My Weekend with Johnny and Tara

J & T... what can I say?
What rhinestone covered words are there to explain the time I spent with the fabulous duo?

It all started a couple of months ago when NBC Sports host David Frei put out a post on Facebook that they were looking to do a handler makeover as a fun segment for the Kennel Club of Beverly Hills' first televised dog show. It wasn't a contest or sweepstakes, just a general outreach to the dog sports community that Mr. Frei has become such a well respected part of. I was already planning on attending the show to handle a friend's dog and enter Andy as a veteran (old dog class). I figured "why not?!" and sent off a few photos and a little information about Andy and me. Then I promptly forgot about it for a couple of weeks.

Some regular Wednesday I looked at my phone after my students had left for the day. It was Kristen, a producer from NBC Sports! I called her back immediately and we chatted about schedules and the segment. They picked me!

After our conversation the first person I told was obviously my Mom! She screamed. When my sister, a phenomenal figure skater found out about the segment her response was, "The dog gets to meet my idols? Are you kidding?!".  I must add, being the people Tara and Johnny are, they called Megan to say hello during filming.

My cute sister Megan doing her thing! 

So fast forward to the show weekend. I looked through my closet to find my least favorite show outfit. I have this horrible set of "dog show shoes" that stay in the plastic bag until we get to the show. I won't even wear them in the car. They're disgusting! I couldn't bring myself to wear those across the famous checkerboard flooring of Bloomingdales. I wore some old white sneakers instead. 

Let me just say, Johnny and Tara are the prettiest, skinniest, most tongue-in-cheek people I've ever been in the presence of. I was immediately thankful I did my pore strip and plucked my eyebrows the night before. Honestly and truly, they are the same people on and off screen. There is no Jekyll and Hyde  scenario with those two. 

We shopped all day. From 10 am to 4 pm I was in the store trying on clothing. I've never put on and taken off so many outfits at one time. It was a little exhausting. Tara and Johnny both picked out adorable outfits and options. I tried on so much more than was shown. The duo made the day hilarious and fun.

 The entire NBC Sports crew were so good at their jobs. They were kind, helpful, and had a great sense of humor. The poor sound guy, Adam, just had to laugh when he was half way through placing my body mic and I mentioned, "I'm sure they told you, but I am changing clothes in this segment". His sigh filled answer was, "No" and out came the boom. The makeup and PA girls kept getting asked if they worked at the department store. Kristen, the world's best producer somehow kept every outfit, employee, and shot location together. We were definitely a strange sight to behold to the regulars and tourists of the Beverly Center. 

What I appreciated most about this entire segment was that NBC aimed to make it educational. Why do handlers dress the way they do? What do they look for in an outfit?
Obviously not every bit of information could be smushed into a couple of minutes, but we actually went shopping for outfits that were wrong on purpose. We picked a dress that was way too short as well as a dress that was too close in color to my dog. I got to exclaim my love for pockets and functional clothing. 
At one point Kristen did ask me about handlers that hold the bait in their mouths. I told her that some people do it and more power to them, but I think it is super gross. This emphasized my need for an outfit with pockets! In the past I've actually taken clothes to my favorite tailor and had them sew in a pocket on the right side since we hold the lead with our left hand. 
Tara, Johnny. and the rest of the crew asked a lot of questions about conformation, breed heritage, and dogs in general. I was happy to answer any of them. I found it admirable how much they wanted to learn!
On this Access Hollywood interview, Tara and Johnny talk about the show and some of the things they learned that didn't fit in the makeover segment. It was an honor to be the one they learned from!


The day of the show arrived. I remember telling Kristen I didn't have super high hopes for Andy. While he is an AKC Grand Champion, he is also 10 years old and doesn't look like the dog he once was. He also isn't every judge's cup of tea. That's okay! He likes to show, so we take him out and let him enjoy the ring as a veteran dog. I told her that there were some really lovely dogs entered that all deserved to win. It would just be left up to the judge.  

Needless to say, I was surprised and overjoyed when Andy (GCH Blue Knight Silent Alarm) won Best of Breed. What a dream! What an honor! Mom and our friend Daos were sitting ringside watching with the crew. When the judge pointed to Andy, Kristen asked them "Does this mean they won?". They screamed YES and the crew began giving each other high fives! I didn't see any of this unfold. Mom told me later and I find it so sweet and genuine. No one could have predicted the way this weekend turned out. 

This meant we got to represent the Labrador Retriever in the Sporting Group! 

You can watch Andy's full examination here: 2017 BHDS: Labrador Retriever, Sporting Group

After Best of Breed Andy got a few hours to relax while I ran to the hair and makeup trailer. I had to get ready for the Red Carpet Reveal!

Later, Andy and I made our way back to the lounge. It was a secret hideaway filled with celebrities and very important people. As soon as we made our way back there Tara, Johnny, and the rest of the crew gave hugs and congratulations for our breed win. They were genuinely excited for us. After some primping from the incredible hair and makeup team, Andy and I were ready. We filmed our outfit reveal in a few takes. Andy gave lots of tail wags and enjoyed pats and scratches from the people in the lounge. 

Tara and Johnny told me what a great time they had at the show. They said they met some great people as well as some whacky ones. I let them know that is a pretty accurate depiction of the dog sports world. Truth be told, I think we're all a little whacky.


They wished us well and we went off to the Sporting Group which was the last of the night. We had been at the show for over 12 hours at this point. I was tired, but the excitement outweighed the exhaustion. Andy napped all day so he was ready for anything!

Andy showed so well in the group. I am so proud and honored that he got to represent the most popular breed in the USA at the Beverly Hills Dog Show.

 I want to give a big thank you to Mr. Frei, and Mr. O'Hurley for showcasing Andy as a veteran and therapy dog. The compliments on my outfit were nice, too!

Tara and Johnny, thank you from the bottom of my heart for the stellar outfit and best day of shopping.

Thank you to the Kennel Club of Beverly Hills for putting on such a star studded show.

Thank you to Bloomingdale's for letting us shop, and thank you to Maje, Ted Baker, and Via Spiga for my adorable outfit.

Kristen, Autumn, and the rest at NBC Sports and USA Network, thank you for making me look as cute as my dog and for a great experience. It was such a pleasure meeting all of you.

Mom, Dad, Megan, Adam, Daos, Blue Knight Labradors, Nancy, Alice, Carol and the rest of our wonderfully supportive and phenomenal dog community, thank you for your love and excitement. I am lucky to have grown up in the right with a village worth of mentors.

You can watch the entire Beverly Hills Dog Show at the link below. Our segment in full and the Sporting group start at about 01:07.
 http://www.usanetwork.com/beverlyhillsdogshow/videos/beverly-hills-dog-show-2017

I guess the only thing left to say is,

Pockets!

Brag About Your Dog for a Good Cause!

The Beverly Hills Dog Show premiers tonight at 8 PM! 

Tune in for the 2 hour program on USA Network to see some doggie stars participate in agility, conformation, obedience, dock diving, and more! 

While you're snuggled with your pooch on the couch tonight, be sure to use your social media for good!


Log on to your Facebook, Instagram, and/or Twitter account and post about why your doggie is a star to raise money for Leader Dogs for the Blind! 



Guidelines:

There is no limit on how many times you can post. 

Make sure your post is set to PUBLIC. If it is private or on a setting only your friends can see, the organization will not be able to see it and your post will not be counted. 

You MUST use the tags #BHDogShow and @Purina for your post to be counted. 

Just sharing a post will not count. Each post must be original! 

You can post any time between April 10th - 23rd 2017. 

Here is our example! 

The Difference Between Service Dogs, Emotional Support Animals, and Therapy Dogs

While I am out volunteering with Andy as a therapy dog team, we often get questions from people about where they can find a service or emotional support dog for someone they love. 
I spend a lot of time explaining that there is a huge difference between what Andy and I do and what they are looking for. 

Andy with his English Setter friends Tru and Eve
 at CSUN's Special Needs Resource Fair 2016

Therapy dogs are pets first. They have gone through a difficult testing and registration process to be insured by an organization. Their temperament must be reliably easy going and pleasant around different noises, animals, and people.  Therapy dogs do not provide a service for their owner; instead they provide comfort and joy to all types of people from nervous airport passengers to hospital patients.  A therapy dog team is 100% volunteer. To become a therapy dog team, the owner must pay for yearly dues and other fees associated with testing and registration. Therapy dogs may only go where they are invited and are not exceptions to animal free housing. Andy and I are members of Alliance of Therapy Dogs.

Ready to go to our first visit at the Ronald McDonald House! 2016

Emotional Support Animals (ESA) are not required to have any training. These animals can help their owners with anxiety, stress, or other psychological issues. ESAs are NOT service animals under title II and III of ADA. A doctor must decide that this animal is needed for the mental health of their patient. Under the Fair Housing Act ESA are allowed to live with their owners in a residence with a no pets policy, however, ESA are not permitted to be taken to all establishments. 

Service dogs include guide dogs, hearing or signal dogs, sensory signal dogs, psychiatric service dogs, and seizure response dogs. These dogs are protected under ADA to be with their handlers in all establishments at all times. Service dogs undergo extensive training to provide support specifically for their designated person and their disability. These are the dogs you may see with vests that say "Don't Pet Me". Please respect that wish and do not distract a service dog. You could be putting their handler's life at risk.



This is the part where I beg that you do not abuse the system and falsely claim that your dog is a service animal. 
Service dogs are in a way, medical equipment for their owners. Their human needs them to live as independently as possible and stay healthy and safe. Please do not disrespect and diminish the hard work and dedication that continuously goes into each service dog because you hate leaving Fluffy home alone. 


Regardless of what your animal may be classified as, all animals are still required to follow vaccination and licensing laws. Be sure that your pet is up to date!