Noah Hollaway, a 12-year-old junior handler from Clermont, Florida, only began training in conformation last year. At the time, his family could only find him classes with adult handlers. But when they learned that a 4H club focused on dog training, specifically AKC Rally and Obedience, was forming in a nearby county, he jumped at the chance to get involved.
Together with 17-month-old Portuguese Water Dog 鈥淟una,鈥� he will compete in AKC Rally for the first time at the 13th AKC Obedience & Rally Junior Showcase on Dec. 14 and 15, as part of AKC National Championship Week, presented by Royal Canin.
An Immediate Connection
One misconception about getting started in dog sports is that junior handlers need to own their own dogs to compete, but that absolutely isn鈥檛 the case. Many adults who own and show dogs are happy to support kids and teens interested in getting involved. Hollaway鈥檚 competition dog Luna belongs to Diane Fahr, who is a close family friend and has become an adopted grandmother to him and his whole family.
When they were first introduced, Hollaway and Luna immediately connected. Their mutual love of dogs and dog shows has been a big part of strengthening their bond. 鈥淪eeing [Hollaway] light up and become interested watching me train our dogs was like something I never experienced before. He would ask questions like, 鈥淲hy do you train like that?,鈥� says Fahr.
Luna was already started in conformation, which is what got Hollaway curious about how to get involved in training Luna. Soon, he was the one holding the leash and teaching her new skills. And Hollaway wasn鈥檛 the only one having fun; Luna was, too!
Inspired by his enthusiasm and wanting to encourage more junior handlers, Fahr started bringing Hollaway with her to handling and obedience classes. It didn鈥檛 take long before he was participating and handling Luna himself. Far from feeling replaced, Fahr has loved the opportunity to mentor Hollaway and watch him shine with her dog. As she nears retirement age, she plans on shifting her focus to supporting junior handlers as they get started in dog sports.
Training Around Luna鈥檚 Schedule
For conformation, Hollaway and Luna practice twice a month. The pair have also begun regular AKC Rally and Obedience training. While they have learned the various behaviors associated with AKC Rally competitions, the Junior Showcase will be the first time they put these skills together to complete a full course as a team.
One challenge for Hollaway is that while he borrows Luna to compete in AKC Rally, she also has a dog show career on her own. Since Luna is currently on the road with a professional handler to finish her Championship, she isn鈥檛 always at home to train with Hollaway. In fact, Hollaway and Luna won鈥檛 see each other for some time until they arrive at the AKC Obedience & Rally Junior Showcase.
Even though Hollaway and Luna don鈥檛 get to spend as much time together as some dog-handler teams, he says the bond they share is strong and carries them through the time they spend apart. 鈥淗e鈥檚 learned how to handle her really well, and when they are in the ring together something quite remarkable happens. She just wants to be with him, it鈥檚 something special,鈥� adds Fahr.
Competing With the Support of 4H
By participating in the 4H club as part of the Orlando Dog Training Club, Holloway has been able to make friends with kids around his age, while also training in AKC Rally. Plus, it has also helped him become more confident and strengthen his skills as a dog handler.
Since play is an important part of learning for dogs and kids, the mentors and instructors with 4H have found exciting ways to help the kids master new skills and learn how to handle different dogs. Hollaway explains that the club often has the junior handlers trade dogs, so they all get experience handling different dogs, including those that they don鈥檛 have a strong bond with. This provides an added challenge and helps the juniors to build their handling skills. These handling games have been especially useful for Hollaway, since Luna has been away at shows. He鈥檚 particularly proud of the progress he has made in training and being able to successfully work dogs off-leash while practicing for AKC Rally.
Getting Competition Ready
The AKC Obedience & Rally Junior Showcase will be the AKC Rally debut for both Hollaway and Luna. The two have competed together in conformation in the past, and he expects competing in AKC Rally to be just as much fun. Hollaway says his proudest moments with Luna are seeing the bond and relationship that they鈥檝e built through playing and training. 鈥淚鈥檝e shown her in a few competitions,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been fun showing her.鈥�
Hollaway explains that he is happiest when he can spend time with Luna, and the feeling is clearly mutual. No matter what they鈥檙e doing the pair always have fun together. 鈥淲hen I compete, it鈥檚 like I play with her at the same time, and she gets excited,鈥� he adds. Fahr confirms that Luna gets visibly excited and bouncy anytime she sees Hollaway.
Since competing in AKC Rally is new for Hollaway, he has been working hard at memorizing the AKC Rally signs along with the associated moves and positions. Hollaway says he can鈥檛 wait to see Luna again and is excited to compete with her as his teammate.
Hollaway says that his priority as a handler is always to make training and competition feel like a game to Luna. His number one goal when they step into the AKC Rally ring together is for Luna to just 鈥渉ave fun and to try our best.鈥�
The AKC National Championship, presented by Royal Canin, is the dog world’s biggest event of the year! Learn more about conformation and follow your favorite breeds at . They might be competing for the coveted Best in Show title in December!聽