At just 10 years old, Tyrel Cooper has already embraced his calling as a dog handler. On Sunday, he solidified his passion by winning his first trophy as Best Dog Handler at the All Breed and Dobermann Specialty Dog Show. The Manchester native told GoodHeart that his dream of becoming a dog handler started at the age of five, after watching his older brother, Jordan Walker, work with dogs. Walker’s dedication to training, running his own kennel, and volunteering his time inspired Tyrel. His big win came after guiding two dogs from Torjorville Kennel at the competition, which took place on the grounds of Immaculate Conception High School in St Andrew.
“I go to them (the dogs) after school and on weekends to spend some time training,” Cooper explained when asked by the judges what he believed set him apart, which led chief judge Guillermo Cavazos de las Fuentes from Mexico to choose him, the youngest competitor, for the Best Dog Handler award.
Winning the top trophy among the men was no easy feat for the young boy, who has been dog handling for the past five years. He also had to wake up early for the ride from his home in Mandeville to Kingston.
Dog handling, however, has become second nature to him. He’s elated to have been chosen not only to represent Torjorville Kennel – the kennel his brother started six years ago – but also to be the day’s winning handler.
“I feel good. I have been handling dogs for five years. It just [happened] naturally,” the grade five student from Mandeville Primary School said.
Walker, 24, who developed a passion for breeding and raising dogs after observing his uncle’s involvement in the field over the years, expressed confidence in his younger brother’s abilities. Having mentored Cooper, he believed his brother was well prepared for the competition. As a result, he sent Cooper into the ring with two dogs, Donie and Shelly, who were among four dogs competing from Torjorville Kennel.
GREW UP AROUND DOGS
“I’ve had the kennel around six years now, and he’s 10 years old, so he practically grew up into the kennel. I grew up with the dogs; [myself] and [my younger brothers including Cooper] came around me. We attended the [dog] shows and worked on our craft,” Walker, who really specialises in breeding German shepherd dogs, told GoodHeart.
“While I was his age, I was doing the same that he does with my uncle’s dogs and my cousin’s dogs: feed the dogs, be around the dogs, and they would pay me, so I started my own thing from the love and the passion for dogs.”
Walker said he believes the real victory came from Cooper walking Shelly in the ring.
With summer just around the corner, Cooper is looking ahead to the 2025-26 academic year, where he will sit his final Primary Exit Profile (PEP) examinations. Alongside this, he’s eager to continue developing his dog training skills with Torjorville Kennel. His dream for 2026 is to earn a spot at the prestigious Manchester High School once his PEP results are released.
When asked why, he said, “I have family members who went there, and that just makes me want to go there too.” In the long run, Cooper hopes to add becoming a professional footballer to his résumé and hopefully play for Jamaica’s national team.
“I also want to become a footballer, because that’s what I’ve wanted to be from I was younger,” he added.
On the part of Walker, he supports his brother in wanting to become a footballer, and making dog handling a hobby.
“With everything in life, you always have to have a plan B, whether he goes to school or comes home, and plan B can always be the dogs. It’s more than the love. He could also have a business aspect to it. He reminds me so much of myself when I was younger, and I wish I had a bigger brother and someone to take me to the show, as how I am with them,” he added.
