Observations From Palm Springs
Photo By Karen Evasuik
By Pilar Kuhn
After a month’s hiatus from dog shows, I couldn’t keep myself away from visiting the Kennel Club of Palm Springs shows for a day. The trip was shared with one of our clients and the first thing that hit me was that I had no dogs, no set-up, and I could listen with a different ear and watch with different eyes. Those of you who are always showing know exactly what I mean. It is very odd to not have a specific dog’s bark to listen for nor ring times to check nor a meal to snarf down before racing to another ring. Wearing “plain clothes” allowed me the chance to hear different conversations and to observe things I usually am too busy to truly notice.
My initial thought was, “Yes, we dog show folks are a unique bunch. And I’m glad I understand this whole process. It can seem very odd to a total ‘outsider’.” Think about it. We mention the word “bitch” more times than lyrics in a rap song. We talk about reproduction as often as you might hear similar conversations at an OB/GYN office. Without the demands of my own four-legged charges, I was able to say hello to many friends I hadn’t seen in weeks and took the time to watch both of my breeds in the rings. It was at the second ring that I watched a newbie handle her own dog and took notice of how she was doing.
Thanks to Facebook, I knew that this owner-handler had been frustrated the day before. Her post expressed similar thoughts many owner-handlers have when looking around a ring with an abundance of nice dogs and recognizable handlers, “What am I doing? Am I fooling myself thinking I can do this? Why am I even out here?”
Another owner-handler had an iPad ringside and was taking still photos of everyone showing (how kind of him) and then took video of this woman so she could watch her performance later on in the privacy of her own space. It was evident that she needed some extra insight as to how she might improve her own handling.
Later that afternoon, as we worked our way toward our car, we passed by the Meet the Breeds area as this woman was cleaning up. She apologized to us for her prior post on Facebook. She kept trying to explain away her frustrations about showing, so I reminded her those emotions are normal for any owner-handler venturing out into the ring with a show dog. I then proceeded to share with her what I saw when she was handling and gave her a few minor tips to work on the next day. Sometimes it’s the littlest of things that can make a major difference. She was able to see right away how my suggestion allowed her the ability to stack, bait, and pay attention to her dog’s tail all at the same time. I also reiterated that one can never replicate the experience and emotions one has while being judged in the ring with others. The last bit of encouragement I passed along to her was, “You have a right to be out there. Show your dog.”
The next day on Facebook, I smiled when I saw her post that she and her girl went Select Bitch. I had a feeling she went out in the ring that day with a slightly different attitude and tried a few different handling techniques. We can all walk away with something from the ring each time whether it be a ribbon or a good day bonding with our dog. It just so happens that she got a ribbon on the last day of Palm Springs.
I hope her experience carries her through the rest of her year showing as the entire dog show season got off with a bang. The showgrounds were as beautiful as always. Handlers and assistants ran around constantly. Friends were reunited. And I’m thankful I got to be there as a spectator. I love our sport and hope this entire next year brings forth wonderful things for humans and hounds alike.
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