A Junior Handlers Life – Shaping Character Through Competition

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244 – August, 2024

By Taylor Johnson

My name is Taylor Johnson. I am a 3rd generation dog handler and breeder. My favorite part of dog shows has always been spending time with my dogs and the people that quickly became staples in my life.

As you grow up in the sport you hear people say, “you are growing up too fast!” I quickly realized how much truth is behind that statement. I remember every little milestone in the ring with the dogs and humans that became my best friends. It’s so hard to believe that in March 2025, I will be eighteen years old. Turning eighteen is a big deal in everyone’s life, but it is especially impactful in a Junior Handler’s life. My time as a Junior will come to a close and I will be starting college to continue my education. Saying goodbye to high school friends is a universal experience. Most eighteen-year-olds feel out of place and lost in the world and college is where they find themselves. My experience will be much different because of my community. I will be aged out of Junior Showmanship, and in the same time frame, I will be graduating high school.

I have already experienced a lot of “goodbyes” to teachers, classmates, and experiences on the portion of my life spent in school. Aging out of Junior Showmanship doesn’t feel like a book that is ending; dog shows have given me a forever family all over the country. I find myself eager to do more with my passion, knowing that I have met some of the best people–and I don’t have to say goodbye to them. Junior Showmanship has given me an amazing group of girls that I talk to every day; some in the same state and others all over the country.

Click here to read the complete article
244 – August, 2024

Short URL: https://caninechronicle.com/?p=301692

Posted by AnthonyA on Sep 18 2024. 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.