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Junior Handler Andrew Butkiewicz of Darboy, Wisconsin got started in dog agility earlier than most. Now 11 years old, Andrew took an interest in his family’s agility equipment in their yard when he was only 2. His mom, Kelly, is a dog trainer, and had been working on agility. Nine years later, Andrew is also involved in AKC Rally, Fast CAT, and conformation. He competes as a Junior Handler with his family’s dog, “Jersey,” who is an English Cocker Spaniel.
Developing an Interest in Handling at a Young Age
When Andrew was just 6 years old, he decided he was ready to start competing in Agility. Kelly fondly remembers that not only did Andrew decide he wanted to start competing, but he also made this clear to everyone around him. He saw the relationship that his mom has with dogs, and was already close with Jersey as a family pet. Andrew often went to classes and dog shows with his mom. Once, while Kelly was walking the course before their run, Andrew announced to a crowd of fellow competitors around him that Jersey was his dog, and that he had decided he wanted to run her now because “all mom does is mess her up anyway!”
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Kelly took this declaration in stride, and decided it was a sign that Andrew was ready to run his own dog. Starting the next weekend, she gave Andrew the leash, and he started taking classes with Jersey and running her at trials. “He does a great job,” Kelly says. “He has a natural sense of how to get there and how to cue.”
Building on Natural Handling Skills
Kelly noticed Andrew’s ability to handle the dogs right away and continues to be impressed by. “[He] just seems to have a very natural ability to know what these dogs need” described Kelly. Recently their puppy went into season, so he was unable to show her in Junior Showmanship. Last minute a friend of the family said that Andrew could handle her English Cocker Spaniel, but cautioned she hadn’t been trained for the ring. Andrew asked for a chance to work with the dog, and so the weekend before met up with her and started teaching her the skills she needed for going into the ring.
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Instead of getting overwhelmed, Andrew got proactive and began teaching the dog how to gait, stack, and stand for examination. Andrew won his age group with a dog he barely knew. He thrives on this kind of competition. Andrew explained that he really enjoys “being able use to the training that they have done together in a new environment and to compete against other people.” Andrew is a fan of the competition itself because it gives him the opportunity to meet new people and compare his dog’s skills against other dogs and handlers, both other juniors and adults.
Kelly is thrilled that Andrew has wanted to participate in dog sports and encourages parents of other junior handlers or prospective junior handlers to support their kids within the sport. She feels like participating in dog sports can help make kids more well-rounded and teaches kindness, empathy, and perseverance. Kelly described that she’s found the skills junior handlers can gain training and showing dogs are transferable to every aspect of life now and in the future.
Continuing the Joy of Dog Training
Although Andrew loves the thrill of competition, his favorite part of training and showing is the special bond that he shares with the dogs. Win or lose, it’s that connection that keeps him motivated to train harder. Currently, he’s having a lot of fun showing the family’s youngest dog “Jadie.” Andrew has put his knowledge to the test, and he’s done the majority of her foundational training. For Andrew this makes each success and win they accomplish a little sweeter, because it’s a direct result of all his hard work.
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Not only is Jadie a dog that he’s trained, she’s also a puppy the family bred, so Andrew has been with her since she was born. He also enjoys a challenge and likes to bring the family’s puppies into the Junior ring instead of an adult dog who already knows how to show. For Andrew, being able to help the dogs he handles gain those skills is part of the challenge that attracted him to dog shows in the first place.
Although Andrew is only 11 years old, he already has big plans for the future. He’s very skilled in math and excels in all school subjects. Andrew isn’t yet sure what he wants to be when he grows up, but he already knows that in college he wants to follow in his dog trainer mom’s footsteps and plans to train dogs. As Andrew explains it, “I already know how to do that, and I really like training dogs.” Andrew also plans to continue to grow his handling and training skills in all the dog sports he’s involved with.