Getting a Handle On the Dogs


 

WINSTED — A Laurel City mother and daughter took a road trip this month to show off several of their dogs and add a few ribbons to their collection of awards for exceptional dogs and proper handling.

Mother Alesia and daughter Morgan Campbell made the trip to the New Jersey State Fairgrounds in Augusta, N.J., Oct. 2 through 6 to compete in the 34th Australian Shepherd Club of America National Specialty Show. They came home with numerous "brags," as they say in the business, including two third-place awards for Morgan as a junior handler and a first-place award for their 10-year-old dog, Polo, who won the veteran class and then went on to win best veteran out of more than 40 entries.

For Morgan, the show was another opportunity to show off her skills as a dog handler and to have some fun with her canines. "You have to know how to run properly with the dogs to show their gait — you want them to trot," the young handler said. "I’ve been watching my mom do it since I was a baby."

Morgan said she has to maintain at least a B average at Pearson Middle School in order to be allowed to travel to dog shows. She brings her homework to the events and works from 7:30 in the morning to 8 at night when competing. "It’s a long day," she said.

One of Morgan’s most recent achievements was winning a first-place and reserve winner’s award at the Pioneer Valley Kennel Club for her Welsh Pembroke corgi, Elliott. The dog’s full name is XIII Maples Elliott Sadler, after the famous NASCAR driver.

When she’s not competing for awards for her dogs, Morgan is competing to win points as a handler. "They’ll ask you to do an L-shaped run and other patterns and they’ll ask you questions to see what you know about dogs." How long that process takes depends upon the number of entrants and the temperament of the judges.

Morgan estimates she’s handled dogs in 15 to 20 shows and she plans to keep going, even if the work is intense. She participates in canine classes three nights a week, along with 4H shows and obedience practice.

Alicia Campbell said showing dogs is a labor of love and she’s proud to see her daughter following in her footsteps. "As a handler, you’re trying to show your dog and be as visible as you can without upstaging the dog," she said.

But if a few awards come Morgan’s way as she’s showing, she won’t turn them down. "You have to know how to handle a dog and you have to know how to take care of it," she said. "I don’t need the awards, but I like them."

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