Future Forward

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142 – September, 2026

By Jessica Braatz

When I look back at my early years showing dogs, there is an air of fascination and wonder for the sport that permeates every memory. I vividly recall watching expert handlers as they handled dogs with such skill and precision, but also the dedicated assistants who perched ringside, ran back and forth between rings, and diligently cared for dogs. At that time, ringsides were full of assistants carrying bags, fans, and coolers, or bringing up dogs for the next group. More recently, I flew home to Florida to work a show and looked around…Where did they all go? This experience, coupled with recent discourse, has left me considering the role of assistants and their future in our sport.

For the past decade, I have worked nearly every assistant role: I’ve been a weekend warrior and a live-in, worked at a kennel, and commuted from home. I’ve worked for breed-specific specialists, incredible all-breed handlers, and many in between. Now I find myself somewhere in the middle, balancing work with the shows I love so dearly.

Having occupied nearly every assistant role in a setup, I have seen firsthand how differently these roles can function, and how quickly questions of seniority become questions of power. This idea of hierarchy within setups has been subject to much scrutiny lately, with inquiries into when an assistant should lead, and when one should follow. This opens up a whole world of debate. Should live-ins have more “power” than weekend warriors? What about older or younger assistants? Ones that have been there longer? The fundamental flaw with this hierarchy is the nuance of the dog world. What happens when your weekend warrior is actually an assistant who worked for you for many years and is now just called in for big weekends? Should they supersede your live-in or consistent assistant? What if you’ve had a junior handler work for you long-term and then bring in an older assistant? What to do then?

The answer is in dismantling this notion of a leader and a follower. To put it frankly, ranking your assistants in order of power is setting everyone up for failure. Leadership should be based on the needs of the moment, and one’s experience, knowledge, and judgement, rather than an assistant’s permanent hierarchical position. I am not saying that no one can have assigned roles and tasks, but there is no place for ego. An assistant considering whether they will “step up” and “run the setup today” has already gone wrong. Instead, they should be thinking “what can I do to ensure we have a smooth and successful day?” They should self-start, problem solve, and take small risks, but not those in the way of managing other assistants. There should be collaboration and suggestions, assistants asking others for help, and stepping in when one needs help.

During the average day, so many unpredictable and fast-acting situations arise, whether related to grooming, scheduling, or dog care. In a rigid hierarchy, an assistant may be afraid to act outside of their traditional scope, even if it would solve a crucial issue. When an assistant is spending too much time delegating or considering if a decision belongs to them, the gears of the setup grind to a halt. In this case, a dog may not be properly groomed or could even be missed because someone was afraid to step on another’s toes. Every assistant shines in different ways, but adaptability equals success while rigidity creates failure.

Just this past weekend, I ran into an old colleague and talked to her about this article. She said that throughout our time working together, it could have been awkward, and we could have established a hierarchy. I was a junior and a live-in; she was much older but a weekend warrior. In her words, we never let that get between us. We worked hard, buckled down, and asked each other for help. There was no ego between us, only collaboration, and someone asking, “Can you pick up this slack for me?” We adapted and gave it our all every day. Had one of us been driven by ego, our setup never would have been as successful. Resentment can build, and progress stalls. Communication falters, and tasks are missed.

As a handler and boss, when a new assistant comes to you, you have the opportunity to instill in them your greatest lessons, skills, and advice, while also advising on your failures. It is crucial to teach them to adapt, think on their feet, and problem-solve, not to just look for a leader or “step up” and delegate, themselves. For an assistant or junior to have chosen you, they most likely admire you, respect you, and want to be like you. They want to learn what you know, and teaching them while fostering a love of the sport is of the utmost importance.

Too many great assistants burn out before they’ve ever had the opportunity to become great handlers and breeders, and too many junior handlers have heard one too many horror stories to become assistants themselves. When we consider the future of our sport, we must consider retention, not just initiation, and that takes mentorship and leadership. It requires handlers to create healthy work environments that foster a love of the hard work and the animals we do it for. The assistant who is in a hostile environment will be less likely to lead and make crucial independent choices, while one who has been taught that they should not fear trivial mistakes will take risks and find success. It is up to the handlers to quash any power plays and encourage working together.

Of course, I would be remiss to not stress that these management styles exist beyond the fundamentals of animal health and safety first. A healthy work environment should never be confused with a lack of standards. Husbandry must be stressed, practiced, and always prioritized in either setup. Fostering a healthy environment does not mean that the pillars of the sport are forgotten; rather, it builds upon them.

I am not saying that all assistants are equal and should be working in a free-for-all; rather, I implore everyone to shift the mentality away from rigidity and toward collaboration and longevity. Ask yourself how can you create and foster a lifelong love of the sport within someone? It is certainly not by creating a rigid hierarchy. At the end of the day, your goal should not only be to create a proficient and successful employee, but to instill in them a lasting love for the sport. They should eventually carry the sport forward and, one day, offer mentorship and guidance to the next generation themselves.

Click here to read the complete article
142 – September, 2026

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