Victoria Watson and her mom, Melanie Watson, have learned a lot about schnauzers since they picked up a miniature breed from the Glasgow-Barren County Animal Shelter – Barren River Animal Welfare Association (BRAWA) two and half years ago.

Preston has earned two ribbons in state fair dog shows.

“We started him as a puppy in obedience classes,” said Victoria, 11, who will be showing Preston in the Barren County Fair’s Pet Show Saturday. “We started teaching him showmanship last summer.”

Melanie said that it never crossed her mind to enter a pet in a show.

“When we got Preston, she decided that she wanted to do obedience training,” Melanie said. “Preston was probably only six or seven months old when we started the first obedience class. Never in my wildest dreams did I think of taking Preston to a dog show.”

Last year, at the state fair, Victoria and Preston earned a blue ribbon for showmanship and a red ribbon in obedience. “Blue is top,” Victoria said. “If you did the best job, you get a blue. If you did a good job, you get a red.”

Melanie added: “There is a score sheet and they have points, so they are scored. They (the judges) give places in the top three, but she got the highest red score they gave. Especially in obedience, it’s a relatively objective scale, that’s based on how that dog does what his trainer asks him to.”

Victoria said when Preston goes to the state fair next month, he’ll have to go through a detailed grooming process.

“He has to go back and get clipped again for the state fair, but for the pet show, this is OK,” she said. “He’ll get a bath before the state show and probably before the pet show, but I would definitely be more careful for the state show. We brush his teeth and clean his eye boogers. We look for more detail for the state show. The state shows are more professional, but the pet shows, I think, are more just for fun.”

Melanie said that since Preston is a BRAWA dog, he doesn’t have the registration required for a full American Kennel Club show, but he’s perfect for 4-H dog shows.

“If you do showmanship for the AKC, it has to be a purebred dog and it has to meet breed standards,” she said. “They have to be a registered animal. In a 4-H dog show, you can show a mixed breed, you can show your mutt, and the showmanship is more about how the handler handles their pet and shows him off to the judge. Preston is a miniature schnauzer, but he’s a BRAWA dog, so we don’t have him registered for AKC. At the 4-H show, any child that just wants to bring their dog, they can.”

Victoria said that at the state fair, Preston will compete in obedience in the graduate-beginner phase, rally obedience and showmanship.

“Rally obedience is where they have cones set up in a pattern and they tell you directions,” she said. “They go through a little course. Obedience is where you do what the judge tells you to.”

Melanie said when they took Preston to a dog camp two years ago, is when the competition bug hit.

“We’ve gone to dog camp two years,” Victoria said. “It’s basically where you take your dog to camp with you. They have classes you can sign up for – agility, showmanship, rally and regular obedience. You camp out in cabins with your dog.”