Don’t be a Keyboard Critic
By Vicki Ronchette
Oftentimes after a big show, usually a televised one or sometimes a popular national I will see a lot of posts with people commenting on the results. It’s not uncommon to see comments about how some people don’t understand the standard or how with money anyone can win or any number of other things.
STOP. I encourage people to stop making such posts for a number of reasons.
First, when people say things like this it comes across as arrogant. Surely the people writing these posts believe that THEY understand the standard or win based only on the merits of their dogs, right? These types of comments suggest that the poster believes that they know better than anyone else. That only their dog(s) win on merit and that no one else could possibly read or understand the standard. Am I suggesting that poor judging never occurs? No, absolutely not, but I am gently reminding you that you know how this game works. You win some and you lose some. Winning AND losing with grace is a skill we should all work to master.
Secondly, not only does this type of behavior come across as “sour grapes” it isn’t good for YOU. That’s right, it isn’t good for your own mindset to participate in a sport that makes you need to spend your time feeling that you have been slighted and that isn’t fair and that wins aren’t well deserved.
I see posts that are presenting as vague, but that can easily be determined who the poster is talking about. I have also seen the behavior in person where there is no question at all which dogs and people are being targeted. I have seen it done by newer people who are frustrated that they lost to a professional or more experienced exhibitor and I’ve seen it done by successful handlers who almost always win but can’t wrap their heads around the few times they don’t. Either way, it’s not nice. It’s mean spirited. It hurts peoples feelings. Do you not think “the other guy” feels they have a nice dog? Do you not believe the other exhibitor hoped their dog would win?
To be sure there will be people who will declare how political or unfair judging is and that people have every right to air their disapproval publicly. The fact is that if you are going to participate in a sport where the judging subjective you have to accept the fact that dog shows are judged by humans and the results will be varied. Sometimes you will be happy and sometimes you will be disappointed. Use your disappointment to work harder on your training, grooming and presentation of your dog.
