When It Comes To Dogs…
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Honesty and Integrity when dealing with matters relating to dogs
by Debra Vey Voda-Hamilton, Esq. Mediator
www.hamiltonlawandmediation.com
I recently held a survey of 50 of my best clients. I asked them eight questions that started with “when it comes to dogs”:
• What’s your number one challenge?
• What stresses you out most?
• What frustrates you most?
• What problems do you wish would just go away?
• What do you want to improve or change?
• What are you willing to invest to learn how to help your ani- mal, or other animals, live their best life?
• If you were involved in a conflict with another person, what key words might you use to find someone to help you resolve that conflict?
When I received their responses, the results surprised me. The two most important things that resonated with all my clients and that each found missing in some way or another in their experience was honesty and integrity.
Each of my clients found the lack of a collaborative mindset based in truthful exchange as two of the biggest problems they saw when dealing with people in their lives who were connected with their pets. It didn’t matter if they were renowned show dogs or beloved home companions.
Neighbors arguing over a barking dog complained about the fact that the pet owner did not respond respectfully when asked nicely to quiet their dog. Dog owners argued that complaining neighbors notoriously made unreasonable requests when it came to their barking dogs. Get over it, dogs bark.
In divorce, the parties and their attorneys found integrity missing. One party was always accused of using the pet as a pawn in their property discussion or a tool for ransom by denying visitation.
In breeder and owner relationships, honesty, with respect to possible health issues or available future care, was non-existent.
Owner-handler disagreements run the gamut. Most fail at being truly sincere. Written agreements among the parties, which are rare, deal only with payment and status in the truck. They often do not address the care and consideration of the emotional needs of everyone involved on the team; handler, owner and canine athlete.
These are just some of the instances in which my clients felt a lack of truthfulness and honor. No one plans for misunderstandings and disagreements to crop up but they do when you least expect them. Addressing them early and working them out in the best interests of all, rather than ignoring them and leaving them to fester, enables everyone to retain a valuable relationship.
Initially, clients commented that they felt, if they left things alone, honesty and integrity would rule the day and that the disagreements would work themselves out. They later admitted it didn’t happen that way. The resulting path their relationship took was often rocky for the people and the pet.
If you responded to the poll above, what would your answers be? Have you had good experiences working out misunderstandings involving your pet/show dog? Do you struggle when addressing disagreements? Is candor and veracity missing in your relationships with people involved with the care of your beloved pet?
If any of the above scenarios resonate with you, please drop me an email – dhamilton@hamiltonlawandmediaton.com and tell me about your experiences.
Short URL: http://caninechronicle.com/?p=72554
Posted by ralbee
on Mar 14 2015. Filed under Current Articles, Editorial, Featured.
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