Who says my blogs do not make a difference? OK, so I am not sure if my blogs had anything at all to do with this, and not sure if AKC would admit it if they did, but I found out AKC is now offering classes about how to breed and show dogs. I was reading about it on their website. This is amazing, whether or not my blogs had anything to do with it! I've always said one of the things I hated about show breeders is the way they treat newbies in the field. I've always said it does not do their breeds any good to sit around on their asses, griping about people who "ruin their breed". Instead, they should do something to help newbies understand what breeding is all about (and not in a hostile, snobbish way), how to do it the right way, and what should and should not be done. Though I was thinking more along the lines of a canine university type deal, AKC is now offering breeding and showing classes on their website.
I think this is wonderful! At last! Someone is doing something to educate people before breeding! My sis got in the show ring with Odessa once and had no clue what she was doing, because she was going in blind. We had no mentors, no one to look after us, or help us, no one to tell us how to show, or even how to groom. I thought "This isn't right!" I had no idea back then how to get a mentor to help us out, or anybody! We paid good money to show our dogs, and got absolutely nothing in return except humiliation and grief. Yes it was a lot of hard work, but that much I expected. I think a lot more people would get involved in showing their breeds and breeding the proper way if only the process was not so complicated! I'm hoping this is what these classes on the AKC website is striving to accomplish. I tried to steer some people in the right direction in breeding, and they thought I was just being an asshole. But I was far more forgiving than a lot of show breeders would have been to them. Most show breeders, if they had to deal with people like the ones I tried to push correctly, would have been a lot more aggressive with them, and I just never saw the point in that. Anger and aggression is not the way to get people to do the right thing. Of course I know that does not work on everybody! The people I was trying to encourage to do breeding right, I was never aggressive with them, and they still bitched at me because of it. But then again, those people probably should never have been breeding anything.
I always say, everything happens for a reason, and one day we will have the answer. Mcgillicutty posted the link to my MySpace blog on the Pluba forum, mostly in an attempt to embarrass me. The 12 mob became mcgillicutty's little flunkeys, and posted to as many breeder sites and groups as they could for the same reason. I thank them all for that!! Maybe in those attempts to try and bring me down, they improved the hobby of breeding. Perhaps the right people caught on to my blog and read what I wrote and thought "Hey! She's got a good point there! Maybe AKC should start some kind of program or class to help new breeders learn to do breeding the right way." AKC even gives you certificates of completion for each course. It costs $25 to take the tests and get your certification, but it might be worth it in the end! I think this is a miraculous idea! Even some veteran show breeders have stated that they learned something from it. If my blogs were the inspiration (even just a little bit), and it has helped some new, and even veteran, breeders, then I am happy! I'm so glad! I always wanted to make some kind of difference in the hobby of animals, and I knew the CFA has programs like this. I always knew AKC should start something like this too. It'll really help the breeds.
But I was thinking more of a Canine University type thing, but I guess AKC does not have the funds for that. But in a Canine University type setting, people can learn not only about good breeding and showing, but also about the breed they choose to show and breed as well. Have specific classes devoted to each breed, taught by a certified show judge. Then the judge/teacher can tell the students what he (or she) looks for in that breed, what faults to look out for, and how to avoid the biggest problems with that breed. Talk about specific lines to look out for in that breed. That way, everyone who goes to those classes can learn the same thing. When I bred chihuahuas, I tried to find a mentor, and was turned down by one whose dogs I did admire. The reason I was turned down was silly. She turned me down because I did not buy a dog, or stud service from her. Then she turned around and said she would never sell me any dog or stud service. I thought "How is that supposed to help me, or the breed??!" She was a jerk! What got me was she was not the only one I've ever heard say something like that. A lot of show breeders will say that too. I wanted to breed chihuahuas, I was going to do it with or without anyone's approval. When I get an idea I want to do something, I trudge ahead with it. No matter what anyone says. So, if I am supposed to get some help, someone might as well help me out. I'm going to do what I want to do regardless.
That's another thing about show breeders that I wish they would stop doing. I wish they would stop saying that they won't ever sell to someone for whatever reason. I wanted to show dogs, I just never had that push to do it. I went in a couple times, not having the slightest ghost of an idea of what I was doing, or supposed to do. It was scary and confusing. I wasn't even sure I had good enough dogs for showing. If I ever do decide to get into showing again, I hope to GOD I have better luck getting started. If I don't, then I feel it's the show breeders' problems. People are just going to breed if they want to, they might as well be properly educated. That is why I like that AKC is now offering this course. I think I myself am going to take them! Watch me!
I think this is wonderful! At last! Someone is doing something to educate people before breeding! My sis got in the show ring with Odessa once and had no clue what she was doing, because she was going in blind. We had no mentors, no one to look after us, or help us, no one to tell us how to show, or even how to groom. I thought "This isn't right!" I had no idea back then how to get a mentor to help us out, or anybody! We paid good money to show our dogs, and got absolutely nothing in return except humiliation and grief. Yes it was a lot of hard work, but that much I expected. I think a lot more people would get involved in showing their breeds and breeding the proper way if only the process was not so complicated! I'm hoping this is what these classes on the AKC website is striving to accomplish. I tried to steer some people in the right direction in breeding, and they thought I was just being an asshole. But I was far more forgiving than a lot of show breeders would have been to them. Most show breeders, if they had to deal with people like the ones I tried to push correctly, would have been a lot more aggressive with them, and I just never saw the point in that. Anger and aggression is not the way to get people to do the right thing. Of course I know that does not work on everybody! The people I was trying to encourage to do breeding right, I was never aggressive with them, and they still bitched at me because of it. But then again, those people probably should never have been breeding anything.
I always say, everything happens for a reason, and one day we will have the answer. Mcgillicutty posted the link to my MySpace blog on the Pluba forum, mostly in an attempt to embarrass me. The 12 mob became mcgillicutty's little flunkeys, and posted to as many breeder sites and groups as they could for the same reason. I thank them all for that!! Maybe in those attempts to try and bring me down, they improved the hobby of breeding. Perhaps the right people caught on to my blog and read what I wrote and thought "Hey! She's got a good point there! Maybe AKC should start some kind of program or class to help new breeders learn to do breeding the right way." AKC even gives you certificates of completion for each course. It costs $25 to take the tests and get your certification, but it might be worth it in the end! I think this is a miraculous idea! Even some veteran show breeders have stated that they learned something from it. If my blogs were the inspiration (even just a little bit), and it has helped some new, and even veteran, breeders, then I am happy! I'm so glad! I always wanted to make some kind of difference in the hobby of animals, and I knew the CFA has programs like this. I always knew AKC should start something like this too. It'll really help the breeds.
But I was thinking more of a Canine University type thing, but I guess AKC does not have the funds for that. But in a Canine University type setting, people can learn not only about good breeding and showing, but also about the breed they choose to show and breed as well. Have specific classes devoted to each breed, taught by a certified show judge. Then the judge/teacher can tell the students what he (or she) looks for in that breed, what faults to look out for, and how to avoid the biggest problems with that breed. Talk about specific lines to look out for in that breed. That way, everyone who goes to those classes can learn the same thing. When I bred chihuahuas, I tried to find a mentor, and was turned down by one whose dogs I did admire. The reason I was turned down was silly. She turned me down because I did not buy a dog, or stud service from her. Then she turned around and said she would never sell me any dog or stud service. I thought "How is that supposed to help me, or the breed??!" She was a jerk! What got me was she was not the only one I've ever heard say something like that. A lot of show breeders will say that too. I wanted to breed chihuahuas, I was going to do it with or without anyone's approval. When I get an idea I want to do something, I trudge ahead with it. No matter what anyone says. So, if I am supposed to get some help, someone might as well help me out. I'm going to do what I want to do regardless.
That's another thing about show breeders that I wish they would stop doing. I wish they would stop saying that they won't ever sell to someone for whatever reason. I wanted to show dogs, I just never had that push to do it. I went in a couple times, not having the slightest ghost of an idea of what I was doing, or supposed to do. It was scary and confusing. I wasn't even sure I had good enough dogs for showing. If I ever do decide to get into showing again, I hope to GOD I have better luck getting started. If I don't, then I feel it's the show breeders' problems. People are just going to breed if they want to, they might as well be properly educated. That is why I like that AKC is now offering this course. I think I myself am going to take them! Watch me!
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