12/05/2025
I pray that Sousa will have more left hand circles, to finish his Silver Grand, but boy does this hit home.
George's lead sits quietly, retired. No other dog will ever use it. Sousa's is still his, waiting, hoping, but on a break.
Bright's lead has been borrowed a few times, but is hers and only hers. Glitter Glam has her own now, with hopes she does the great things I believe she can do. Once we're ready. Cheesy P**f and Tillie has theirs. Galaxy's lead is "The Lucky Lead" which hasn't retired, but is brought out when Dea or I need a special touch.
All the dreams, work, hope, gambles, and tears. Most of all, the amazing memories built with an incredible dog whose memory always brings a smile.
Thank you Jessica, for this reflection.
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The moments when it’s over…
We all carry our own funny little rituals through life, and the dog show world is no exception. When a dog is being specialed, everything becomes uniquely theirs: the show lead used only for them, the tweaks to their diet, the crate they always settle into at shows, the pad that fits just right, the walking lead in their color, the grooming products and routine dialed in over time. Young hopefuls in the wings don’t get that level of ceremony yet. Their collars are swapped, leads get borrowed, and whatever is handy becomes “theirs” for the day. But the specials… they have their own universe.
We pour years into them - training, traveling, practicing until we move as one. There are the quiet dawn mornings and the frantic ringside scrambles, the long flights and even longer drives where it’s just you and your dog and the road. They’ve carried our worries, our celebrations, our whispered hopes. They’ve heard us laugh, cry, and process life somewhere between grooming tables and gas station coffee. They’ve shared fancy dinners and McDonald’s fries. You reach a point where you know every nuance of them. How they think, what they need, how they’ll react, and exactly how every hair on their body behaves in and out of coat.
And then, one day, it’s over.
The final left-hand circle has been run. Another dog steps into the spotlight. Their name slowly slips from results and rankings. Sometimes we’re ready. Goals have been achieved, a promising youngster waiting for their turn, or simply a peaceful sense that it’s time. Other times life steals the decision from our hands.
But it’s in that small, sacred moment, when you put their show lead away for the last time, that everything comes rushing back. Every mile, every road trip, every quiet adventure. The good, the bad, the learning, the grace. The people they brought into your life. The next generation they helped create. All the joy they carried with them, without ever saying a word.
As I officially retire their lead, as I retrain my muscle memory to stop preparing their meals a certain way, as I catch myself filling out entries and instinctively reaching for their name first…I’m reminded of all the moments we lived together. All the stories and relationships I wouldn’t have if not for the privilege of standing beside them in the ring.
And in that remembering, I also feel the spark of what’s still ahead. The future dogs, the future journeys, the future moments waiting to unfold.
- Jessica Viera
