22 & 23.8.2026
Adam’s Junior Handling Debut
The time had come for Adam to start competing too. During the summer, he attended an excellent training camp organised by the Junior Handling Club Slovakia, with the wonderful trainers Dominika Hradská and Vladimíra Macháleková, as well as guest trainers.
The international dog show held in August at Dostihový Háj in Bratislava was a great opportunity for his first competition. Naturally, Crocus was the obvious choice. Both youngsters did their very best. Some elements went better, others less so—but the important thing is that each new experience helps them both improve. And not only them…
This weekend opened my eyes—in a good way—to how difficult it is to compete in Junior Handling with a “lesser-known” breed. Adam is not the only one learning; his fellow competitors and the judge are also learning that:
- The Puli should be judged on the table, which did not happen on this occasion.
- The Puli has a square build, and its dense, long coat can make the dog appear longer than it really is—something the junior handler must respond to correctly.
- The Puli should not trot with the long stride that looks so elegant in other breeds. Instead, it happily bounces along beside its handler’s leg and therefore belongs among the breeds shown at a brisk walk.
Adam received only minimal point deductions from both judges and even reached the semi-final on Saturday. Thank you—this is very motivating for a beginner.
We are going back to training, and we will see you at the next competition.
