Melissa Foehrkolb

Biography

Melissa has shown and finished over 100 champions in a variety of different breeds & groups.  Her dogs' honors include Best in Specialty Show awards, multiple group wins, and winners at the National level. 

Melissa has been showing dogs professionally for over 20 years, but her love for the fancy started as an infant.  She grew up in a family devoted to the sport of dogs.  Her mother showed and bred poodles and her father is a well-known and respected German Shorthair Pointer breeder and field trialer.   

I don’t ‘handle’ dogs; I present them.  Each client I take on I believe in; and each dog I show as if it were my own.

Pursuing her family’s love for dogs in her own way, Melissa participated in Junior Handling for a couple of years where her talent was readily apparent.  Since then, she has been presenting dogs in a professional capacity.  Fine-tuning her skills, she traveled and mentored with many well respected handlers. 

While her focus is with shorthaired sporting dogs, she has proven to be adept at caring for even the most daunting of all grooming efforts - poodles. 

Melissa dedicates her time to professionally presenting dogs.  While she currently is not a breeder, her family background and love of dogs gives her the utmost respect for the time, effort, passion and commitment that reputable breeders bestow on each litter. 

Melissa’s contribution to the sport is by artfully presenting the great dogs that these breeders have produced and thus providing the best opportunity to fulfill the destiny of each breeding. 

Melissa is selective in not just the quality of dog she agrees to present, but also the number she will commit to showing at any given show.  Each dog receives her time, attention and dedication as if it were her own.  Melissa’s admiration for these dogs is reflected in the chemistry and teamwork so aptly displayed with every animal she presents.

Every handler’s job should be to present each dog’s assets to the best of their ability.  The best handlers show their client’s dogs as if displaying beautiful works of art.  Melissa undertakes this challenge with astounding poise and grace.