Acampo handler shows top dog
Love of dogs led Bill McFadden to award-winning career
Acampo dog handler Bill McFadden led Flynn, a bichon frise, to victory at the 2018 Westminster Dog Show held last week in Madison Square Garden. Flynn was crowned Best in Show.
Though McFadden is no newcomer to Westminster — it’s one of the more than 150 shows he participates in annually, and his career has spanned 40 years — the luster hasn’t worn off.
“Westminster is really exciting,” McFadden said. “It’s probably the most famous show in America . ... When I was little kid, I didn’t think I would have a reason to be on the floor at Madison Square Garden, so it’s pretty special just from that aspect. It’s a really tough competition. It’s a lot of good dogs that come from all over the country, and a lot of drama and a lot of excitement.”
There were seven great dogs in the finals, McFadden said, but Flynn managed to stand out from the crowd. He wooed one of the judges by wagging his tail every time she came near him.
“Sometimes it’s the little things like that that separate you when the competition is so good,” McFadden said. “Sometimes it’s those little things that draw a judge in, and I’m just glad he wagged his tail. That’s not why he won, but sometimes it takes a little something extra.”
While McFadden and Flynn make a winning pair, Flynn is not McFadden’s dog. As a handler, McFadden has teamed up with thousands of dogs
“I just love dogs. I wish people were more like dogs. Dogs are pretty honest, and they really exhibit unconditional love.”
over the years.
“I show dogs for a living,” he said. “I’m like a jockey. People hire me to show their dogs.”
Flynn’s owner contacted McFadden about working with Flynn a little over two years ago, and McFadden started showing him in January 2016.
Last year was a good year for Flynn, who won 41 best-in-show titles that year, he said.
McFadden and his wife, Taffe, have owned Bold Oaks Kennels in Acampo for more than 25 years.
His interest in dog handling began when he was 5 years old, when his parents gave him a rough collie.
“From the time I was five, I can just remember Saturday mornings getting up and brushing him for hours to make him look beautiful, and then taking him on long walks so I could hear people tell me how beautiful he was — which is pretty much what I have done for a living for the past 40 years,” McFadden said.
BILL MCFADDEN ACAMPO DOG HANDLER
He’s always had a love for animals — dogs especially — and feels lucky that he fell into doing something he loves for a living.
“I just love dogs,” McFadden said. “I wish people were more like dogs. Dogs are pretty honest, and they really exhibit unconditional love.”
McFadden participates in up to five dog shows each weekend, and works with several dogs throughout the year. He enjoys working with all breeds, but his favorites are terriers and English springer spaniels.
It takes a lot of time and effort
to be a successful dog handler, McFadden said.
It’s important for handlers to study the breeds they work with. The best way to do that, he said, is to develop a relation with the breeder or watch other handlers. Spending a lot of time practicing and working with each dog is also imperative.
It can take several months to prepare some dogs to be shown, McFadden said, but it all depends on the breed and the individual dog.
Bigger dogs like Dobermans and Rottweilers require more physical conditioning, he said. Some breeds require a lot of grooming in preparation for shows, and a lot of the handlers do the grooming
themselves, he added.
“Each breed is different. Each breed has specific things you have to work on,” he said.
Attending handling classes and getting the dog socialized so they are used to new people and new places is also helpful when preparing a dog to be shown, McFadden said.
While there is some training involved, most dogs learn as they go at the actual shows, he said.
“It’s a lot of hard work, but every job has its own level of stress and busy time, so it’s not anything I find difficult to deal with,” McFadden said.
When he’s not showing dogs, McFadden teaches a dog handling class at Sycamore Lane Kennels in Lodi. The class is for handlers of all skill levels, whether they are beginners or experienced handlers with younger dogs.
McFadden makes his living from showing other people’s dogs, but he also has dogs of his own and shows them from time to time.
He encourages other dog lovers to pick out a pooch of their own — but be a responsible owner, he said.
“If you want to get a dog, make sure you do your research and find the dog that’s right for you or your family. Be responsible,” McFadden said. “Be a good neighbor and take good care of your dog, and they’ll take good care of you.”