The NOHS – An Owner/Handler’s Point of View

BY DR. ANITA TATE

What is the purpose of the AKC NATIONAL OWNER-HANDLER SERIES (NOHS)
“The purpose of the AKC NOHS is to recognize and showcase the quality dogs being exhibited by owner/handlers and to provide a venue for the owner/handlers to compete against their peers. The determination of the awards in the AKC National Owner-Handled Series is based solely on the quality of the entry. The Owner/Handler’s handling ability in not of consideration.”

First, I want to thank AKC for the National Owner-Handled Series (NOHS), and encourage all Owner-Handlers to show their dogs in the NOHS. The NOHS is a wonderful opportunity to showcase your dog, improve your skills, exhibit, and increase your confidence in the sport.

A GENERAL OWNER-HANDLER’S VIEW

After discussions with NOHS exhibitors, I found that many exhibitors agree that the NOHS Series is a needed venue. They claim it is a friendly and less stressful, enjoyable environment to show their dogs and make friends in other breeds.

I have been involved in the NOHS since its inception, and have seen many things go right and go wrong in this venue. Therefore, I want to open the door and act as a voice for NOHS exhibitors and invite others to join me. I hope this article opens our eyes to many aspects of this discussion. My goal in this article is to shed some light on the past, present, and future of the NOHS. As an exhibitor, I love the sport, the privilege of showing, and the love of dogs. I hope you, as an exhibitor, a judge, or show committee member, join me in this discussion and, together, we can move toward a better future for the NOHS. My perspective comes from pure, raw experience and opinions of other participants. I have personally interviewed my peers, had multiple discussions with other NOHS exhibitors, and I wish to share the experience through the eyes of the exhibitor.

HANDLING AND QUALITY OF DOGS

Even though the purpose of the NOHS is “based solely on the quality of the entry and the Owner/Handler’s handling ability is not of consideration,” we must not forget that good presentation of the dog is related to good handling, and handling plays a role in the outcome. Although it is easy to get lost in handling skills, we must remember to focus on the quality of the dog and avoid getting lost in the presentation. There must be a balancing decision be- tween good presentation and the quality of the dog, since a poorly handled or managed dog often hides the judge’s view for selection.

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Posted by Alex on Nov 20 2018. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.