I once heard someone say that they were only interested in agility for the social aspects. They didn't care if their dog enjoyed it or not, they just went to hang out with people. I just don't understand that.
My dogs amaze me - they put up with all of my craziness and love me no matter what happens. The least I can do is spend a few hours a week spending time with them doing something they love. Maybe I'm weird, but at most trials I'd rather be hanging out with my dogs than socializing. I just feel like I owe it to my dogs because they go out there and run their little hearts out and put up with all of my clumsiness and confusion. Now, I do have some amazingly awesome agility friends that I hang out with at the trial - I just tend to spend more time with my dogs to make sure they get proper warm ups, cool downs, etc.
So if you ever see me at a trial and ask me to join you for dinner, I'm very sorry but I will politely decline. It's not because I don't like people, it's just that after all the hard work my dogs do for me I just like to give them special attention at the end of the day.
So true! Saturday night dinner with the judge is a big tradition here at our local club. I usually can't justify going (but will make concessions if it's my *favorite judge ever*) because I feel bad for leaving my crew in the car or at home because they worked hard for me all day. That's not fair to them, plus I figure we would all be better off resting up for the next day -- I don't think they sleep well if I'm not home.
ReplyDeleteAt away trials, no way. I'm not going to leave my dogs in the hotel room so I can go out to dinner. I just pick up Subway or something on the way back to the room. Good enough for me!
I will admit to leaving the dogs in their crates at trials if they aren't running or having a potty break. They get more rest that way and I'm typically working classes anyhow. It's tiring for them if I hang out with them and keep them engaged all day between runs. I sit by their crates whenever I might have a free moment, though -- and I crate by friends, so I can socialize while being near my dogs.
Agility friends are important to have after all -- who else would video my runs? :o)
I can totally understand going out to dinner at a local event - at least the dogs get to rest at home. I just don't understand how people can leave them at the hotel or in the car every night at a trial.
DeleteAnd my dogs do get some time to rest in their crates between runs - otherwise they would be super tired by the end of the day. I'm just usually busy running between rings to run two dogs, exercise Alpha, and work a couple of classes so that doesn't leave too much time to socialize. But I still do have some super awesome agility friends that I love, I just don't have that much extra time to spend with them.
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ReplyDeleteI see that at classes here, not knocking it but the people are very into socializing and rarely interact with their dogs, not juding they might spend tons and tons of time with their dogs other times and so have more important needs to take care of during class, but I really just like to sit with my dog...first she needs some attention because it is rough for her to handle the excitement of other dogs running and there is the cooling down and warm up and I just feel like it is our time, I like to focus just on her, of course it has given me the rep of being stuck up and not wanting to be part of the group, I always say Hi and ask how people are as we come in and clap for good runs and say good job but for the most part I sit in a quiet corner and enjoy hanging with my dog, I do wish people would understand more but no explaining it wihout making matters worse ;-)
DeleteGlad I'm not the only one. I will say hi to people as well and tell them how great their runs are but beyond that I don't talk all that much. And I'm sure that some people probably interpret that as maybe I'm stuck up. It's partly because I'm shy, but partly because I like to focus on my dogs. I was just really shocked that someone would spend all that money and time for the social aspects of agility... and they didn't really sound like they cared about their dogs.
Delete- Steffi