Meet

Shannon Soafer

How did you become involved with showing dogs?

It all began when my family moved to Georgia. I had always wanted a puppy and my parents agreed to get one when I was old enough to clean up after it. We wanted a fawn female Great Dane and searched for about a year to find one. One breeder mentioned having a litter and if there was a fawn female then it would be ours. That time came and the only fawn female of the litter was the pick of the litter. We promised to show her at one local dog show just to appease the breeder’s wish of her to be shown at least once. At that show, I discovered Junior Showmanship and my dog show career began.

Is your family also involved?

I am the first person in my family to ever show dogs. My family is very supportive of what I do and encourages me to always do my best. A few years ago, I got one of my little sisters interested in showing dogs and now she and I travel with a professional handler to dog shows.

Did you have any mentors? If so Who?

The professional handler I work for is Susan Wise. She is my “show mommy” and always gives me tips on how to improve my handling skills. She also teaches a class for people who wish to get involved with their dogs in showing. I was one of her students when I first started to show and now I am her teaching assistant.

Have you always shown a Great Dane in juniors?

The first dog I showed was my first Great Dane, Savannah who need some training.  Then I switched to a Whippet. I received my first ribbons in juniors with a whippet. After a month of showing the Whippet, my Dad told me that he could not find anybody to train Savannah. I decided to go back to showing Savannah and training her myself. That was one of the best choices I have made and from then on I train my own dogs. It helps develop a special bond that you can not get from just taking a dog in the ring. The relationship goes far beyond that.

I also showed a Weimaraner for a short time while Savannah was out with her puppies. It was a good experience for me to have to deal with change and learn how to redevelop the skills of bonding with another dog while Savannah was out. I switched back to my Great Dane after she was ready to leave the puppies.

Do you prefer juniors to conformation? Why?

I do not have a preference for one or the other. Even though the two are both related in that a dog and handler work together to make a beautiful performance, the two are completely different in the part of the performance being judged. I equally enjoy competing in Junior Showmanship as I do Confirmation.

What are your favorite breeds to show? Why?

I work for a professional handler, so I get my hands on a lot of different dogs. I have shown just about everything from Great Danes to Dachshunds. I enjoy handling all of the different AKC breeds in the seven groups, but my favorite breed to handle would have to be Great Danes. There is no doubt that this breed has a very special place in my heart.

What is your most embarrassing moment while in the ring?

My very first time in the ring, I had my Great Dane puppy Savannah. I had no training on what to do so I was watching other handlers before me to get a clue of what I was about to get myself into. I had Savannah at some obedience classes so she had more training than I did!

At the last go-around I had the lead wrapped around my hand and Savannah thought that it was play time with the dog in front of us. As we began to move, Savannah lunged forward and I did a face-plant and was dragged to the other side of the ring.

My Dad had been recording all of this on the video camera and he dropped it when I fell. I did not cry or run out of the ring like any ten year-old might do after being dragged by a 120 pound dog. Instead I held my composure and finished the go-around.

When I left the ring, I began to cry. I persevered through the challenge of quitting and I am happy to say that I have accomplished a lot because I decided to stick with it.

What is your most memorable moment while showing dogs?

There are too many to count! Some of the highlights of my showing career would be when I finished my first Great Dane out of the Bred-By-Exhibitor class with two back-to-back majors. I also received three back-to-back group placements.

All of the Great Dane Nationals have played a large part in my showing career and I enjoy watching all the younger juniors grow up in the same wonderful sport as I did. When I win or lose, it does not matter because I know that when I leave I am leaving the future of Great Dane Juniors in good hands.

The biggest win for me was winning Best-Bred-By Exhibitor and BOB at the 2006 Eukanuba National Championship in Long Beach, California. My whole family was there because that is where I use to live. They all saw me win and got to watch me in the arena performing on live T.V. The following year, my Great Dane, Lance, and I also took another BBE and an AOE.

What advice can you give to anyone new to showing dogs?

If you can, train your own dog. Of course have someone more experienced help you. I have had judges tell me that my dog and I look so perfect together. My little secret is that special bond that we share and it connects us on a more personal level than just in the show ring. The bond that you will form is so powerful that you can feel as if you can read each other’s minds.

What are you hobbies/interests outside of dogs?

I am a member of the Roswell High School Colorguard. We have practices every week and competitions on Saturdays. It is hard to balance with dog shows sometimes, but it always works out for the better.

Do you think you will continue showing dogs professionally after junior showmanship?

I can only hope to continue showing dogs after Junior Showmanship. I am eager to go to college to become a Veterinarian and specialize in cardiology. However, between college and visiting my family, I would like to continue to show dogs. The sport of showing dogs has made me who I am today and I would not like to give it up after I age out of juniors. It is a part of me that I can not live without.

Where do you see yourself in ten years?

I can only expect that I would be finishing up my graduate work in college and showing dogs on weekends when I am not visiting my family.

Thank you Shannon for taking time out to answer our questions.