In this interview, meet vet tech Kara Hickey who started showing dogs like I did; in 4-H. She works at a veterinary practice where "75% of the staff is involved in conformation showing, breeding, obedience, or all of the above," and one of the veterinarians is boarded in veterinary reproduction.
1) How many years have you been involved in showing dogs? The Affenpinscher breed?
Answer: I've been showing dogs for 18 years, first as a 4Her and Junior Handler, then as a handler's assistant, and now showing a few client dogs here and there, as well as my own dogs. This is my first Affenpinscher, and I've had him for 2 years.
2) What can you tell us about this breed, and how did you become interested in the Affenpinscher?
Answer: I first became interested in Affenpinschers after a good friend acquired one as a show dog. He was adorable and quite a show dog. At the time, I wasn't looking to add another dog to my house, but always kept it in the back of my mind that if I were to get a small dog, I would get an Affenpinscher.
About 3 years ago, I told my friend that if she came across a young dog that she would like to keep intact [not neutered] and be shown, I would be interested. About a year later, I got a phone call that she had a dog for me, and it was love at first sight. Emmett makes me laugh every single day, which I think is his most important job.
Affens are definitely characters. I don't think that many Affens ever have a bad day. They have almost human expressions and swear that they follow the human's conversations around them. They are very intelligent and trainable if one is willing to put the time in. They will, however, find ways to entertain themselves. Most of them will walk on their hind legs, probably to get a better view of all their friends around them.
3) Does your dog do any other types of training (obedience, agility, search and rescue) or therapy work?
Answer: Currently, Emmett and I do not do any other types of training, since we've been focusing on finishing our Grand Championship. I do plan on starting Rally-O training this year.
4) Do you incorporate your veterinary practice with the dog show world (or vice versa) in any way?
Answer: I actually got the job through dog show friends. At least 75% of the staff is involved in conformation showing, breeding, obedience, or all of the above. Many of our clients are also involved in the dog show world, since our practice does a fair share of reproductive medicine, with one of our veterinarians being board certified in veterinary reproduction.
I think the clients feel more at ease knowing that the staff understands that not only are these animals cherished pets, but also that they can be valuable to one's breeding program or the breed itself.
5) Do you face any special challenges or have any interesting stories as a veterinary professional participating in dog shows?
Answer: As a veterinary professional, it always seems that somebody is coming to you for advice about something or another. Education is part of our job, so you try to give said person facts or direct them to discuss their concern with their own veterinarian and staff.
There have been times when I've been called in to help in (luckily) minor emergencies. Most recently, a friend's top-winning special split his tail open about 30 minutes before judging time. Needless to say, they were in a slight panic by the time they had called me. I was able to stay calm, stop the bleeding in time for judging, and then was able to get the dog's tail bandaged to protect it for the rest of the weekend. (And if you were wondering, the dog did very well at the show.)
Thank you, Kara, for sharing your enthusiasm for the Affenpinscher breed, dog shows, and how it all relates to your career as a veterinarian. Best wishes for this year's show.
