began getting excited and started screaming. Scott hung on tight. I got closer. The dog then went into weight pull mode and started towards me at a pretty good clip. Scott, being an experienced Dane person, hung on. That dog wasn’t going anywhere on his watch.
However, the dog had other ideas. He simply started pulling. Scott hung on. All would have been good IF the chair hadn’t started sliding! At this point, Scott couldn’t get his feet under him to stand up because of the pulling, and the chair, with Scott firmly sitting on
it, proceeded to move towards me while emitting a horrid screech- ing sound. Of course all eyes were on Scott to see what the problem was. I rushed in, and grabbed the dog. Scott was not impressed.
I also had another incident with this dog. I had a junior helping me, and he insisted he could take the dog from ringside to our van. I figured I would be right there and supervise. Well, once again, the dog got in weight pull mode and this poor kid was airborne. Because of the crowd, I could not grab the dog. The best I could do was grab the kid by the belt. Our combined weight stopped him and all was well, but the poor kid was so embarrassed.
KELLIE MILLER
I don’t have a website at this time and I live in Arvada, Colorado.
How I got started in dogs: I was born into the sport. My moth- er, Deb Miller, worked for Delores Maltz when I was a child, and raised Labradors, American Cockers and Siberian Husky. My grandmother, Wilma Awana, raised Silky Terriers.
What made me know that this was where I belonged? Simply put—the Universe. I never wanted to be a Professional Handler. I knew there was a physical, mental and emotional toll on people that chose this life. Being away from family, lifting, driving, missing important life events, etc. was never my idea for my life. I’ve always been good at it and every time I stepped away there was always something pulling me back. Don’t get me wrong, I love what I do, I just always thought there was another path for me. That is until I had to lay myself off from my last job. Long story short, I finally let the Universe decide where my path was. I have been handling on and off for over 20 years, but full time for ten, and have not had as much as a hiccup since making the decision. I am where I belong.
Who were my mentors? I could write a novel here. Easily, my mother is a HUGE contributor. Deb Miller, made me read stan- dards and learn how to interpret them. She made me put two titles on the back side of my Juniors dog name, so I could see why dogs have to be built the way they are and learn to train them for some- thing beyond left handed circles. She taught me that there is really no “Crying in Dog Shows.” She is easily the BEST Dog Trainer I have ever met. I grew up idolizing Bergit Kabel, as she handled my grandmothers best friends Scotties. I worked for Ellen Cotting- ham, as a young adult, and the impact she has made on my life has been great indeed. I learn regularly from my clients about their breeds specifics, and I challenge them when they are in a teach- able moment, so the ideas are clear in my own mind. Simply put, if someone has been in the sport over 30 years, and I have known them, I consider them a mentor. I watch and learn from them all.
Do I breed? Yes, I breed Brittanys. I did not start breeding until roughly ten years ago though. I spent the 30+ years of my previous dog life being a shadow to my Mother and her breeding partner, my clients, and all manor of other mentors in my life. I listened at dinner tables, and soaked up everything I could before I ever considered breeding anything. This is a unique situation, as I had already won every ribbon I could imagine before my first litter hit the ground. I have since learned there are a few more that are almost more important than the great wins that came before. I am so proud of the accomplishments that have come since starting my breeding program.
ShowSight Magazine, DeceMber 2019 • 267