Ok, I just had to share another positive experience for one I consider the future of our breed.

Today at a local all-breed AKC show, I handled two dogs; a puppy dog, who just turned 6 months today, and a 14 month old chocolate bitch who is already major pointed. Both dogs took winners today so I had to have someone take one of them back in for Best of Breed.

Ok so here is the really cute part. After winning the open chocolate bitch class, the owner's 6 year old daughter, who LOVES going to the shows, was just waiting to help out. I had to go back in for winner's bitch after the open yellow bitch class, but I also had to have my WD ready to go back in for BOB. So I asked who wanted to hold him out for me, and of course this darling little girl was glad to help and volunteered immediately! She's a very smart cookie too and had already realized that if her chocolate girl won WB that that would mean I would need someone to take one of the other dogs back in. Her mom later told me that she was telling her brother to keep his fingers crossed that her bitch won so that maybe I would ask her to take the puppy back in. Well her bitch won and when I came back, I asked her if she would take the puppy in. Of course, she was delighted!

I must say I was very impressed how much this little gal has been practicing. She took this puppy back in the ring like she owned it. She gaited him perfectly and the puppy showed like a million bucks for her! She did everything the judge asked her to do. And to top it off, she beats me with the puppy to take Best Of Winners!LOL

She really caught the attention of many around the ring who came up to her afterwards to tell her what a great job she did! When we did win photos, after I took the win photos, the judge said she then wanted a photo of that "little girl" and the puppy! LOL She also highly praised her for how well she showed that puppy! She really did a great job and it is very heartwarming to see the future in the making.

Proud mother got a couple of great shots of her little girl showing. Here is the link (posted with permission): http://www.seifertlabs.com/ourfuturehandler.html.

The results:
Channel City KC Saturday Oct 6, 2007

WD, BOW: Dalwater's Dream Weaver (Travis x Dalwater's Bella Sera)

WB, BOS: Seifert's Misty Moon

OUR Best Junior, Junior Handler (she can't even compete in AKC Juniors until she's 9): Mallori Seifert!

Congrats all! And thanks again to Mallori for doing such a great job and helping me out. This was only her 3rd time in the ring!

They look really good together!
Congrats on the wins, too.

I have tears in my eyes reading that. She is precious. Congratulations. It brings back memories of my son, back in the 1970s, taking WB for a 3 point major with a Borzoi under Michelle Billings. She raved over him. I still have that picture in my wallet.

I love to watch the kids.

Note: My son is now back in the ring and doing very well.

Thanks for posting this - with all of the "dissing" of each other on the Forum these days, it's refreshing to see this. You've got yourself a real winner - future junior, as well as dogs!

Congrats to Mallori.

Awwww, thanks. I am a sucker for a sweet story and Mallori is a little doll.

Oops forgot to add that Misty is by Baja Weikenlin Moonking x Kenya's Kazam Tyra. Sorry, didn't mean to over look this.

Dianne

Nice post and what lovely pictures of a handler in the making!
Sounds like all had a great time.

Soooo -- I've learned something new on the forum tonight. Apparently it's okay to post congratulations to certain people when they have a win or finish a dog but if you post about a good day and share a photo it's tooting your own horn????
What's wrong with sharing good news? Don't read these posts if you aren't interested -- why can't you just be happy for them? I thought it was great and congratulations to both Dianne and Mallori!!

MW, I agree with you.

I thought I misinterpretated the toot toot's, apparently not.

Mallori is adorable, did a wonderful handling job and this was a lovely post. Why some jerks have to come along and attempt to ruin it is beyond my comprehension. Too bad she may have to learn too young what's in store for her later on in the breed ring. I hope her and her parents aren't reading the negativity the people with issues have on here. If they are please realize not everyone is like that and your daughter was a big hit here and in the ring.

Congratulations Mallori and thank you Dianne for showing us true sportmanship in the making

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Replying to:

Soooo -- I've learned something new on the forum tonight. Apparently it's okay to post congratulations to certain people when they have a win or finish a dog but if you post about a good day and share a photo it's tooting your own horn????
What's wrong with sharing good news? Don't read these posts if you aren't interested -- why can't you just be happy for them? I thought it was great and congratulations to both Dianne and Mallori!!

The forum is a great place for information and a place to share. This breeder continues on a daily basis to find a way to draw attention to herself and her dogs. By the way being involved with labs for 20 plus years does not count from the first time you saw one.

It seems to me that you made a point of bringing this out a few threads ago. Whether or not she is, MALLORI'S horn deserves to be tooted. So, please move on...we all saw it the first time...and it seems like YOU don't know when to quit. Apparently you don't have the decency to give credit where credit is due.

Congratulations Mallori...Great Job!

Why are you trying to ruin this for a young lady? We're talking about an adorable 6 year old little Jr. Handler's debut.

If you don't like what's posted by someone DON'T READ IT, what part of that don't you get?

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Replying to:

The forum is a great place for information and a place to share. This breeder continues on a daily basis to find a way to draw attention to herself and her dogs. By the way being involved with labs for 20 plus years does not count from the first time you saw one.

now that is a precious story. Congratulations to all of you.

Please don't lose sight of the reason this story was posted. It's about a very confident little girl's wish coming true......Nice job Mallori! I hope you enjoy many more "victory laps" around the breed ring!

Dianne, thank you for sharing this story. It was delightful. Most since congrats to Mallori, what a precious little girl with the confidence of an adult out there

Her parents have a lot to be proud of, sure there's a lot more to come.

Congrats Mallori! A nice job young lady!

Michelle

As Mallori's mom it was so exciting and gratifying to watch her come out of the ring with ribbon in hand, waving it with excitement "I won, I won" she proclaimed.
Dianne you are always eager to help our children be successful, Mallori watches your every move in the ring, as if she is a sponge. She has a love for dogs!

To all of you... Thanks for the support and encouragement... Mallori sat by my side reading your comments, She thanks you too!

Such a sweet story! Let's hope there are many more to come!

Also I must say Kudos to the judge who put up the young handler!!
Some judges won't, even if they well deserve it!

Thanks Tricia,

Mallori is a delightful little girl! Always polite and pleasant.

I love working with the youngster and help them to develop their handling techniques. It's very rewarding for me to see them do so well. Mallori will have a great future a head of her in Juniors when she is even old enough! LOL

Thanks for all the other positive posts. The kids are our future as well as all the newcomers. If we can all just focus on being nice to them and help them our, our breed and our sport will be in good hands! I enjoyed reading all the other anecdotes in this thread.

On another note, Costin, who did so well last weekend, showed in AKC juniors today and did very well. Each show is an improvement, just as I like to see! Way to go Costin!

And Tricia, congrats again on Misty's back to back wins this weekend! Awesome bitch, over half way to her championship now and a true joy to show.

Dianne

As mom to a little almost 5 year old I wondered about involvement at an earlier age.
I thought they really couldnt participate until they were 9 years old. Is that just for the Jr. handler classes?

My little guy isn't ready now, but I could see it in another couple years as he is already very good at walking "his" dogs.

This story hits very close to home. A few years ago, before I moved, I was working with a very talented youngster that I feel could have made her mark in the show ring. She was my neighbor. Unfortunately, that didn't happen.

Her parents are both alcoholics and finally split. All of a sudden her father decided she shouldn't go to shows, with me, anymore and she couldn't come over to play with the dogs. I believe she would have been a lot of fun, and she was very intelligent.

Sadly, I haven't heard from her in about 2 years and I cry to think what she is doing, because of the family situation.

Keep Mallori focused. You won't be sorry. I wish I had another kid to take under my wing.

Hi Annie,

Yes a child can show dogs in the regular conformation classes as long as they can control the dog and are closely supervised. For whatever reason, the AKC felt that they should not be able to compete in Junior Showmanship until they were 9 years old.

Mallori will be very experienced by that time! She also has a very natural talent towards showing and a keen sense of love for the dogs. I always say good handlers are born, not made. LOL I do like that the UKC shows have Junior Showmanship classes starting at 4 years of age! They call it the peewee class and it's always fun to watch the wee ones show their dogs off too. I can't wait to take Mallori (and Tricia) to some UKC shows as I know Mallori will have a blast. The rossettes that they give out at those shows are very very nice!

I'm so sorry to hear of the girl you were working with Gail. It was probably a nice break for her to be able to get away from her situation and escape to the dogs when she was with you. I just don't know what is wrong with people sometimes.

Fortunately for Mallori and Costin too, they have great and very supportive parents

Dianne

Cute! We need more kids interested like Mallori!

Congrats to young Mallori...I did check the site
out...she's wonderful!

I do Dock Dogs, not conformation, but we have
young handlers as young as 7 years old competing
and doing wonderfully against adults...

the event I attended this weekend had one young handler make the amateur finals at age 9...and
did well...the sweeter story is of a young 8 year old
that has done well in many events, but placed in
pro finals this weekend.....sweeter in that he's a true polite and talented child....his mom passed
away earlier this year....this young man has been
given some brains, talent and has jumped his
dad's friends lab to many wins this year....he's
up for junior handler of the year...and he's a
modest child.....to speak to these folks helping
the child get there and to watch the youngsters
in working their dogs is breathtaking.....I am sure
much like Mallori's story in the showing world...

The positive in this story is awesome...good luck
to Mallori...

Jane Harford, RRK Labs

Speaking of junior handlers......at the agility trial I was at this weekend there was a junior running two dobermans. She finished a MACH on one of them on Friday. Very nice girl, handled her dog beautifully. I wonder if she'd like to run a lab......