Confessions of a Misfit on the Dog Show Circuit

Being a young, tattooed queer person in this hoity-toity world hasn’t always been easy. But I’ve found a way to follow my passion while letting my freak flag fly.

Illustrations by Jules Zuckerberg | Edited by Farah Mohammed

I was baptized into the Cult of Dog when I was 14 years old.

Growing up, I didn’t have many friends. At school and at home, I was quiet. I tried to stay out of the way. My best friend was the dog my parents (finally) allowed me to get in second grade. We were inseparable. Then, before my freshman year in high school, I brought home a new puppy. I put a lot of dreams into my relationship with him. I started attending training classes, prepping for competitions, and for the first time, making friends. I wasn’t out to anyone then, not even to myself. Like many teenagers, I was searching for belonging, for community, for a higher power. I found it in dogs and in the people who have dedicated their lives to them.