From The CC Vault: Clients Confidential

by Peter Baynes

Originally published: August 2012

I hope I haven’t let the cat out of the bag, but as I retired from handling 15 years ago, maybe things have changed, and that saying is no longer their mantra. If it is still relevant, I am sure the problems would be multiplied; with syndicates now owning some top winning dogs, how does a handler please them all?

Although over the years, I only had one dog that was owned by multiple families, and they were all easy to get along with. In addition, the majority of my clients were very supportive, but there were a few that were a pain in the you know where – most didn’t last long – but a few were trainable.

You must realize that I came to this country under false pretenses, with dreams of going in partnership with an established handler of the old school. He was an importer of some winning dogs, and he eventually imported my family and me. The first shock, amongst many, was that he had quit handling and he didn’t have any clients for me to share. He talked in lofty terms about his friendships with Bea Godsol, Maxwell Riddle, Tom Gately, and many other luminaries, though he advised me not to mention his name when applying for my handler’s license!

The partnership only lasted five months, during which time he did teach me how to roughly trim Poodles and Terriers. In fact the first dog I finished in this country was an Airedale (so I did owe the old crook something). Nevertheless, stranded in this country we bravely made the decision to stay – in fact there was no alternative because we were penniless. Although being from England and hardly speaking the language, I did venture to several dog shows. I wanted to observe the famous handlers that I had read about in the American magazines, which I had subscribed to while I was in England. I found them all very friendly; some even let me take dogs in the ring for them.

After receiving my handler’s license for six breeds, I was ready to conquer the world. Unfortunately, I was a professional handler without any clients. Luckily, a local elderly couple had purchased a very nice Doberman bitch, and they couldn’t get along with the other local handler. They asked me, the newcomer, to try my hand. Unfortunately, they were a little bit cheap, and didn’t want to pay cash for my services, but instead would furnish our empty living room with expensive antiques in exchange for boarding two dogs and showing one. It sounded a great idea at the time, but after the bitch did win some points and even took the breed from the classes, they let her get too fat and they lost interest in showing. Therefore, we still owed a vast amount of money for the crummy furniture. They continued to occasionally board their dogs with us to pay off the bill. As we had quoted a very low rate, which never increased, it took us years to pay for the furniture.

Next in line was a sweet lady who bred mediocre Boxers. She was, however, 100% kennel blind. However, because of her dedication to her line, she successfully promoted her kennel name, and in fact a handler whom I admired had finished a couple for her. She sold her puppies to delighted owners not only in this country, but to foreign destinations. They were sure that they had purchased a unique style of Boxer. I was the lucky one chosen to carry the flag for future generations of this magnificent line.

To help her separate the good ones from the bad ones was very difficult, as she thought all her geese were swans. She was, however, quite happy if I put points on any of her dogs and then she could sell them to South America as winners. I never finished any dogs for her while she was alive. After she died I did finish one that she sold from a breeding that I had recommended.

On one early occasion, I thought I had died and gone to heaven when she told me she had entered four dogs for me to show on my first Florida circuit. For some reason she didn’t put my name down as handler; she was probably too embarrassed to admit that she had switched to a lowly immigrant. Therefore, I didn’t receive any communication from the Superintendent. I sang all the way to Florida in my new heavily financed van counting the money I would make in my head. I even thought I would be able to stay in nice hotels instead of sleeping in my van. Picking up the catalog the first day, I found only one was entered, and on subsequent days it was the same story, and even on some days none were entered. When I called her, she said she had picked the judges who would like that particular dog. Of course, she had picked wrong, and her crystal ball had let her down. Ultimately, being the only dogs I was carrying, the handling fees didn’t pay my expenses.

My other early clients were mostly local, and if I started handling the same breed for someone new, they would eventually become jealous of the other and I was in the middle. Even when I started handling for an Afghan client, I lost two Boxer clients. It wasn’t easy juggling clients who were basically new to the game, especially since I was also fairly new to the business side of handling.

Even when I became established, my good Boston Terrier clients claimed that as I was advertized as their exclusive handler and I couldn’t show Boston Terriers for anyone else. I tried to explain that the exclusion meant that they would not use any other handler for their dogs. Even though I had finished 15 champions for them, I lost them for a while, but they did come back.

Over the early years, other clients took advantage of me, but as I became wiser, and licensed for all breeds, I did start to collect some good clients, and I was able to easily tell new clients that their dog would be hard to finish. I even put it on my rate sheet, that I would charge a consultation fee for grading their dog. Some were very upset when I told them that Fido wouldn’t make it. I never charged that fee to them and my wife, Helga, said I was too soft.

One prospective client really sticks out in my memory; he was a young executive, new in the area, with an Italian name and looks. He brought a mediocre Siberian Husky for me to look at. I made him a deal. I said I would show the dog on one condition: He arrived at the show in a black limousine, and he came to ringside dressed in white, with the dog, and accompanied by two burly bodyguards. I told him that may intimidate some judges. He had a great sense of humor,and he got the message. I never showed a dog for him, but we became good friends.

Another new client sounded like a dream come true. He had two nice class Labradors that he wanted me to show. I entered them for a few shows, but he decided it was more important for him to go hunting with them on those dates. However, wow! –?He insisted on paying a handling fee for the shows we had missed. Finally, we did get to show them at a small show, and he arrived in his helicopter. We did not win, and I could see he was disappointed. I thought this would be my opportunity to snag this dream client. I explained if he wanted to win well, I had just finished a gorgeous Labrador from the puppy class; although he would make a good special, his owners couldn’t afford the expense. He asked, “Can he hunt?” I hastily quipped, “Who the hell cares.” That was the end of our relationship.

In the early days most handlers had small rate cards printed, just giving a brief outline of their charges. As things progressed, many handlers drew up long contracts for their clients to sign. Others, myself included, just printed sheets, giving more details of the charges and conditions. Even so, it was rumored a few handler’s rates were negotiable. Many handlers had some great sales pitches. I liked the story about one handler who claimed he charged $100 when the going rate was $50 saying, “I usually charge $100 but for you I’ll make it $25.”

I know of one highly successful handler who never charged for showing some of his top winning dogs. I am sure other handlers could fall into a similar category. Sometimes temptations were hard to resist. For example, after a successful year with a top winning working breed, the owners offered me a co-ownership, which meant that I would be handling the nice dog for nothing for the rest of his career. I declined. Other deals would come along, but for us money was always more important than fame.

When it comes to money matters, few handlers will admit that they sometime have problems collecting money from their clients. Some even run up large bills, especially if they are doing well with a particular dog. When we were licensed, if a client switched handlers, the first action was to ask the previous handler if any money was owed.

It worked well for us in most cases, except when a high profile handler boasted to me that no one owed him any money. Several weeks later, we happened to be boarding some of his ex-clients’ dogs. One of them was a top winner in the breed. The owner asked me if I would like to show her at a couple of shows coming up. I had just unloaded my van at the first show when the previous handler came rushing up to me with a catalog clutched in his hand and yelled, “This woman owes me $3,500.” He calmed down when I reminded him of our earlier conversation. I contacted the owner and got the two parties together, where it was agreed she would pay the bill. I didn’t show the bitch because of the dispute, and she eventually did pay him the $3,500. We were, however, left with a large boarding bill which we were never able to collect.

I am only one amongst many ex-handlers who could write a book about their experiences with clients. Those that have great clients should treasure them, look after them, and don’t forget to help owner-handlers; they could become your new clients, good friends, or even spouses. I hope this short essay doesn’t paint a picture of thoughtless clients, where they are the villains and the handlers the angels. It’s an American phenomenon where professional handlers are needed,to show worthy dogs over a vast area at a comparatively reasonable price. Without their strings, entries at the shows would plummet. Sometimes, backers and syndicates are needed to make sure that an outstanding animal gets the needed exposure. Afterall, it’s show business.

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