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3-Year-Old Set to Become One of the Youngest Dog Handlers to Ever Compete at the World's Largest Dog Show
Caitlyn Mellor and her Miniature Schnauzer, Zeeva, qualified for the 2026 Crufts dog show this summerNEED TO KNOW
A 3-year-old girl is set to become one of the youngest competitors the Crufts dog show has ever seen
Caitlyn Mellor and her Miniature Schnauzer Zeeva qualified for the prestigious competition after a ranking performance at the Three Counties Championship
Caitlyn went to her first dog show at just 8 weeks old, and her first word was "doggy"A toddler and her dog are making dog show history.
Caitlyn Mellor, 3, and her Miniature Schnauzer Zeeva, 8, recently qualified for the 2026 Crufts dog show — considered to be the world's largest dog show — after giving a ranking performance at the Three Counties Championship in June, per The Times. If she competes at Crufts, scheduled for March 2026, Caitlyn will become one of the youngest competitors in the event's history.
Though she's only 3, Caitlyn has spent her whole life surrounded by dogs and dog shows. Her first word was "doggy," her mother, Lydia Mellor, told The Times. Showing dogs runs in the family; Lydia began showing dogs herself at the age of 10.
Caitlyn still managed to be an early bloomer among her animal-loving family, attending her first dog show just 8 weeks after she was born. By age 2, she was saying she wanted to follow in her mother's footsteps.
"She decided she didn't want Mummy in the ring with her and has been competing by herself with people 20 or 30 years older," Lydia said of her daughter's fire solo showing efforts at age 3.
The toddler and her Miniature Schnauzer, who compete for the Lyzahro kennel, train for the dog shows — or "doggy clap," as Caitlyn calls them, referencing the frequent applause she gets at dog events — in a grassy area near their home in Groesffordd, Wales.
"I like running around with her," Caitlyn told BBC about her work with Zeeva.
Zeeva is one of four Miniature Schnauzers that belong to the Mellor family. She usually sleeps in Caitlyn's bed and attends a dog show with the toddler once a month.
Although the competitions are becoming bigger and more important, Lydia insists on keeping Caitlyn and Zeeva's training schedule light, so it remains enjoyable for everyone.
At shows, Caitlyn is confident, her mother said and is met with kindness and support from adult handlers. The older competitors "keep an eye on her" and guide Caitlyn around if she gets lost, her mother added.
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"Caitlyn is so excited and doesn't have any nerves. It's something she enjoys," Lydia said. "So many adults get wound up at shows worrying about being best in breed. She's happy coming second or third, she's just having fun with her dog."
Read the original article on People
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