Amanda & Vito Ciaravino

Amanda started her life “in dogs” at birth. Amanda’s mom presented her dad with Meg, a great dane bitch, as a wedding present. Meg went on to earn a CDX under the patient and kind hand of Amanda’s dad. A second dane was purchased and the rest is history. The Coneen family was introduced to the world of the Dog Show – and they were hooked! Dog shows became a family hobby as Amanda and her sister showed their dogs in juniors and in the breed ring. Ultimately, the sport of dogs became a career choice for Amanda.

Vito was taken to his first dog show at the age of 14 by his mother. It was there that fate intervened – the show was actually a cocker spaniel specialty. Dottie McCoy (Glen Arden) befriended Vito and his mother and introduced them to the breed on which Vito would come to be an expert. Vito showed dogs as a junior handler as well as in the breed rings. He worked for Mike and Linda Pitts for more than two years before striking out on his own as a professional handler.

Vito and Amanda met at – you guess it – a dog show. Both were showing dogs on the east coast and in the fall of 1998, they moved to Massachusetts and began their life together. They saw “the other side” of the dog show world during a three year stint as superintendents for Jack Onofrio Dog Shows, based in Oklahoma City. While the work was interesting, they both missed working closely with the dogs and decided to return to handling. After a rather long engagement, Amanda and Vito were married in October of 2006. They have spent many happy years learning about and caring for dogs and look forward to spending many more!

 

 

A few candid shots...

ASC Summer 2008

Vito & Libby

Amanda & Brinkley