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Discouraged About Dog Sports
***Long Read***
Today was hard day for me and my dog.
My dog Gunner and I have been doing private lessons for barn hunt (for which we drive 4 hours one way) for a while and our lovely trainer encouraged us to sign up for our first trial towards the middle of the month. Gunner LOVES finding rats but we’ve only ever found rats at our trainers facility so when the facility that is hosting the trial posted they were having practice sessions I jumped at the opportunity.
I was super excited to meet some other people in the sport and get an idea of how the trial will be set up. Unfortunately, today did not turn out how I hoped.
Immediately I felt like an outsider and not welcome at all. Then I made a big mistake as a handler and did not make sure Gunner had enough time to fully relieve himself before heading into the ring. After he found the first rat, he had an accident in the ring that resulted in two bales being ruined.
In my opinion, having your dog pee in the ring when everyone knows it’s not allowed is bad enough but pair that with the person who felt it was appropriate to lean over the fencing and yell at Gunner in an attempt to “correct” him while I was actively trying to stop and remove him from the ring was even more embarrassing, not to mention that type of behavior has the potential to ruin the fun of the game for any dog in any sport. I apologized profusely for the accident and reimbursed the facility for the two bales that were ruined.
I should have went home then but after driving for 2 hours for this practice session I selfishly wanted to turn things around for us. After the incident everyone was even more stand-offish and seemed to have their noses turned up at us.
We did another run through and Gunner seemed very checked out and wasn’t having much fun.
A few more people showed up while we took a break and I watched some other teams find rats. For our last turn there was a lot going on, dogs standing with their owners, dogs in car kennels barking and carrying on, lots of people around, etc.
Gunner seemed more excited getting out of the vehicle this time and was pulling slightly towards the ring. We had to walk past the cars with barking dogs (no other option) and when he heard the dogs and also saw the other dogs waiting their turn he let out a few barks.
Now Gunner is an Am Staff mix and he has a deep bark but if you looked at any other aspect of his body language you would have seen that he was happy and excited. He was not being threatening or presenting a danger to anyone around him but we received looks of absolute horror for his behavior and multiple people again attempted to verbally reprimand him by yelling “BEHAVE!” and “MIND YOUR MANNERS”. I was even told by one man that his behavior was “unacceptable” and that I should go back and read the rules for the trial otherwise I would be dismissed at said trial.
This experience put a really bad taste in my mouth concerning this sport and it’s so sad because I know that I am not the only person this has happened to. I’m highly considering not even going to the trial and I already entered and paid the entry fees for. How are dog sports supposed to continue if new handlers (and their dogs) are made to feel unwelcome?
Am I wrong for feeling it unacceptable that these people, whom we’ve never met) would feel it appropriate to try to “correct” my dog for being a dog? Am I being a “mama bear” about this?
What would you do in this situation?
On the bright side, I now know that we need to work on neutrality in highly arousing situations/settings. If anyone has any good resources/tips/tricks for helping us work on this type of thing I’d greatly appreciate it!
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10 Replies
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Ah, @AlexisLee it can be tough to get going in a new sport and to find “your people”. Humans are a tough bunch. Dog people are no exception. Unfortunately the “be the boss” philosophy is rampant still, and you are the only one who can protect your dog. I encourage you to continue to advocate for him.
The good news is you’ve learned what you can do differently next time and you won’t face the same problems in the same way. Your dog is just being a dog, and you can set him up for more success next time by meeting his needs and avoiding other dogs. It sounds like you covered your mistakes as well as you could. It also sounds like you are committed and determined to succeed, which is to be celebrated! I see a few options:
1. Quit. Walk away and find some other sport, maybe one that is closer to you. You may find kinder folks in a different culture.
2. Excel. They’ll still talk about you, but when you start walking away from events with blue ribbons it will be easier, plus, as you learn, you can teach, and then you can lead a whole new bunch of folks in a kinder club. Kind & wonderful competitors are out there in every sport. Keep looking!
3. Recruit. Bring your own friends to events as co-competitors and support each other. This is my favorite. There’s nothing like having a couple of trusted teammates to practice with and encourage.
Keep being kind. Keep advocating for your dog. Take some time this week to just play, and remember why you are doing the things you are doing with your dog… to have fun, right!?
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Oh, Catherine! That is such sound and compassionate advice. I really think it is hard to overcome the feelings that these people put Alexis through, I know I am not the type to want to go back into that situation. But, I know you can do it if you want to, Alexis. If you and Gunnar WANT to.
You can always check out some wonderful resources for helping dogs settle more in those dog sports atmospheres:
Control Unleashed, by Leslie McDevitt (book and DVDs) help dogs who need to settle in these adrenaline driven atmospheres (also great for all dogs, in my opinion)
http://www.controlunleashed.net/
The Moving Canine by Mari Valgma is a few courses, but starts with the 2 Bowl Game. She has a free version on Instagram and her website and it is NOT about cuing the dog to perform. It is for creating better and calmer handlers and helping dogs read their environment and get cues from the environment which in turn, help the dog complete and thrive at movement puzzles that are homemade. I highly recommend checking it out. The time commitment per puzzle (max) is 2 minutes per session. Can also be done indoors.
https://themovingcanine.com/about/
i hope these are worth the look for you and can help Gunnar, who sounds like a resilient enough dog to go whichever direction Catherine pointed out that you feel is best!
And, sending you a HUGE HUG!!! I know we don’t know each other well, but YOU deserve kindness and compassion, as well as Gunnar!
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Thank you Paula! I actually have “Control Unleashed” the hard copy on the way, it should be here on Monday. I will definitely be checking out the other resources you listed above as well, I really appreciate all of the feedback and encouragement after this difficult experience. ❤️
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Great resources, Paula!
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Thank you for the encouragement! Part of me really wants to go back and prove them all wrong just so they don’t “win” but I also don’t want to ruin Gunner’s experience (and my experience) in the process. I’m still deciding what to do about the trial but I have scheduled a few more private lessons with our lovely trainer. She is hosting a trial in December so I may just wait until then to make our debut in the “real world” of barn hunt. I really appreciate your kind words and for helping me put things into perspective, and validating how I was feeling about the situation.
Heres a picture of the most brilliant boy at one of our first ever barn hunt lessons.
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Aw! What a pretty dog! He clearly loves this game!! That, right there, should be enough to keep you positive about it, and coming back. It’s great to know you have a mentor to work with who will support you as well. Keep advocating for your boy. The dog world NEEDS more people like you in it, especially in all venues of sports. ????
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I don’t think you should let the “people” component of barn hunting discourage you from getting this natural athlete off ups into the sport. There are plenty of more positive folks out there!
Just a thought…would your trainer be willing to accompany you and Gunner (sorry I spelled his name wrong earlier! Thinking the German spelling) at one of these events? Having an extra handler who is more experienced could be calming for him (and you). I know you may have to pay her, just a thought.
I did This with a client recently who has a young English cream retriever and is taking her to group classes while we are doing twice weekly private classes. The dog did great that day. It can be so confusing to go from private lessons into a group of 10 dogs and handlers! I mainly went there for moral support for Daisy and her owner, Sue. I suggested we bring her mat and helped her settle while Sue was listening to instructions, listened for her when she was handling Daisy, etc…
I applaud you and Gunner participating in new experiences! What a great team you are. Keep it up!
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So sorry about your experience! I have competed in both agility and nosework and I feel your pain. Here are some suggestions you can think about.
1. When you fill out you application let the trial host know that you are a beginner. Ask if there are any volunteers helping with the trials that would be able to provide you with support or assistance.
2. Make sure you read the trial rules thoroughly. They will usually have rule that other people cannot yell or distract you or your dog. If that happens you can report the incident to the trial hosts.
3. Have your dog wear a ” beginner” bandana… Or wear a beginner T-shirt. Tell the volunteer that is coordinating the runs that you are just starting to trial and you would appreciate their patience
4 . This one is very effective: volunteer at a trial without your dog. You will learn so much by watching others do their runs and you will be helping the sport.
5. Since you are in a barn hunt class see if any of your classmates want to do a trial with you. It makes driving to the venue and waiting around until your turn is called much more pleasant with a buddy.
6. Breathe! Take your time. And be your dogs advocate. It sucks scratching or leaving a trial early if your dog has had enough especially if there is a long drive or forfeited fees involved. But if you are in it for the long haul your dog will thank you.
7. Get to the trial early to get the best parking. That could mean parking in the shade away from the venue or as close as possible.. Whichever works best for your team. Investing in an aluminum shade blanket for your car is worth the price.
Ok I think that is enough for now. There are always going to be folks trialing that are over the top and usually folks are nervous about their own upcoming performance so they may be more short tempered than usual. I hope you stick it out so you can eventually make a newbie feel welcome!
Good luck!
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Wow, these are such awesome suggestions, @abbie !
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