Dog Competitions Teach Valuable Life Lessons to Children

At just five and a half years of age, Scott Jacobson tired of simply watching his mom show their Labrador Retrievers. He wanted to show too but only his “Aunt” Lisa’s black Labrador named Lulu. So, Scott took LuLu into the American Bred (conformation) class at the Labrador Retriever Club of Greater Denver’s specialty show. He walked away with first place, a large rosette and a pottery trophy.

Sixteen years later, Scott is majoring in agricultural science with a minor in animal science emphasizing education at Oregon State University. His days at dog shows and later at 4-H livestock competitions where he showed pigs and cattle influenced his choice of college majors.

Training and showing dogs, whether for American Kennel Club (AKC) conformation, junior showmanship, obedience or rally classes; or 4-H competitions, as well as training service dogs, provides excellent opportunities for the younger generation to learn lessons that will help in later life. It teaches responsibility, perseverance, kindness towards animals, courtesy and sportsmanship.

Like Scott, twins Sarah and Heather Baily loved dogs and accompanied their mom to shows at a young age. Sarah was five when she first watched a junior showmanship class where youngsters are judged on how well they handle their dogs as if they were showing in the conformation ring. That’s when she announced that she wanted to show in junior showmanship. She couldn’t until she turned ten. So, she and Heather started 4-H  junior handling and obedience classes at age eight and then competed in junior showmanship at AKC shows when they turned ten. (Youngsters now can compete in AKC junior showmanship classes at age nine.)

Scott says showing dogs taught him lessons that he applies as a college student: patience, determination and to never give up. His mom taught him how to show, and he practiced every night with dogs that he’d handle in the ring.

At shows, he helped walk and feed his family’s Labradors, and assisted his mom at ringside when he wasn’t showing. He learned to work through issues of different dogs, such as shyness, so that they’d relax and wag their tail; or over exuberance, by exercising them more before they were shown. If an animal was sick, Scott wanted to determine the cause, not just treat the illness. He didn’t compete in junior showmanship because his mother thought it would be unfair to others since she trained the dogs.

Although Scott showed primarily in Southern California, he also traveled to shows in Arizona, Colorado, Florida and Maryland. Those trips weren’t just for showing dogs. Scott’s mother made certain that he’d have other fun too, such as outings to Disney World and Gettysburg.

Sarah showed in AKC junior showmanship classes for about six years. A self-described quiet youngster, Sarah learned the importance of presenting herself and her dog well, and with confidence. That meant dressing up for the ring as well as practicing and grooming her dog before each show.

She set goals: competing at the 4-H state finals at the state fair and doing well in AKC junior showmanship classes. One year at the state fair, Sarah won Reserve Grand Champion honors by earning the second highest combined scores from obedience and junior showmanship classes.

Now working as a physical therapist, Sarah thinks she learned responsibility and respectfulness from showing. She offered congratulations to the winners and learned to graciously accept congratulations when she won. Sarah realized that the amount of effort one exerts translates into what one gets out of an experience. She says the showing experience help give her confidence to meet new people, and for graduate school and job interviews.

Like her sister, Heather also learned ring courtesy: to always thank the judge, congratulate winners and accept congratulations. The twins often competed against each other in the junior showmanship ring but left any competitiveness behind when they walked out of the ring. They were happy about each other’s wins and placements.

Heather enjoyed showing in junior handling more than obedience because “it was easier and I was better at it.” However, training her Papillon, Shelby, for obedience taught patience. Her dog, she says, was “very, very stubborn.” She didn’t win 4-H Reserve Grand Champion at the state fair with Shelby but did with an American Staffordshire Terrier.

Now a Case Western Reserve graduate student, Heather acknowledges that training dogs offered lessons in responsibility. She fed, groomed, trained (with the help of her mom) her dogs and helped clean up after all of the family’s canines. The twins also learned some independence by finding their ring or lunch when their mom was tied up showing in obedience.

Down the road, Scott can see himself returning to the dog show ring.

He loves the support and encouragement from the dog world community: friends to share the good and the bad times. “Friends were always there for you,” even in the dry spells of not winning. “Everyone would help each other.” He acquired many honorary “aunts” and “uncles” during his show career and appreciates everyone who acted as teachers to him. So much so, he’d like to go into some sort of teaching capacity after he finishes his higher education.

Years from now, Heather, Sarah and Scott, now all in their twenties, may look back and identify additional life lessons that they learned from training and showing dogs. A few might be:

• Realize that you and/or your dog may have an off day and not perform as you’d like.
• Address adults as sir or madam, especially if you don’t know their names. That helps throughout life when you forget someone’s name!
• Recognize that not all competitors play fair: As a youngster, I learned how to deal with a professional handler who would back his dog into mine or purposefully block the judge’s view of my dog. At the time, dogs and handlers entered the conformation ring regardless of catalog order. So, I became super polite, respecting my elders by saying “after you sir”! Then I gave him a wide berth in the ring.

For those youngsters without parents versed in dog training or handling but who are interested in learning these skills, look for classes sponsored by local dog clubs, 4-H or individuals who have solid show experience. In rural areas, check to see if an informal training group exists. (For more information, check out   https://www.caryunkelbach.com/training-dogs-in-rural-areas/ )  Most, like the one in my hometown, will welcome youngsters and offer training tips. Have fun training and showing!