The Junior’s Perspective – Interview With The 2025 AKC National Championship Junior Showmanship Judges

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270 – February, 2026

By Jessica Braatz

Preliminary Judges Dr. Amanda K. Swanson & Ms. Angela Lloyd

What is your background in the sport?

Amanda: I discovered the world of AKC dog shows at the age of nine with my first Australian Shepherd puppy, Lacy, alongside a handful of incredible mentors who were instrumental in my initial involvement. Training, traveling, and competing with our beloved pups was something that my brother and I did together with our parents as a family. As our involvement grew, so did my passion for the highs and lows of this incredible sport. Over the years, I have titled dogs in a variety of venues, including conforma-tion, rally, obedience, and agility. By day, I am a pediatric dentist, and I’ve found ways to use my skills in dogs toward this purpose, too. I helped establish a new therapy dog program at our local children’s hospital and have lectured nationally on the use of therapy dogs in medicine and dentistry. I have been judging Junior Showmanship since 2017.

Angela: I am a second-generation dog fancier. I started showing at the age of eight in the breed classes with my father’s German Shepherd Dogs and my own Pembroke Welsh Corgis. As soon as I was eligible, I began participating in Junior Showmanship. My Junior Handling achievements include Best Junior Handler at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show in 1998 and Best International Junior Handler at the CRUFTS dog show in England in 1998. After attaining a BS in Business Finance from Penn State and apprenticing for a total of 15 years, I began a career as a professional handler.

Did you compete in Junior Showman-ship? If yes, how do you feel that experience prepared you to judge at the AKC National Championship?

Click here to read the complete article
270 – February, 2026

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