My name is Charley Newlen, and I am 11 years old. I am from Bakersfield, California, just north of the Los Angeles area. I show an Australian Shepard named Gracie May. Gracie is seven years old, and I have been training Gracie for three years.
I got Gracie as a puppy, but she was never leash trained until I started training her when she was four years old. I wanted to learn more about dogs, so I joined a local 4-H group with Claudia Burke as the lead trainer. Gracie and I went to every meeting and event we could attend, to get more experience. I attended a Rally lesson presented by Lynn Howe. We began taraining Rally once a week with Lynn. We made our Rally courses at home, along with practicing for obedience and showmanship. Shortly after, we joined the Bakersfield Obedience Training Club (BOTC). I began working and training with many of the members of the BOTC. Since joining, I have attended and participated in several workshops and lessons with the BOTC members.
There were many challenges in training a four-year-old dog that had never been on a leash, but all my dedication, hard work, and training with Gracie have led to many titles. The titles we have achieved are Rally Novice, Farm Dog, Trick Dog, Canine Good Citizen, and Canine Good Citizen Advanced. Also, I received first place in junior showmanship at my first AKC dog show in Camarillo, CA in 2019!
I am continuing to train daily with Gracie. I am training for Intermediate Rally, Obedience, Junior Showmanship, Agility, and Herding. I continue to train weekly with Lynn Howe, Claudia Burke, and the members of BOTC. I have started my search for my next handling project, a Papillion puppy. I would like to compete with my new puppy in AKC events, along with Agility.
I love and enjoy working with dogs. The dogs learn at a quick pace and are more than eager to please. It is great to be surrounded by all the incredible trainers and members of local AKC Clubs. Everyone is willing to help me along my journey and teach me about proper training techniques. I look forward to competing for many more titles and awards. My current goal is to train my new puppy and advance my knowledge of all AKC Sports and Events.
Thank You for the opportunity to share my story.