By LOUISA LEW
Herald Correspondent

POULSBO — During the weekdays, Matthew Zuleger is a mild-mannered eighth-grader at Woodward Middle School.

During the weekends, Zuleger is a superstar in the dog show ring with his partner, three-year-old Lilith.

In April 2014, Zuleger won the coveted national title of “American Kennel Club No. 1-ranked Junior Handler in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels for 2014.”

Zuleger has a natural love for dogs, being around his grandmother Maryln Lovell’s Cavaliers. Lovell owns and operates Emerald Isle Cavaliers on Bainbridge Island, where Zuleger has been helping with their care — grooming, feeding and training.

Zuleger soon expressed interest in showing dogs, connecting with his mentor, Betsy Clagett, owner and operator of Tea Time Labradors and Cavaliers, who has been showing dogs since age 12, the same age Zuleger started.

He began handling lessons in September 2013. Zuleger’s enthusiasm made him one of the quickest learners Clagett has ever taught, starting to win competitions only three months after he began training.

To Clagett, it’s amazing to see the success Zuleger’s had with an untrained dog, and as an untrained handler, he’s embarking on a parallel path.

Zuleger, a member of the Bainbridge Island 4-H Dog Project, received the Peninsula Dog Fanciers’ Club Corina Rucker Coan Award for Outstanding Kitsap County 4-H’er in the Dog Project, in March of 2014, which included a $500 scholarship.

Junior showmanship, strenuous in the fine technicalities of handling abilities, is a competition on handling skill, not the dog’s merits as a “show” dog. Per the American Kennel Club guidelines, what is judged is the handler’s abilities in the areas of proper breed presentation; skill in the dog’s presentation; knowledge of ring procedures; and appearance and conduct.

Clagett added the junior handler must “be able to show that extra something to set them apart.”

Zuleger’s special flair: reading the dog to elicit a “happy dog with its tail in constant motion,” something that can’t be taught.

Lovell said commitment to the dog is the biggest factor in a successful team.

Zuleger joked that he is with Lilith 23 hours a day, a sentiment that illustrates the show relationship is based on the home relationship, particularly for the Cavalier breed.

Cavaliers are “not just a dog you can hand off and show; they only do certain things for certain people,” said Zuleger.

It can often take months to years to be proficient in the show ring. Clagett has seen people having the desire to compete, but unable to get what he or she needs out of the dog, despite the time devoted in working with the dog.

“It takes that natural instinct of understanding the dog,” said Clagett.

Showmanship competitions occur year-round, so Zuleger trains on a continual basis. Zuleger will have two to three training session per week in preparation of a competition; if there isn’t a show for another month, he will train once a week. Zuleger’s upcoming competitions: Spokane during Memorial Day weekend, Long Beach in June and Alaska in July; Zuleger heads to Elma this upcoming weekend.

Cavalier Rescue plays a role in Zuleger’s life. Zuleger and Clagett, members of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club of NW Washington, presented a $500 check to the American Cavalier King Charles Rescue Trust in early 2015.

Zuleger is also learning to show other breeds; however, it is Lilith who remains in his heart. What Zuleger loves most about Lilith is her attitude and her commitment.

Their unbreakable bond makes this team unstoppable.