Clean Run - September 2014 - 66

She recounted this matter of factly, as if this was typical protocol and I should thank her for correcting my badly behaving
dog. I was not in a thanking mood. Why did you wait to tell me
until I was done running, I asked. I could've handed some treats
to you - or someone else-to pacify him.Then I could work on
a plan to change his behavior for the long term.
It made me wonder how often this happens and we don't
even know that our dog has been corrected. If Desoto hadn't
growled at her, she probably wouldn't have said anything.
How often have you or someone you know said feel free to yell
at my dog if he starts barking? Even if that dog tolerates it, what
about his canine neighbors? Or the surrounding people? If your
dog is out of control, how does yelling at him solve anything
other than demonstrate that you're out of control, too?
Dogs barking ringside is a common enough occurrence that it
certainly doesn't merit such punitive measures. I recall a show
at which two handlers deliberately hoisted their dogs up in
their arms to loudly bark and cheer on their friend in the ring.
Was it obnoxious? Yes. Did anyone kick the handlers in the
shins? Of course not. Nothing a dog or person does deserves
such abuse. Which is not to say that these incidents of rude
behavior or physical corrections should be overlooked.

At my own club's show, two veteran handlers sat on a table in
a corner of the ring and allowed their dogs to stare and bark
at whoever was running in the ring while they chatted with
friends. It's possible they got caught up socializing and didn't
realize they were technically still inside the ring. Or, because
our shows are fairly laidback where everyone knows everyone
else, perhaps they thought it wasn't a big deal.
Regardless of their reasoning, they were politely asked to
move. They did so without a fuss. If more people took a proactive approach and spoke to the offending party directly, there
would be far less miscommunication and hurt feelings. Plus, it
underscores ringside etiquette that is simply common sense
and good sportsmanship.
Imagine how different things could've been had the club member asked my student to address her dog's barking instead of
taking matters into her own hands. She would've learned what
to do to help her dog-either by asking that club member
or others at the show-and she would've felt supported, not
judged. Most important, her dog would have received the respect and kindness all living creatures deserve. D

Julia owns Spot On K9 Sports (www.SpotOnK9Sports.com) in the west suburbs of Chicago. She is a contributing editor for Bark magazine, a USDAA and UKI judge, and
a Certified Trick Dog Instructor. Julia and her husband welcomed baby Brandon on February 23, 2014. Their variety pack includes two cats, and four dogs: ADCH Darby
MX, MXJ, ETD (rescue Dalmatian), Jolie MAD, AX, AXJ, TDInc, RL-1/AOE, ETD (rescue Dalmatian), Ginger Peach AD SSA SS SJ SR JS-O JS-N, UFO 2011 World Cup 2nd place
Intermediate Freestyle Disc (rescue Dutch Shepherd), and Magnum ETD (Border Collie). Contact Julia at spotonk9s@me.com.

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Clean Run - September 2014

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