Back to the PawMark Article Menu© 2001-1997 by Ed Presnall
All Rights Reserved
As Published In The IFCS "Friends"
When I was growing up, my parents tried to teach me to share. Being a middle child, a boy stuck between two sisters, I tended to grab onto something, anything, and proclaim that it was my right to take it and keep it. At that point, my parents were very likely to get involved and order me to give back whatever it was that I had taken from my siblings or friends. Over and over I heard “tis better to give than to receive...” and I never bought into that story either.
By the time I left for college, I had a grasp of the minimal manners required by society which allowed me to roam free without the use of a choke collar and lead. I had learned that common courtesy on the freeway normally allowed me to arrive at my destination with my vehicle in one piece and not on the back of a wrecker. I learned, without sometimes knowing why, that if I said please and thank you, we could get a better grade from a teacher, assistance with our homework, or a nicer looking girl to go out with. The learning cycle continued.
In business, I learned about teamwork, putting my shoulder to the wheel, jumping in to assist others with their projects and the mind numbing routine of mumbling “Good Morning” and “Thank You” to people I did not like or even know. This was the business world after all, and I must be civilized.
Then the dogs came along. The rules changed. While dividing my time between our busy lifestyle, a wife, a son, housework, the PTA, Scouts, band practice and a hundred other things we can’t even imagine why I am involved in, I continued to reach for that next rung up the corporate ladder. Somehow, I juggle my schedule to fit in our dogs, their training, grooming, feeding and of course showing.
Several weeks ago, while on the way to a club meeting, my son who is thirteen going on thirty, wanted to tell me about his concepts of the dog world. While I swerved to miss an eighteen wheeler, slowed down for a radar trap and petted the dog on my lap, I listened.
He said that after five years of Jr. Show and almost two years of tracking he felt that the dog show world was “kinda screwed up”. In his opinion, it works like this.
It’s almost show time. We’ve made our entries. Whether it is for the conformation ring, obedience, tracking, agility, or any of the numerous other “sports” we in the dog world participate in with our dogs, the scenario rarely changes. A quick, typically last minute, bath, one more once-over with the clippers or scissors and race to the show site.
We stand in line for our armbands or the drawing and we wait for our turn to compete. During the waiting process we check over our dogs. There’s always one more thing to do. Clean the mud or dirt off of a paw or our clothes, another hair out of place, a table bath and quick blow-dry or any one of the little things we do to ourselves or our dogs to get ready.
It’s time. We enter the ring or field and strut our stuff for the judges. If we’re lucky that day, or prepared or by some chance our dog is trained or something out of our control happens, we win, pass or place. Whatever the results, we collect our ribbons, rosettes, trophies or plaques, toss the dog back in the car and head off to complete the rest of our busy lives.
He said that the drive from the show site is either a happy one, filled with gratification that we and our dog competed well, or a rather disturbed one where we spend the time dodging cars on the freeway while we hastily decide on the excuses we will give to our friends.
As my learning process continued, he stated; “Dad, did you remember to thank the judges? How about the show committee or club members who donated their time to help put on the event”?
I felt that I might be turning into one of “them”. You know the type. Always griping about the rules, show schedules, articles published or the show committee for doing something wrong or not having enough stewards or grooming space?
I asked myself whether I was so involved in my life and my dogs that the payment of an entry fee and a drive to the show site is all that is required to say that I support the dog world. I reflected on whether I grudgingly donated the occasional trophy or took my time support the local match to convince myself that I was giving something back. Do I continue to make excuses to myself and others as to why I am too busy to participate on a show committee, be a track layer, steward or serve as a board member? Have I become so self centered that don’t have anything else to give back?
What about a simple article for one of the local clubs or regional magazines. How about helping with a training class or simply volunteering to assist with the next show.
As we turned in the driveway to unload the dogs, my son finished by saying, “Dad, why don’t more of your friends get involved instead of just complaining about the events? They seem to have all the answers, why don’t they get in there and offer their help and years of experience”?
Yes, the learning process continues. What we don’t learn from our dogs, friends and parents, we learn from our children. Isn’t it time you continued your learning process too?
© 2003-1996 - Ed Presnall - All Rights Reserved