Clean Run Magazine - August 2007 - 5

Editorializing… What Am I Doing Here? By Francoise (Sassie) Joiris We say we’re doing this sport to have fun, but what does that mean? It has been said that we mustn’t lose sight of why we first started in agility with our dogs—that we’re doing this to have fun, that it’s about spending the weekend in the park having fun with your dog, that agility is the most fun you can have with your dog. Fellow competitors remind us that the most important thing is to have fun, the most important thing is that the dog is having fun. Fun! Fun! Fun! Good positive sentiments, certainly hard to fault on the surface, but the assumption underlying some of these statements is that we’ve all come here on the same road, we’re traveling this path for the same reason, or, if our path is clearly divergent, then we’re lost and need direction. I might be considered one of those who follow a divergent path. I started in agility because, as an animal trainer, I was looking for new challenges. For a while I was mystified at trials by the self-righteous types who watched other competitors, particularly top winning ones, with an eagle eye. “Did you see that? All her dog did was miss a contact and she left the ring without so much as a pet or word of praise!” Good grief! What was up with that? Should we report her to the humane society? Have a committee hearing? Slowly it dawned on me, or rather was drilled into my head, that we were here to have fun and anyone who did not appear to be having fun was somehow to blame for doing it wrong. Even judges on occasion remind or admonish us to “Remember to have fun!” Interesting that fun has evolved to be yet one more thing we must measure up to, another goal to remember when we get ready to step up to the start line: “Stand up straight, signal clearly, don’t get in your dog’s path, remember to give commands in a timely manner, don’t keep the gate steward waiting, get the treats out of your pockets, wait for the timer’s signal to lead out, and have fun!” Let’s get one thing right out in the open: No one enters a trial with the intention of having a terrible time there, and no one competing, even those who make their living teaching agility, is there because they have to be there. We’re here because we find satisfaction in this sport. We enjoying doing this strange thing with our dogs, and we’re willing to sacrifice our free time and money to pursue it. Maybe because we’ve got so much in common, it’s easy to forget that it’s okay for us to be different too. One person’s goal in agility might be to make herself a better person, another’s goal might be to simply put a title on her dog. The aspiring world team member with a serious demeanor and the individual who saunters around the course laughing at the antics of her dog that engages in sniffing, zooming, and visiting—both competitors have a place. That’s pretty easy to accept, but what of the others, the one who is short tempered, the one who has a meltdown leaving the ring, the one who scowls and puts her dog away without so much as a pat and a cookie? Just as we accept the differences in our dogs’ temperaments and personalities, we can accept the differences in our fellow competitors. There are some types of dogs I’d never own, and some types of people I’ll never be wild about, but I can surely accept them and their quirks if they’re willing to accept me. We seem to mostly understand that harshness and anger are not the answer when dealing with stressed dogs, but so often we forget that fact when dealing with stressed people. Berating someone because they’ve had a meltdown and their dog is not having fun will only make the situation worse. Step back and look at the picture. Maybe this person is just super emotional; the ups and downs are strong but quickly pass. Give her a few minutes to recover from the disappointment and compose herself and she’ll be fine. Maybe it’s a real meltdown, a total feeling of despair and negativity. Commiserate, surely you’ve felt the same way at some point in your life, even if it wasn’t at an agility trial. I didn’t come into the sport to have fun. I came into the sport to find new goals, conquer new challenges, and enjoy the satisfaction of succeeding. But on the way to all that, I found fun. Not always in the ring, but in the training, in the camaraderie, at the barbecues around the RVs, and many other places. My dogs seem to feel the same way. Even on the days of those extremely rare runs when I’m not the happiest camper and I grumble first, reward later, they still get to spend the day doing things they enjoy, from playing at the tent to snagging food under the table at the end of the day. The fun police might not always think we’re having fun the “right way,” but we’re having our fun, and that’s good enough. Sassie Joiris Sassie Joiris trains animal actors (birds, farm animals, cats, and dogs) for television and film. Having taught competitive obedience classes for 24 years, she started agility 5 years ago. Her Norfolk Terrier, Ch. MACH Stamp, OAC, NJC, TN-N, JE, is her first agility dog. She also has Boing!, a young Whippet who will soon start competing. Contact Sassie through her website: http://home.ix.netcom.com/~joiris. August 07 | Clean Run 5

http://home.ix.netcom.com/~joiris

Clean Run Magazine - August 2007

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run Magazine - August 2007