From the moment 13-year-old Alani Fowler of Henrico, Virginia attended her first dog show, she knew she wanted to get involved in the sport of conformation. Since starting, Fowler and her Pomeranian “Chanel” GCHB Starpom Alisiya have risen through the ranks of Junior Showmanship, and her ambition to keep improving only grows with each competition.
What was once an ambition is now her reality. Her hard work and her family’s consistent support have helped her and Chanel succeed in her Junior Showmanship career so far. The duo even competed at the 2025 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.
A Fated First Chance
Once Fowler decided at age 10 that she wanted to show dogs, she got her chance almost instantly. “One day me and my parents went to a dog show, and a professional handler needed some help showing a Biewer Terrier,” Fowler recalls. The handler saw her enthusiasm and wanted to give her a chance. Before she knew it, she was standing in the ring, showing a dog – something she’d never done before.
“He showed me what to do on the sideline, and after showing the dog, the handler said I did a great job for my first time,” Fowler says. He encouraged her parents to look into getting Fowler an AKC number so that she could start showing in Junior Showmanship.
Even after that first show, she knew she wanted to stay involved in the dog community. It wasn’t long after this that she was in the ring with her own dog, competing in Junior Showmanship. Three years later, dog shows are a regular part of her life.
Taking in Feedback
Fowler has never let the experience of being the “new kid” at a dog show keep her from trying her best and putting herself out there. Trusting herself and her dog have helped immensely going into these new environments.
“The first time handling in Juniors had me a little nervous because I had no idea on what to do, but I won second place in my group,” says Fowler. She was thrilled with the win, but still wanted to improve.
She recalls asking the judge for advice on what she could do better next time. Her fellow Junior competitors also offered her some tips. Fowler took in all of the advice she got and put it into practice almost immediately. “The next day, I won my group,” Fowler proudly remembers.
Training Her First Show Dog
Although Fowler has had a lot of success in a short period of time, every aspect of her Juniors career hasn’t been so simple. Just like Fowler was new to competing, so was Chanel.
“My biggest challenge was the training,” says Fowler. “She was my pet first before becoming a show dog.” Once Chanel understood her job, their relationship and understanding of one another improved in and out of the ring.
Training wasn’t the only aspect of showing that gave Fowler a learning curve. Fowler says showing Pomeranians takes a lot of work and dedication because of their extensive grooming requirements. To keep Chanel ring ready, Fowler is committed to brushing her daily and bathing her weekly to make sure she always looks her best. “And sometimes even more than that,” Fowler notes. “It depends on how many shows we have.”
Being a First-Generation Handler
Fowler believes she couldn’t have pursued dog sports to the level that she has without her family’s encouragement and support, including putting in significant travel to make it happen. “They have been to every show I wanted to go to,” she says. “No matter how far I wanted to travel, we packed the car up, and we went to my shows.”
“Getting involved with showing dogs and not coming from a show family was challenging,” she says. “It’s all in the presentation and how I handle my dog. Every judge likes something different.”
Fowler’s proudest dog show moment so far has been qualifying for Westminster shortly after she began competing in the Master class. “It was really exciting knowing that I made it to qualify for Westminster, which is one of my main goals,” she says.
In particular, Fowler was proud to “be able to show my own dog in breed and Juniors.” This was especially important to her because not only is she a first-generation handler, but she also is doing all the training and grooming herself. “Me and my dog have a great connection with each other and that shows in the ring,” she says.
Fowler hopes to encourage kids and teens who don’t come from multi-generational dog show families to get involved in Junior Showmanship. She’s a big believer that junior handlers should always be growing and learning in the sport. “My advice for other Juniors is to try and go in the ring with confidence, listen and stay humble, and pay attention to the judges carefully.”
Junior Showmanship Is Life Changing
When Fowler attended that first dog show, she thought she was just going to watch dogs. She had no idea that attending would jumpstart a new passion. Fowler credits her experiences so far in the dog world with shaping who she is today. “Being a junior handler has made me more responsible, knowing that I have to remember all my grooming materials,” she explains. In addition, she notes that the sport “gave me more confidence to go out in a big crowd of people.”
She wants to see the sport of conformation continuing to grow and encourages junior handlers to make sure to “always encourage new Juniors.” Fowler is especially passionate about making the sport more accessible to kids that want to get involved. She hopes that adults, particularly those involved in breed clubs, can keep junior handlers in mind when planning shows. “I think every parent club should give an opportunity for Juniors to show when they have specialties because Juniors are the future,” Fowler explains.
Fresh off competing at Westminster in 2025, Fowler is thinking about her plans for the future. Fowler looks forward to continuing to stay active in showing, as well as starting her own breeding program. “My next step for me and my dog is hopefully retiring my bitch and trying to start breeding her,” she says. Her ambition is to further the breed she has come to be passionate about.