From The Publisher

Click here to read the complete article
10 – The Annual, 2025-26

By Tom Grabe

There’s a simple truth about the participants in any competition, including dog shows. That truism is the competitors entered the contest with the intention of winning it. I don’t think anyone joins the field of play with the sole goal of enjoying the experience. They entered because they believed they were good enough to win the event–and that is their goal.

We all understand that in most contests, including dog shows, there are more losers than winners. And how competitors conduct themselves after a loss is just as important as how they celebrate their wins.

I am reminded of an experience I had when I was a­ young dog handler. I had the good fortune of meeting a man that I consider to be the greatest dog handler I ever knew. My great fortune was that we became good friends, and our friendship endures to this day.

Anyone who competed against this handler knew he had the ability to extract the best performance from nearly any dog on the other end of the lead. He was amazing. It’s the reason he won well over 1,000 Best In Shows during his career. They also understood what a great strategist he was; everyone knew that if you were in a race for top dog or number one in any breed, you better be prepared to work your butt off and not make any mistakes.

Click here to read the complete article
10 – The Annual, 2025-26

Short URL: https://caninechronicle.com/?p=346825

Posted by AnthonyA on Dec 24 2025. 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.