Thirteen-year-old Sophia Feid of Apex, NC is proof that you don鈥檛 have to have a show dog of your own to become a successful Junior Handler. Feid competes with 鈥淛ubilee,鈥� a German Wirehaired Pointer she borrows from a mentor because her family鈥檚 pet dog isn鈥檛 a good match for dog sports. Though technically the dog Feid competes with isn鈥檛 鈥渉ers,鈥� she and Jubilee have formed an incredible relationship that has allowed the pair to achieve success in competition, including High Scoring Junior Handler in Rally Trial awards.
Supporting Junior Handlers
Feid and the 9-year-old German Wirehaired Pointer, who is owned by her mentor, Ariel Wolf, have formed a special bond through competing in dog sports. 鈥淚 have an amazing bond with Jubilee. She is a kind and smart dog and a little mischievous,鈥� Feid explains. The team currently competes in the AKC Rally Advanced class, and Feid is looking forward to competing in Beginner Novice Obedience and possibly starting in Agility next year.
While it isn鈥檛 uncommon for Junior Handlers to borrow dogs to compete with in Conformation, it isn鈥檛 as common in other sports. Wolf hopes to see this change because she believes that getting the opportunity to borrow a dog can open up the ability to compete for more kids and teens. 鈥淚 wish there were more people with trained but retired obedience dogs willing to share with Juniors, like so many do with retired show dogs,鈥� Wolf encourages. She suspects that there are many dogs like her Jubilee, who 鈥渨ould love to do some lower-level stuff with a hardworking kid.鈥� For Wolf, bringing Jubilee out of retirement to train and compete with Feid just made sense and has been a great way to mentor a younger handler. 鈥淪ophia gets to focus on her handling and learning the rules of obedience and Rally, and I get to be a mentor I never had for myself early on and watch them become a team,鈥� Wolf explained.
Giving AKC Rally a Go
Feid credits Wolf with not only introducing her to AKC Rally, but also with helping her to get started in training and competing. 鈥淪he taught me how to handle Jubilee, the different signs, and what they mean, and how to improve my performance,鈥� Field explained. She started by going to training classes with Wolf and then to dog shows. Once she showed interest in competing, Wolf told her that if she was dedicated and ready to commit to training, they could enter an upcoming show. Encouraged, Feid then put in the work to make sure that she and Jubilee were ready to debut together. Watching the pair step into the ring was extra special for Wolf since Jubilee had been her first sport dog. 鈥淵ou only get one Novice A dog, and it鈥檚 so nostalgic for me to watch my Novice A dog, who taught me so much, become the Novice A dog for a talented kid I care about,鈥� she recalled.
Feid began competing last year, and her proudest moment with Jubilee to date is the . Before the event, she used the course map to help plan how she would navigate Jubilee successfully around the course. 鈥淚 worked really hard to get prepared, and I felt like I knew all the signs. I went over and over the map with my finger, so I knew where everything was,鈥� she explained. Though Jubilee got a little distracted near the end of the run, Feid knew she needed to keep calm to support her. They eventually finished the course, and the team earned a score of 98 (out of 100). 鈥淚t was so much higher than I ever expected. I got a High Scoring Junior Handler and I also beat my mentor鈥檚 score by one point,鈥� Feid proudly remembers.
Putting in the Work
Novice Rally competitors are eligible to begin competing at the Novice A level. However, while Feid is new to dog sports, Jubilee is not. Because she has previously earned AKC Rally and Obedience titles, they had to begin competing in Advanced B. Learning AKC Rally signs is always a challenge for any novice handler, but beginning in Advanced with more complicated signs is particularly difficult.
Wolf noted that while Jubilee is an experienced AKC Rally and Obedience dog that doesn鈥檛 mean she was a push-button partner for Feid. To successfully handle Jubilee, Feid needed to work to understand the sport and polish her handling skills. Learning some AKC Rally signs in particular was difficult for Feid before she debuted as a novice handler at the Advanced level of competition. 鈥淭he Rally signs that require you to pause are also hard to remember a lot of the time,鈥� Feid adds. 鈥淚 really enjoy the signs that have jumps in the Rally courses.鈥� The recall in Obedience is also one of her favorite exercises.
The opportunity to connect and train with Jubilee is something Feid appreciates no matter what they鈥檙e doing. While Jubilee lives with Wolf, she gets lots of training time together with Feid to help them develop and maintain a strong partnership. Feid trains with Jubilee in her backyard every Friday. She also regularly gets the opportunity to go to a training facility with Wolf and Jubilee to get more practice time.
For the Love of AKC Rally
Feid says she is very grateful for all the support she has received from adults in the dog community. She encourages kids and teens who are interested in dog sports, especially AKC Rally and Obedience to give the sports a try, even if they don鈥檛 have a dog at home who would enjoy the sports. There are adults out there who are willing to support young handlers and get involved.
鈥淚 think the best way for adults to support junior handlers is to give them the room they need to thrive, as well as the support and encouragement they need,鈥� Feid explains. The experience of discovering and becoming engaged in AKC Rally and Obedience has been life-changing for Feid. 鈥淚t has taught me that I can do more than I think I can, and someday I hope to be in Agility and Obedience,鈥� she says. In the future, Feid hopes that she will get her own dog that she can train and compete with in AKC Rally. She also has a goal of earning a perfect 100 score and hopes to continue to make new friends in the sport.