Leaf
Well-Known Member
For the first time in 14 years I don't have a Staffordshire Terrier or an American Pit Bull Terrier. For 14 years of my life I have dealt with intelligent questions, ignorant questions and predijust comments about myself and/or my CGC dogs.
This post is NOT about "pit bulls"
I took my girl Trinket to the park this afternoon to work on her Agility. She is a Papillon or a mix of (if she's pure she's poorly bred).
I always get comments about her, how cute she is.. "can I pet her" etc. Thats nice as a dog owner, but also distracting.
I got her A Frame set up, her tunnels, teeter, one hoopand weave poles along with some bars.
She was doing well - we had great runs.
As I was packing up a lady came up to me and started talking about her Shelties who do Agility. We talked for a while, had a great time. She asked if we had competed at all and I told her no. She went on to tell me all of the pros of doing so and asked who my trainer was. I told her I am working with Trinket without a trainer.
The lady thought it was odd and recommended several to me but I told her I wasn't interested in doing Agility with Trinket any more than as a hobby, excersize and bonding time.
She got a little huffy about it because she saw a lot of potential in Trinket, her form, stops, timing etc.
I finally told her that Trinket is deaf and therefore could not compete.
Well, THAT changed everything. Suddenly she saw faults in Trinkets weave pole performance (not tight enough, losing seconds) and how sloppy her stop was on the teeter (at one point Trinket only had one foot on the ground whn the board went down, instead of both).
She faulted me for "stressing the poor dog", making a mockery out of the sport and wasting my time.
Why are people like this? Trinket LOVES what she does, is high energy and adores showing off. I use the time as one on one bonding with her, as training to help keep her fit, active and in control (visual demand is great on a deaf dog), and as a stress reliever for myself.
Trinket was a "star" in that womans eyes until she found out Trinket is "defective".
ullhair:
This post is NOT about "pit bulls"
I took my girl Trinket to the park this afternoon to work on her Agility. She is a Papillon or a mix of (if she's pure she's poorly bred).
I always get comments about her, how cute she is.. "can I pet her" etc. Thats nice as a dog owner, but also distracting.
I got her A Frame set up, her tunnels, teeter, one hoopand weave poles along with some bars.
She was doing well - we had great runs.
As I was packing up a lady came up to me and started talking about her Shelties who do Agility. We talked for a while, had a great time. She asked if we had competed at all and I told her no. She went on to tell me all of the pros of doing so and asked who my trainer was. I told her I am working with Trinket without a trainer.
The lady thought it was odd and recommended several to me but I told her I wasn't interested in doing Agility with Trinket any more than as a hobby, excersize and bonding time.
She got a little huffy about it because she saw a lot of potential in Trinket, her form, stops, timing etc.
I finally told her that Trinket is deaf and therefore could not compete.
Well, THAT changed everything. Suddenly she saw faults in Trinkets weave pole performance (not tight enough, losing seconds) and how sloppy her stop was on the teeter (at one point Trinket only had one foot on the ground whn the board went down, instead of both).
She faulted me for "stressing the poor dog", making a mockery out of the sport and wasting my time.
Why are people like this? Trinket LOVES what she does, is high energy and adores showing off. I use the time as one on one bonding with her, as training to help keep her fit, active and in control (visual demand is great on a deaf dog), and as a stress reliever for myself.
Trinket was a "star" in that womans eyes until she found out Trinket is "defective".
ullhair:
