 |  |  |
Junior Showmanship
Junior Showmanship offers children between the ages of 9 and under 18 years of age an opportunity to develop their handling skills, learn about good sportsmanship, dogs, and dog shows. Juniors are judged on their ability to present, or handle, their dogs as they would in the breed ring.
Juniors must obtain a Jr Handler number prior to the day of competition.
The dog doesn’t have to be owned by the Junior. Many participants borrow or co-own dogs with breeders, family members, or mentors. The key is having a reliable, well-trained dog that the Junior can work with consistently. Plus, your dog must be:
- At least 6 months of age.
- Physically sound and up-to-date on all inoculations and health check-ups.
- Have an AKC number
Other Sports for Juniors
Juniors may also compete and earn titles on their dogs in many AKC Events. The Junior Recognition program awards points for participation in all AKC events and additional points for earning qualifying scores or placements. Learn about Obedience, Agility, Rally, Tracking, Hunt Tests, Herding, Field Trials, Earthdog, Lure Coursing, Coursing Ability and Coonhound Events in which all juniors are eligible to compete.