Ringside Thoughts – Gossip And The Damage It Does

Click here to read the complete article
322 – May, 2023

By Kerrin Winter-Churchill

For almost forty years I have traveled to dog shows taking pictures of the dogs and people that gather under the big and small tents of dogdom. Last year, I finally had my fill and walked away. Arthritic knees, the expense and drudgery of travel, the fact that I missed my farm and family and my own dogs were all good reasons but there was one more reason and it has haunted me. It’s the constant barrage of gossip. Oh, how I hate it.

As dog people with an affinity for conformation it is natural for we ringside spectators to become judges (note, the lowercase J) as we watch the dogs gait and stack before us. In our own breeds we may be looking for elements of structure to which we aspire, a line to breed into, or hope to discover the kind of dog that sets our hearts afire. If we are students of dogdom, shows should be a time for learning the nuances of other breeds. Over time, many of us have developed a working knowledge of a large assortment of breeds and a confidence in picking out the good ones. The trouble then becomes reigning in our egos against the ever-present temptation to speak as an expert in areas where we certainly are not.

By their nature dog shows are chaotic and bustling. Handlers are business-like as they maneuver their charges from one ring to the next. Assistants carry buckets and brushes. Old friends laugh, ringside critics make remarks. Families move their chairs and their children, breeders watch, photographers follow the motion and everywhere there are packets of energy traveling on radio waves from one signal to the next. You’ve heard the expression “the atmosphere was electric.” Precisely.

The Body Electric

Click here to read the complete article
322 – May, 2023

Short URL: http://caninechronicle.com/?p=261929

Posted by AnthonyA on May 18 2023. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.