True Grit

Hard work, determination, love of dogs and genuine selflessness are just some of the attributes required for a career as a professional handler. It isn't easy to get started as a dog show handler. In fact, more people drop out than make a successful living showing dogs. Today's Breeder recently interviewed four young professional handlers to learn how they got their start in the business. Their answers may surprise you.

Four Apprenticeships Later When he was only 14 years old, Shea Skinner won his first specialty show. At the time, the significance of winning Best of Breed at the Pharaoh Hound Club of America National Specialty, didn't faze him.

"Andy (Linton) couldn't make it to the ring, so I went in," Shea recalls. "The dog had already been examined by the judge when Andy came, so we couldn't change handlers. The importance of winning didn't really dawn on me until some years later.

" The summer of 1993, when he won the National, Shea was working as an assistant for Linton, a professional handler. Among the dogs Linton campaigned was BIS/BISS CH Russet Leather Caveat Calla, ROM, who became the top-winning Vizsla of all time.

The first of four apprenticeships, working at Linton's kennel involved cleaning kennels and crates, but also learning the basics of grooming such as grinding nails and clipping coats. Linton offered Shea the job after seeing him handle one of his mother's Chinese Shar-Pei at the Brush Prairie (Wash.) Cluster.

As early as 7 years old, Shea accompanied his mother, Cyndi Skinner, to dog shows. At age 11, he was handling their Rumples 'n' Rinkles Shar-Pei in juniors, mostly at rare breed and local shows. When the breed became recognized by the American Kennel Club, Shea and his mother began going to all-breed shows.

Never before had Shea seen professional handlers showing dogs. Watching Bill McFadden handle Kerry Blue Terrier CH Kerrageen's Hotspur to Best in Show at the 1991 Seattle Kennel Club Dog Show made an impression. "That dog commanded the ring by himself," says Shea. "He had such charisma and attitude. I had never seen a trained show dog presented by a handler. It opened my eyes to a totally different world."

Shea's next job as a kennel assistant was working at M Miyagawa's boarding kennel in Bonita, Calif., where he continued to learn about dog care but also the business side. Shea liked the work so much he stayed two years, working year-round while enrolled in a home school education program.

When Shea left Miyagawa, he returned to his home in Vancouver, Wash., and life as a high school sophomore. The following summer he picked up an assistantship with handler Mike Stone, where he worked for two summers and two years following high school graduation. Broadening his horizons, he began learning finer details of grooming a variety of breeds, including longhaired Afghan Hounds and Briards. He also learned how to run a setup, or organize dogs in the vehicle on the road and on the grounds at a show.

After honing his skills with Stone, Shea worked two years with handler Don Rodgers, focusing on grooming drop-coated breeds, such as Shih Tzu, Pekingese and Lhasa Apso. A young woman from the Pacific North­west, Tiffany Biesiedzinski, worked for Rodgers, too. She had worked at Miya­gawa's boarding kennel after Shea left. In fact, Miyagawa originally introduced them.

Now married three years, Shea and Tiffany share a busy life traveling about 50 weekends a year to shows along the West Coast. Though they're just starting out — he's 29 and she's 27 — together they already have 30 years' experience. At their Victory Lane Kennels in Standwood, Wash., near Seattle, several specials of various breeds, including some Winbourne Black and Tan Coonhounds whom they co-breed with Shelley Campbell, romp and play.

"It is our love of dogs and being around them that motivates us," Shea says. "Our time at home getting to know the dogs and playing with them is our favorite."

Meanwhile, every now and again, Shea still shows one of his mother's Rumples 'n' Rinkles Chinese Shar-Pei.

Learning by Osmosis
A third-generation breeder of Alisaton Doberman Pinschers, Carissa DeMilta Shimpeno was literally raised at dog shows. By osmosis she learned from her mother, Gwen DeMilta, and family friend, Terry Hunt, a former professional handler, what it takes to show a dog at its best.

Now, as a professional handler herself, Carissa has gone back to her roots. "Without breeders producing good dogs, there would be no professional handlers," she says. "I now know it is more important to be respected as a breeder."

Compared to her mother, Gwen, who has bred 122 champion Alisaton Dobermans, Carissa, with 11 champions, is just getting started. At 26 years old, Carissa, already a member of the Pro­fessional Handlers' Association, is well on her way to realizing her goals.

Nearly every weekend, she loads her "rectangle on wheels," also known as a Dodge Sprint cargo van, with six to 10 dogs destined for shows along the Eastern seaboard. Specializing in working and sporting breeds, Carissa campaigns Rhodesian Ridgeback and Doberman specials, plus several class dogs.

The specials live with her and her husband, Eric, a graphic designer who creates her dog ads. They own a home with Gwen in Downington, Pa., near Philadelphia. Class dogs are not shown weekly, so they usually go home to owners between shows.

Whether on the road or at home, Carissa conditions dogs daily. "We walk for two minutes, trot for 10, and then walk two more," she says. "I intentionally do not travel with too many dogs so I can give them individual attention and spend time loving them. My goal is to keep them happy."

Junior handling helped to shape Carissa. "Terry (Hunt) was like a godmother to me," she says. "She got me started in juniors." Junior handling earned Carissa at age 12 a trip to Crufts in Birmingham, England, and the World Dog Show in Vienna, Austria. "At Crufts, there were so many talented kids from around the world," she recalls. "Some were 10 years older than I was. I watched the way they showed their dogs. It was a lot of fun.

"Austria was very different. I dressed professionally in suits as we do in this country, but most people were owner-handlers who wore khakis and polo shirts. They mocked my clothing, and I was scored down because of how I was dressed. It taught me the importance of adapting to different situations."

One of the biggest lessons Carissa has learned is how to lose. "When you're out there, you are trying so hard," she says. "When you lose, you have all this adrenalin but no positive outlet for it. You have to remember to give the competition the respect they deserve."

Keeping Up on Car Payments
When he was 18, Jessy Sutton needed a job to pay for his silver Pontiac Firebird. He turned to what he knew best: handling dogs. Today, many vehicles later, he hasn't look back.

Moving full-steam ahead has worked well for this 29-year-old professional handler. Not until years later did he realize that the Dalmatian he started with in junior handling at age 11 was "a hellion." Though he learned to show the dog, it was challenging.

'Tasha' was one of two dogs left to be sold from her litter," says Jessy. "She had two blue eyes. The other dog was not show quality, so my father bought Tasha and signed a contract agreeing to show her."

Jack Sutton finished Tasha, even placing in some Groups with the dog. Meanwhile, Jessy got initiated into the sport showing a stubborn dog who moved around every time he positioned her for the judge. His family's friendship with Peace Valley Dalmatian breeders Timothy and Mary Gifford led to Jessy accompanying them to New York for the 1991 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. "I just sat in the stands and watched the show," he recalls. "Looking down at all the people and the bright lights was a neat experience."

Through junior handling, Jessy became friends with Carissa DeMilta and her mother, Gwen, of Alisaton Doberman Pinschers. As a 13-year-old, Jessy began working for Gwen. The Alisaton kennel in Downington, Pa., was a half-hour drive from his home in Quakertown, Pa.

While in high school, Jessy traveled to dog shows with Gwen and Carissa. "I was lucky. The principal at my school had Basset Hounds. She put me in a work-study program and would let me leave on Thursdays for shows," he says.

At the DeMilta kennel, Jessy learned about grooming and caring for short-coated dogs. He learned how to build a rapport with dogs and present their best attributes in the ring. He also gained experience handling his family's Dals or those owned by the Giffords. He did particularly well with a female, CH Peace Valley Kahlua's Carbon Copy, even placing in Groups over highly ranked dogs.

When Jessy decided to turn pro after high school, he focused on what he knew best, short-coated breeds. Among his early successes was a Toy Manchester Terrier, CH Burmack's Unrivaled Secret, his first breed winner at the Garden in 2000. In 2005, Jessy won his first Group placement at the Garden with CH Fwaggles Tap Man at Burmack, another Toy Manchester Terrier.

Not surprisingly, Jessy met his wife, Roxanne (Stamm), through showing dogs. A terrier specialist, Roxanne had apprenticed for years with longtime terrier handlers Peter Green and Beth Sweigart before going out on her own. Though Jessy and Roxanne knew each other, they didn't connect until standing in line for gyros at the Monticello New York Kennel Club Dog Show.

Lunch led to dinner. Dinner led to their traveling to shows together. He proposed at the 2007 AKC National Championship in Long Beach, Calif., and the couple were married last year at Sanibel Island, Fla., on a trip they bid on and won at a Take the Lead fund­raiser at the Bay Colony Cluster Dog Show.

Now, Jessy drives a 40-foot motor home, with plenty of room for the 25 dogs he and Roxanne typically campaign and the newest family member, 4-month-old Charlize Catherine Elizabeth Sutton. Still based in Quakertown, Pa., he and his family travel to East Coast dog shows nearly every weekend. Working on becoming one of the top handlers in the country, Jessy is committed to making his clients proud and showing some of the finest bred dogs. He also is adamant about following the sportman's code of conduct. "It shows the respect I have for this sport and my clients. It is important to me," he says.

The 'Rent-a-Kid' Gs Pro
Turning a scrawny, scraggily runt of the litter into a finished champion was Rindi Kricke­berg's first assignment as a dog handler. Never mind she was only 9 years old, and her mother couldn't even give the pup away.

"'Spunk' was my little puppy out of the litter, and my first dog," says Rindi. "I learned to show with him."

The English Springer, whelped from her mother's first show dog litter, launched Rindi into 4-H dog handling through obedience, agility and conformation classes. She also handled him at AKC dog shows, putting points on him but no majors.

Rindi and her mother, Yuletide Springer breeder Jeri Gilpatrick, turned to professional handler Jane Alston for advice.

"She told us, 'He's a nice dog, you just need to show him differently,'" Rindi recalls. "She taught us how to trim him differently and how to run with him around the ring."

That bit of advice blossomed into a 17-year stint for Rindi as kennel assistant to Jane and her husband, Greg Myers. The couple, who lived only 20 minutes from Rindi's childhood home in Bradenton, Fla., routinely picked her up on weekends en route to dog shows.

"They would call me the 'rent-a-kid' when I was growing up," says Rindi.

As payback, Jane would cover Rindi's entry in junior showmanship. She qualified for the Garden every year, finishing fourth her last year.

When she was 10 years old, Rindi proudly told Jane she was going to become a professional handler. "She told me, 'No, you won't. You'll decide it's too much work,'" Rindi recalls.

Hard work did not deter Rindi. She began as a "little gopher" and eventually learned how to trim, groom and condition dogs. Jane and Greg taught her all about dog shows and the business side of handling.

Today, the 30-year-old is an AKC registered professional handler with her own kennel of all-breed show dogs. She and husband Correy Krickeberg settled in Summerville, S.C., three years ago. Their Con­un­drum Farms' kennel houses about 15 dogs at any given time.

Rindi is currently campaigning Golden Retriever, Kerry Blue Terrier and Scottish Deer­hound specials, and she and Corey share the handling of class dogs. All the dogs travel with them every weekend to shows along the East Coast in their 42-foot motor home customized with built-in dog kennels.

Though Rindi is a certified veterinary technician, she cannot imagine working as anything other than a professional handler. "I love the dogs," she says.

Mornings are her favorite time of day. "Every morning we let the whole pack out — well, except for males who don't get along. I go out with them and let them run and play ball. They are so happy and have so much fun. It's a joyous time."