By Vicki Ronchette
This is an honest and legitimate question because at some point you will be forced to decide whether you will be honest and truthful or untruthful in an attempt to be kind and spare someone hurt feelings. Whether someone is asking me about the quality of their animal, some behavior their dog is exhibiting or the readiness of a dog to be in the ring I am going to be honest.
When it comes to a dog’s structural quality it is rare that I can’t find something nice to say about the dog. I was taught by my mentors to find three things I like before allowing myself to focus on or discuss faults (another post coming up on that soon)! That said, I will be honest about the quality of an animal if I am asked. But, when it comes to the dog’s behavior, especially if the dog is struggling, I may not wait to be asked. Because if I see that a dog is struggling and needs to be advocated for and no one is doing that, I may make an attempt to help the dog. It isn’t always because people don’t care, they may genuinely not know. I can offer them that insight and it is up to them if they want to listen and learn or they don’t.
If someone is paying me, as a coach and mentor, it is a disservice to them to not be honest about what is going on with their dog. As a professional it is also extremely unethical for me to do so. When it comes to dogs my opinion is a professional one, oftentimes where the well-being of the dog and/or the safety of others is at stake. I simply would never be dishonest in attempt to avoid hurting someone’s feelings when my dishonesty could result in a dog being in a situation that is unsafe, uncomfortable or dangerous for them.
Do I enjoy making people feel badly when I have to tell them no, their dog is likely not ready to be entered in a show or that their fearful dog is not a candidate to be sent off with a handler? No, of course not, but it doesn’t mean the truth doesn’t need to be said. The plain fact of the matter is that there are dogs that are not going to be okay with that, regardless of how skilled the handler, how successful a handler they are or how experienced they believe they are. There are also some dogs whose behavioral limitations make them not be candidates to be show dogs regardless of how nice the dog is conformationally, how much the owner wants it or how much work they put into it.
Because I have specialized in sensitive, fearful and soft dogs for so long I have a particular soft spot for them. When it comes to these individuals I will absolutely always tell the truth about what I am seeing, what I feel is the best plan for them and I will speak up if I see them being put into situations that I believe to be detrimental to them. My goal is always that the dog is okay and while we also may be working towards the dog getting into the ring, being with a handler, finishing a championship, none of that supersedes the importance of the dog’s comfort level. I’m not interested in the dog just stopping the problem behavior so they can be shown and finished. My focus is on the dog truly being okay, feeling safe and being heard and helped when they are struggling. Some people are so desperate for a championship that they forget that the dog is a living, breathing animal whose well-being should be paramount to everything else. For me, it will never be about ribbons, titles or another feather in my cap as a breeder.
As I have said before: The dog. The relationship. The ribbons. IN THAT ORDER.
