Crufts test of how to handle herself

Pascale Sperling, 13, is heading to Britain to compete in the world's top dog show: Crufts.

The Year 9 student at Tauranga Girls' College has been showing dogs since she was 6, inspired by her dog-handler mother, Nathalie Sperling, a regular competitor in dog shows for years.

"It kind of grew on me and I've been practising at home. In general, I just love dogs," Pascale said.

Last year - as a 12-year-old in her final year at intermediate school - Pascale won the NZ Kennel Club's Junior Dog Handler of the Year competition, sponsored by dog food brand Eukanuba.

As the winner, she automatically won the chance to represent New Zealand in the International Junior Dog Handler of the Year section at Crufts.

The show has been going for more than 100 years in the UK and is the biggest canine event of its kind in the world.

Pascale's category includes youngsters from more than 40 countries, and at 13 she is the youngest dog handler to have ever represented New Zealand at the competition.

"It's quite an achievement, I guess, a lot of responsibility. It's also quite an honour."

The category is split into three rounds and each competitor is given an unfamiliar dog to show off to the judges and the crowd.

"You get asked to give your choice of breed - we don't know the dog at all.

"You get to spend 30 minutes with it and you have to show it to your best advantage and get the dog to know you."

Pascale's choice of breed is an English pointer, like Romeo (above).

She admitted it could be hard to build a rapport with an unfamiliar dog, but handlers had to deal with it and do the best they could.

"I've just got to be confident in myself," she said.