Handling Dogs If You Are Physically Challenged

by Christine Ward-Weber

“Whether you have bad knees, hips or something more, do not let others steal your passion. Find a mentor, find a way and hang in there. It is about the dog and it is worth the hours.”

Where do I begin to explain to those with physical challenges how to begin a show career with your dog? First, let me say that it will not be easy for you or your dog. I raise, train and show Brittanys, and have successfully exhibited in the Conformation & Obedience rings at all levels for 40 years. Here is my story.

As a child, I contracted polio and, as a result, I use crutches. I never realized while growing up that I was much different than anyone else and there was nothing I felt I could not do if I wanted to. In my mind, limitations were just not there.

I fell in love with dogs as a child, but I was not part of a family that embraced dogs. I remember seeing illustrations from Walter A. Weber and thinking, “I want one of those, just like the ones he painted.” As a child, I used to have my mother drop me off at the Quad City Dog show on Mother’s Day. I was in awe of the Brittanys. They were beautiful. I thought; “That’s what I want,” so I chose my breed. I bought my first Brittany from Field Trial stock, since it was all I could afford at the time and this gave me my introduction to the challenges of the breed but did not get me into the show ring. She was just not that dog. She failed 3 obedience classes, taught me why a crate is needed, and opened my eyes to what great hunters Brittanys truly are. So, after deciding what direction I wanted to go, I purchased my first competitive show Brittany in the late ‘70’s from a well-known breeder. Evansport’s Brandy Wine was my first AKC competition Brittany. She became a multiple BOB winner & group placer, in addition to earning her UD but these accomplishments were not easily earned. Fortunately, I started in Obedience. I was not totally sure I could conqueror the show ring but I eventually did and here’s how I went about it.

I had help, and lots of it, so that I could find a way to handle my own dog. First, I had to figure out how to get a Brittany to gait with me, what length lead I needed and how I could control the position to allow my dog to move correctly. I had to figure out what the dog could do to make my job easier and train her to help. To show dogs on crutches, I needed another set of eyes to help me get this figured out. Along came Teresa Richmond, a then-assistant handler, who was one of the few who believed this was doable and that I could handle it. Hours were spent with Teresa, adjusting lead lengths and figuring out where my dog needed to be in relationship to me and exactly what I needed to do to show her at her best. Teresa was my mentor. My breeder was not so sure about my ability to be successful in the show ring and he encouraged me to put a handler on her, so I tried that approach first.

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Posted by Alex on Apr 24 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.