The Westminster Dog Show’s Youngest Handlers Don’t Know If They Want To Do This Forever

When Emerson Jaquish’s mother decided 10 years ago to get a saluki, the contract for the dog said that the canine needed to be “shown.” In other words, if they were to buy the dog, they would be contractually obligated to enter it at dog shows. So at the age of 9, Emerson entered into the ring for the first time, showing her family dog. She began to learn showdog handling from renowned dog trainer Jody Davidson, who trained many of the junior-level handlers in Arizona. From there, she excelled, eventually qualifying for the Westminster Dog Show several times in the Junior Showmanship category.

Ten years on, Emerson is still in the ring, although she typically shows dachshunds now. Dog shows have become her life. She works as an assistant handler under Erin Karst, a professional handler. She attends online college, which gives her the flexibility to work full-time for Karst.

“I try to get all my schoolwork done on Monday, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, so that Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, I can focus on the dog shows,” Emerson tells me. I ask her to estimate how much time she spends getting ready for attending dog shows each week. She laughs. “All of it? It’s one big, continuous loop, pretty much.” At the average show, she and Karst manage around a dozen dogs.