The Competitive Spirit?

I am not a competitive person by nature. I would rather enjoy the game than win it. I like to make the rules up as I go along or do what needs to be done to keep it fun (i.e. repositioning the golf ball to make the putt). Of course I do like it when I win and I do usually try my best to be successful, but I think it is more important to keep in mind that a game is a game and not a life altering event.

The same can be said for most of us in the world of dog sports. How many of us are really "making a living" doing agility, freestyle or obedience with our dogs? Not many. There is some degree of credibility for trainers and some others to have accomplished dogs and there are a few professional dog sport players. But for the majority, dog sports are a hobby. So it concerns me that I am hearing too often from newbies just entering dog sports that the majority of people they meet at events are not friendly, welcoming or willing to help them. Is this a side effect of being too competitive or are "dog people" becoming more and more the snobby group they have been stereotyped as in the past? I do not want to offend anyone here, so I will not name any particular groups, but certain groups tend to be less open than others.

In dog sports, the sport is open to all dogs of any shape and size. AKC has now opened many of their events to non purebred dogs. We should be thrilled at the opportunity to get active, dog loving people together in one place for one common goal: having fun with your dog. We all know it takes hard work and dedication to get ready for competition. There are also a lot of rules that can be overwhelming and intimidating to the new competitor. It is so easy to get discouraged by all of this. Those of us with wisdom and experience can help to keep them encouraged, so they continue playing and overcome the early hurdles. A certain amount of competition is motivating, let's try to keep it that way for the good of the sport, our new friends and especially the dogs.

Learn more about getting your mixed breed into dog sports at http://www.akc.org/mixedbreeds/