From the Owner Handler leash Haylee Siegrist-Grosst

From the Owner Handler leash

Haylee Siegrist-Gross

Please tell our readers how you got involved in the world of pedigree dogs and which people were the most important for your beginnings.My journey in dog shows started in 2012 when I was 18 years old. Growing up, I had participated in horse shows and even cat shows, so the natural next hobby was dog shows. My mom, Dee Gross, had always wanted to try dog shows and had always wanted a Smooth Collie. I grew up with a Pembroke Welsh Corgi who was not a show dog but was the smartest dog you could ever know. We got our first Smooth Collie from breeder Erin Blaisure, who helped us get our start in the sport. While I would go to dog shows every now and then, juggling college and a social life, it wasn’t until 2018 that I really got into the sport. At the time, I was living in an apartment with my now-husband Ryan Laske. I wanted a dog, and he said yes, but it had to be a small dog, which meant no Smooth Collie. I did a lot of research on many different breeds, looking for something with great health, a long lifespan, friendly, easy to groom, and most importantly, I had to think it was cute. The Tibetan Spaniel checked all the boxes, and after going to shows and meeting them in person, I knew they were the breed for me. I got my first Tibetan Spaniel, Pepper, from breeder Colleen Bias Chaffee, and the rest is history. With Pepper, I got my first Regular Group Placements, a Best in Specialty Show, a National Best Opposite Sex in Specialty, BOS at the National Championship, Select at Westminster, top 5 in Breed (2021, 2022), and Allbreed (2022), and #1 NOHS Tibetan Spaniel for 4 years in a row (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)!! She’s also my heart dog, with numerous titles after her name and with the same smartness my Corgi had all those years ago. Now I’m a breeder and go to dog shows almost every weekend. As my husband would say, I’m obsessed with this sport. When I get into something, I tend to go all in. I figure, as long as I’m still having fun, I’ll keep showing dogs.

What breeds of dogs have you shown over the years, and what breeds are your favorites to work with?I have shown Smooth Collies and Tibetan Spaniels. The Smooth Collies live with my mom, and we have finished every one we’ve owned, which makes 5 Champions. Smooth Collies are the most kind and willing-to-please breed you could ever meet. They love to be cuddled and are always looking at you, wondering what it is you want them to do. They are sweet with everyone and get along great with the Tibetan Spaniels, too. Right now, the Tibetan Spaniels have my heart. I like them so much that I decided to make more and bred my Pepper in 2023. We kept her daughter, Cherri, so now we have 2, and they add so much joy to our lives. Tibetan Spaniels are smart—some may say too smart. Pepper knows how to do everything now, but whether she chooses to do it is a different story. She knows to work only if treats are involved. They love to sit on top of high places, and mine will sit on the back of the couch to stare out the window and alert us if they see anything suspicious. I work from home most of the time, and you can find Pepper and Cherri in whatever room of the house I’m in, while our 2 cats can be found in whatever room my husband is in. The Tibbies sleep in bed with us every night and wake me up in the morning with kisses. They have added so much joy to our lives, and I am so thankful I get to live my life with Tibetan Spaniels.

Please share with our readers some of your highlights in the show ring as OH, so far.Some highlights for me include:

Pepper (OHBIS OHRBIS BISS GCHP Shenanwood Strawberry Fields Forever RN FDC BCAT CGCA CGCU TKA ATT FITB)
#1 Tibetan Spaniel NOHS (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)
#3 Tibetan Spaniel Breed (2021, 2022)
#5 Tibetan Spaniel Allbreed (2022)
Won a Best in Specialty Show in 2021
Won a National Best of Opposite in Specialty Show in 2022. That National weekend in 2022, she was Best of Opposite 2 days and Best of Breed BOH on the day of the Supported Entry.
She also won her and my first Best in Show Owner Handler and Reserve Best in Show Owner Handler in 2022.
Pepper’s daughter, Cherri (MOHBIS MOHRBIS GCHB Haylily’s Shenanwood Cherri on Top FDC BCAT), has had an exciting start at only 18 months old.
She has won 3 Owner Handler Best in Shows and 2 Owner Handler Reserve Best in Shows in the past 2 months and is currently the #1 NOHS Tibetan Spaniel for 2025. She is also currently the #6 Tibetan Spaniel in Breed Points for 2024.

What makes you more excited – winning an all-breed Best in Show or a Specialty Best in Show?Both would be very exciting! I’ve come close to the National, winning a Best of Opposite at the National Specialty. I’ve yet to get a Group 1 in the regular group, so that would also be an exciting win for me, as well as a Best of Breed win at Westminster or the National Championship— all goals I am working towards with my dogs! Every year, I create new goals for myself; that’s what keeps it interesting. In 2020, my goal was to be #1 OH for Tibetan Spaniels, and we did it! My husband asked if that meant I was done showing dogs, and I said, “Well, I have to do it again the next year too!”

On the whole, do you believe there are too many all-rounder judges judging your breed and not enough breed or group specialists?For Tibetan Spaniels, I do feel there are not a lot of Breed Specialists, mainly because there are just not many breeder judges in Tibetan Spaniels. The worst is in Owner Handler Groups, where I’ve had judges who didn’t even know what the breed was. I’d hope judges would have a basic understanding of every breed they are judging.

Westminster or Orlando? Also, how do you feel about not having Westminster in the Garden anymore?Both, lol! Westminster is more prestigious, I would say; it’s literally the Super Bowl of the dog world. I love the atmosphere there, and it’s been fun to go to all the locations in New York. Being a tennis fan, I especially liked it at Arthur Ashe—it was neat to be showing dogs where tennis legends have played. Pepper was invited twice, which adds to the prestige, as you can either earn an invite or make the lottery of 2,500 dogs that make it in. Orlando is just fun. It’s a massive venue, there are so many events going on, and every day is something different. I love going to the Owner Handler Finals there, and my friends and I always take a trip to Disney while we’re there.

What do you think, where in the world does your breed have the best quality?I think here in the USA has the best quality for both Tibetan Spaniels and Smooth Collies. For Tibetan Spaniels, people have imported a lot from other countries in Europe, which helps keep the gene pool fresh. I think, in general, there are a lot of nice Tibetan Spaniels out competing right now. I think it gets better every year too. Since I started showing Tibbies in 2018, I’ve noticed more being shown now, and the quality is always impressive.

How do you feel about the number of shows held weekly around the country?Well, I’d say there’s a lot, and that does spread the entries thin, but I do show almost every weekend, so I like that there is always a close option (at least here on the East Coast). Back in 2020/2021, when a lot of shows were canceled due to COVID, I traveled further than ever before because there were limited shows offered on the weekends. That did raise the level and the entries, which I thought was kind of cool. It was also fun going to new places I’d never been before. Now, I usually stick to places within 2 hours of my house so I can drive back and forth and don’t need to get a hotel. If I had to get a hotel every weekend, it would get too expensive.

Would you ever consider becoming a judge one day?I would love to become a judge in juniors one day. I think they are the future of the sport, and it’s important to foster an interest early so that dog shows can be around for years to come.

Is there any advice you would like to give both to Professional Handlers, Owner/Handlers, and also judges?I’m not sure if I’m worthy of giving advice, as there are still plenty of people who have been doing this longer than I have. For Professional Handlers, this is their job, and they are getting paid to do it, which is very different from Owner/Handlers, who are paying to do this as a hobby. For Owner/Handlers, I’d say I hope you’re having fun because, for me, dressing up in nice suits and dresses and getting to show my dogs that I love is a lot of fun. Also, if you lose, always congratulate the winner.

What is your favorite way to unwind on days off? Do you have hobbies outside of the dog world?For me, there’s nothing I love more than going on a long walk, whether by myself or with my dogs. It helps me think and clears my mind. I also love reading and try to read a book a week if I can. My husband and I play tennis together, which helps satisfy my competitive spirit when I’m not showing dogs (though he always beats me). We bring the dogs with us to the tennis court, and they play with each other while Ryan and I play tennis.

You have the power to change dog showing for the better in your eyes, what would you change?If there was a way to ensure that 100% of the time, the better dog was chosen regardless of who was showing, that would be the change I would make.

Is there something that recently moved you?I’ve been met with lots of kindness in both Smooth Collies and Tibetan Spaniels, especially in Tibetan Spaniels, where there is great sportsmanship. That’s why I’m still showing dogs today—because the people I was competing with were kind to me. I’m not sure how other breeds are, but I think it’s important to always be kind, especially to new people, because that’s what brings them back wanting more.