# Working as a Dog Show Handler



## GOAussies (Dec 3, 2021)

If anybody here has handled and showed dogs before, please chime in!  If I understand correctly, one of the biggest purposes for purebred dog shows is to determine which dogs are the best specimen of their breed so that we can produce better and better quality dogs.

I read recently that, as of June 2022, the average yearly salary a dog show handler makes is around $50,000. I love the idea of earning a full-time living working with one of the best animals in the world and I'd like to learn more. 

What exactly is involved in being a dog show handler? Would I have to travel beyond my state on a regular basis? Is there some other paying job in the dog showing world that I'd need to get first to gain experience? Is my experience as an animal rescue volunteer and pet sitter enough of a "shoe in"? How often would I be away from home? 

Thanks for your feedback and advice!


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## LJack (Aug 10, 2012)

Just one random thought, it is almost a modern day nomadic life style. Travel is constant.


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## GOAussies (Dec 3, 2021)

Does that mean that I'd rarely be home?


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## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

I liken it to Carnies- always either packing, or unpacking, not the same town two weeks in a row. I would guess a GOOD handler makes far more than $50k a year, though- probably twice that easily. 
You'd prob need to spend a year learning w one of the best, for no real money at all and lots of grunt work.


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## DblTrblGolden2 (Aug 22, 2018)

I also think there’s an art to being really good at it. I’ve taken classes, but it’s not my thing. A good handler can have my dog free stack better in 10 minutes with them then I can after weeks of classes. Maybe I’m just really bad at it lol


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

DblTrblGolden2 said:


> I also think there’s an art to being really good at it. I’ve taken classes, but it’s not my thing. A good handler can have my dog free stack better in 10 minutes with them then I can after weeks of classes. Maybe I’m just really bad at it lol


I know what you mean here, but my first chuckle was you have about 5 seconds to stack your dog perfect sometimes in the ring. Sometimes you want 1-second stacks if the judge is standing there WATCHING.


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## DblTrblGolden2 (Aug 22, 2018)

Megora said:


> I know what you mean here, but my first chuckle was you have about 5 seconds to stack your dog perfect sometimes in the ring. Sometimes you want 1-second stacks if the judge is standing there WATCHING.


I didn’t mean 10 minutes in the ring. I meant ten minutes after laying eyes on them for the first time. In the ring the handler I’ve used makes it happen like magic. I’d still be trying to move a foot 🤦‍♀️🙄


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

DblTrblGolden2 said:


> I didn’t mean 10 minutes in the ring. I meant ten minutes after laying eyes on them for the first time. In the ring the handler I’ve used makes it happen like magic. I’d still be trying to move a foot 🤦‍♀️🙄


No problem - I knew that's what you meant, but it still gave me a chuckle.  

Have watched people from obedience trying to "stack" their dogs in obedience, and oh gosh. It takes forever and they don't understand their dogs anatomy a lot of the time. >.<


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

50K per year means making at least $1000 per week. You're not going to charge just one client that much to show their dog. You probably are talking about bringing at least 5 dogs to every show, every weekend and traveling through the region. Also keep in mind you subtract 12K+ for taxes, and that doesn't include medical and other expenses.

The green mark on the map below shows where a handler might live or base and the red marks indicate where that handler may travel to while filling up their weekends for shows. That's all driving and typically you are talking about driving in vans or rv's.

Most handlers I know work all weekend, every weekend if they can. Then during the week they have kennels where they keep the dogs they are showing and do all the training, conditioning, etc... (which they earn money for, of course) and they also groom dogs and do other stuff on the side during the weeks - especially if they are skipping weekends or limiting where they show.

Main thing though is that to keep at least 5 clients for every weekend.... you have to be successful. In order to become successful, you need to gain experience and prove yourself in the ring. Otherwise, you are going to be starting out with maybe 1 client and hit or miss which shows you are working.


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## JerseyChris (10 mo ago)

If you have any questions I would be happy to help you. We are out travelling just about every weekend to shows for my daughter. She just turned 12 and started handling at 9. Not sure where you are located but we are in Central Jersey and we typically try and stay in a 2-4 hour range from home. Some of the larger shows or clusters can run even 4 and 5 days when the weekend shows can be just Sat/Sun. It will take you a while before you are even ready to take on clients dogs to show. A lot of the professional handlers also will show, board and transport their clients dogs as well so you will need a large van able to transport 6-10 dogs depending on the size but I assume you wanted to get started with Goldens. I don't want to discourage you from looking at this as a possibility but it will be quite some time before you are ready to take on clients. Have you ever been to a dog show before?


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## ArkansasGold (Dec 7, 2017)

If you've never shown a dog before, you can't just decide to go be a handler and expect to be successful. Just trying to give a dose of reality here. 

Professional handlers become professionals 1 of 2 ways (for MOST of them anyway): 
1) They showed in juniors and were assistants for a pro.
2) They are the child of a breeder and they showed in juniors. 
The rare third way is that they started out owner handling and got really good at it over a few years. Then they slowly start showing dogs for other people. 

Also, $50K is their *profit *because it is a business for them. They are their own bosses. They set their rates and keep up with expenses. The revenue is probably upwards of $100K per year for most of them, but that career is heavy on the overhead side. So after expenses, you're maybe making $50K to live on. However, all of your meals, hotels, mileage, etc. for every show is a business expense, so you're not paying for as much food out of your pocket as a typical household. 

Professional handlers are out showing nearly every weekend, and they drive all over the country. Let's say you are based in the Midwest somewhere and you're trying to hit a bunch of majors in a row plus get high quality group wins, then you might go to the OKC cluster, followed by Dallas, then San Antonio, then Houston (the last three are known as the Texas Triangle of Death). You might not go home at all for over 4 weeks unless you just really love LONG drives to the south. OR you might hit OKC and then turn around and go straight to Monroe, MI. Maybe you'll have a day at home in between. Two if you drive overnight to get there. 

Professionals show a minimum of 5 dogs at every show, but more likely 10-15. The ones that work with their SO might show 20-30 every weekend. That's at least 10 dogs that have to be fed, exercised, groomed, and shown by YOU and maybe an assistant at every show. You have to load them up in your van and keep them safe. You're up at 4 or 5AM every day of a show weekend and you'll be lucky if you're in bed by 11PM. 

There's also a lot of intrinsic knowledge you need: breed standard knowledge, who to show which dog to, which shows typically make majors and which are good for singles, etc. You'll need to know how to groom and handle each dog to make them look their best. You'll need to know how to take a completely untrained dog and turn them into a show dog. If you're campaigning a special, you need to know where you're nearly guaranteed to win the breed, and where you're likely to get a group placement. That's based on who is judging and who else is likely to show up. If you're an all-breed handler (as opposed to someone who specializes in a specific breed), you have to know all of that for multiple breeds. 

So, if you're serious about this, you need to start developing your network in the Dog World and apprenticing under a professional. You'll get paid maybe $100 a day for show weekends, but the pro will pay for your food and hotel. OR you'll sleep in the RV with them and all of the dogs. After a few years, you can go out on your own. A lot of professionals' assistants do it as a part time job. They go to the shows they can, but they keep their day job. 

Really, it's less of a career and more of a lifestyle. Your vacations become staycations.


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## JerseyChris (10 mo ago)

Jeeez, @ArkansasGold you make that sound like a lot of work... LOL 

But in serious.. She is 100% correct.. It is a ton of dedication. We typically only will bring 3-5 dogs at any given show and there are 3 of us. Our Daughter certainly shows the most and if we have conflicts with ring times my wife will also show and I am the one running all over ring to ring helping. But at the same sense the dog show world is quite small and everyone knows everyone. We know all the handlers very well and we all help one another out anyway we can so as much work as it is, we all do enjoy doing it. For us it is merely a hobby but for most that is their job.


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## Tagrenine (Aug 20, 2019)

The two pros I know well both trained for years. One is the daughter of a professional handler and breeder and then trained under one of the top sighthound handlers in the country for years before starting out on her own. She now has her own apprentice (hardly anymore, she’s basically a pro) that is with her all the time. She has a large kennel and is ALWAYS traveling.
The other travels just as much, as breeding and showing are her full time job. She apprenticed under one of the top terrier handlers in the country for years before starting on her own.
Regarding other well known pros…I was reading a book published in the 1980’s that showed a picture of a well known Golden handler as a young child with a Brittany on a show lead.

Some people really do make it with time and dedication, but to get good enough to go pro (multiple breeds, many shows), you need to be there, surrounded by those people doing it all the time.


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## ArkansasGold (Dec 7, 2017)

I moved this thread into the conformation section to help get more relevant responses.


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## ArkansasGold (Dec 7, 2017)

Also, probably the hardest part about being a handler - at least in my mind - would be giving the dogs back. The quick finishes that you only have for a few weeks wouldn’t be too bad, but the special that you campaigned for a year or more? Heartbreaking.


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

IOW --- don't quit your day job


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## JerseyChris (10 mo ago)

K9-Design said:


> IOW --- don't quit your day job


I asked my 12 year old daughter yesterday on what she wants to be when she grows up.. She said a dog handler.. lol.. I need to try and convince her to go back to her first choice which was veterinarian...


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## K9-Design (Jan 18, 2009)

Or maybe acting or modeling
Both more mentally enriching


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## ArkansasGold (Dec 7, 2017)

JerseyChris said:


> I asked my 12 year old daughter yesterday on what she wants to be when she grows up.. She said a dog handler.. lol.. I need to try and convince her to go back to her first choice which was veterinarian...


If she decides not to go vet, maybe engineer is a good second choice.


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## JerseyChris (10 mo ago)

ArkansasGold said:


> If she decides not to go vet, maybe engineer is a good second choice.


that might be hard, the kid just loves being around dogs. She follows all the dog shows, knows who won where, what judge, who got best in show, ect.. lol


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## Birdi (Nov 15, 2021)

JerseyChris said:


> that might be hard, the kid just loves being around dogs. She follows all the dog shows, knows who won where, what judge, who got best in show, ect.. lol


Data science or programming! The dog world needs more technologically savvy people.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

JerseyChris said:


> I asked my 12 year old daughter yesterday on what she wants to be when she grows up.. She said a dog handler.. lol.. I need to try and convince her to go back to her first choice which was veterinarian...


Be better for her to become a teacher.  Majority of people I know through dog sports are either current teachers or retired. You never work evenings or weekends + you have flexibility in summer.


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## ArkansasGold (Dec 7, 2017)

@JerseyChris Look at all of these unsolicited career suggestions you’re getting for your daughter. 🤣 

I replied with the engineer bit because I wanted to be a vet when I was her age and became an engineer instead. ☺


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## DblTrblGolden2 (Aug 22, 2018)

Megora said:


> Be better for her to become a teacher.  Majority of people I know through dog sports are either current teachers or retired. You never work evenings or weekends + you have flexibility in summer.


I never thought about it but many of the people I train with are teachers. lol


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## JerseyChris (10 mo ago)

Since she was little she has always been infatuated with dogs. My wife has been around breeding and showing her whole life and it just trickled down to our daughter. She seems pretty set on handling so far and she knows how much work it is. She works for a professional handling team and helps the other pro handlers as well so she has learned quite a lot for such a young kid so whatever she decides to do we will support her.


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