As anyone who has been the "new kid" on the AKC show scene can attest, it is extremely intimidating to approach a well known breeder or professional handler and ask for advice or direction. After all, these are the individuals we've watched and admired time and time again in the ring. We've seen them in advertisements, read about their accomplishments, and followed their successes. For someone aspiring to be involved with purebred dogs, these individuals are our equivilent of sports heros and rockstars....individuals to be admired from afar.
And so it goes that I remember walking around a number of shows and watching from a distance as individuals groomed their dogs, hoping to glean some insight into this mystical art. Everyone always appeared short of time and intensely focused on the moment, so I dare not attempt to interrupt the workflow. I remember as they packed chalked onto the dogs legs and then topped with hairspray which I assumed was to keep the product firmly in place. I suppose out of fear of being caught staring like some starstruck novice, I unfortunately must have sheepishly walked away before seeing a critical part of the grooming ritual where the handler diligently brushed and blowed the chalk back out of the dogs legs so as to eliminate any trace.
The day came for my first official AKC dog show, and filled with nervous excitement and uncertainty, I pulled into the show with my one little dog in my small SUV, having no insight that day would bring about a definining moment in my venture with purebred dogs.
As I set up my shiny new grooming table and unpacked all the supplies I had purchased over the previous weeks, which rivaled any vendor, I set about preparing for my big debut thinking that Best In Show was certainly within my grasp. As we entered the ring for the 6-9 month bitch class, my beloved little blue merle girl was proudly fluffed, puffed, and came walking into the ring with a plume of white powder following. I steadied my nerves as best I could and clumsily stacked my bitch for the judges approach. Imagine my shock, when upon examining my dog the judge pulled her hands away with disgust on her face and a layer of powder on her palms while remarking that she was excusing me from the ring!
I readily share this story now with others for a hearty laugh. But it was after that day that I made the conscious decision that if ever asked to share insight from my experiences, be it a helpful hint or lesson learned, I would remember that fateful day when I first stepped into the ring, and do what I could to assist.
It is true that the many tasks associated with a dog show (travel, set up, grooming, caring for the dogs, etc.) leaves very little time for anything else, but I challenge myself to remember the days when I was the "new kid", and politely try to carve out time where it is available.
Over the years since, I have seen too many times when the dark side of ego and competition overshadows the humanity and comraderie of this beloved sport. The reality is if someone defeats me in the ring simply because of a grooming tip or snippet of advice that I have shared with them, I may walk away without the points that day, but I've hopefully gained something far more important....the satisfaction of knowing that in some small way I helped another person be successful. For me, that seems like the biggest win of all.
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” - Maya Angelou