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| No more agility for us...; warning- a rant! | |
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| Topic Started: Jun 19 2008, 10:00 AM (595 Views) | |
| Nic | Jun 19 2008, 10:00 AM Post #1 |
Competition Manager
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Had a awful lesson yest, since I have been moved up a class from my nice laid back fun have a laugh class, to a more competitive class I have not been enjoying it at all. I mean so they should be competitive if they do agility, but I have decided its not for me, I will carry on doing it on my own and maybe do the odd comp, but i just dont fit into the lessons. Hardly anyone talks to me, mainly cos i dont do many comps and thats all they talk about, and also i think it may be cos I am a good 20 yrs younger than most of them. I cant do many comps as I have horses, full time work, exams, a bf, friends and family, they may like to put agility first but i like to have it as a thing to do when i like, not the only thing i do. I stand there feeling left out, upset, and finding the 100% focus on doing better in competitions rather than having fun and not thinking about what place I come and how to knock 0.000005 of a second off my time too much. I LOVE agility, dont get me wrong, i think u need to be competitive if u wanna win, but i dont, i wanna hav fun. What really did it tho is the couple of times anyone talked to me, it was to comment on brandys hair cut (mainly negative comments and sayin i shuda done it myself etc (i prefer a groomer to do it as its less stress for Brandy and they have the correct tools, silly me thinking of my dog rather than saving a few pounds!)) Or to say that now she is clipped she looks overweight, now i know its my dog, its hard to accept if ur own pet is over weight, but she isnt, she is on minimum food and a good hour + a day walks, plus weekends away a lot. I think its cos now it is shorter it is my sticky out and makes her look wider, but if u flatten the fur she has a nice waist and the covering on her ribs is fine. Also bf owns a pet shop and feels dogs all the time for weight, and he says she is fine. The lady who made this comment felt her and said she feels a little too much covering, and said to feel her dogs, i am not joking, absolutly bones is all i could feel. i said i think we all have diff ideas on what is a good weight and she said if she were me and she were competing brands to loose some, i said i wasnt competing and thought she's fine. This was the final straw, all they care about is competing, and stuff, i would rather my dog is the correct weight than skinny so she can do better in agility. Sorry for this rant, i am v upset as I LOVED my lessons before, and now feel like i am gonna give up something that was fine till i got moved up, and just wanted to let my :x: out! |
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| Lu20 | Jun 19 2008, 10:41 AM Post #2 |
Total Gas Bag!
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:stroke: Ooh Nic, Don't get dispondent and upset, it really is not worth it :no: You enjoyed and loved what you did with Brandy before you moved up a class so go back to what you both enjoyed and got something positive from. even if you have to do it by yourselves. If competing is not for you then so be it - end of! You have committments and you give your time fairly to all - be proud of that. As for Brandy overweight - never! As you say having a hair cut does make a difference. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, hold your head up and stand tall with yours. :hug: :flower: |
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| ClaireS | Jun 19 2008, 11:11 AM Post #3 |
Moderator
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Sounds like a miserable experience! There is nothing wrong with being focussed on winning competitions but that doesn't mean they have to be rude or ignore you. Can you go back to the other class or doesn't it work that way :unsure: I know Archie would enjoy doing jumps & tunnels etc but I'm not interested in joining a club. Can you get together some equipment and have a go in the garden / at your horses' field? |
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| piwoodhouse | Jun 19 2008, 11:14 AM Post #4 |
Total Gas Bag!
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Well said, Lu. The girl I walk the dogs with does agility and she's changed classes recently; the one she was in before became too competitive for her liking and it actually upset her to see a clearly tired Border Collie being pressed to do more and shouted at when it got something wrong by a VERY serious owner. Whatever you're feeling will be transmitted to Brandy and so if you're not happy, she won't be either. Get back to having fun and leave the dinosaurs to fester! |
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| sophie567 | Jun 19 2008, 11:41 AM Post #5 |
One of the regulars
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That's a real shame! :cry: You shouldnt give it up just because of one bad club and bad people there. At every club you go to theres some one you don't like ;) As for having a dog a few pounds heavy! Well Dash is hardly the skinniest dog going and when our lab x collie got really skinny he was terribly slow and when he was a few pounds up he was loads better! Think its fitness thats an important factor for dogs. Hope you carry on in agility tho x good luck x |
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| TerrierTops | Jun 19 2008, 11:56 AM Post #6 |
Chatterbox
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Ah Nic, I am sorry to hear about this ..... you were so thrilled with it a while ago. However, I know exactly the kind of attitude you're talking about. And if anyone said so to the club members they would deny they do any such thing! I am also going off my club for the same sorts of reasons. Find somewhere where they run a agility fun club! The going out and doing with others is still an important part of it. :stroke: |
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| Sky | Jun 19 2008, 12:36 PM Post #7 |
Chatterbox
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Oh Nic, so sorry to hear that you are not happy with your Agility Class but well done for having a good old rant it always helps to get things like that off your chest. Sounds like that class is not for you but perhaps there is another less competitive class in your area. If not, then Brandy has a wonderful life with you and your other animals and probably won't even notice the lack of "agility"if you do decide to knock it on the head. Life is too short to carry on doing something you are not enjoying so have a :hug: from me and find something more enjoyable to do :yes: Oh and Brandy certainly doesn't look overweight to me :ok: |
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| Jack Dog | Jun 19 2008, 02:17 PM Post #8 |
Squeaker
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Nic - change clubs. Hopefully there will be another nearby and you can go back to enjoying yourself again. I compete and enjoy it, but in the back of my mind I always try to remember that we are in it for the fun. Its not about winning, Jack Dog comes out of the ring everytime thinking he has won and thats the important bit for me. Please ignore their comments and remember the fun times you had in your class. You could train on your own, but I think you would miss the social side of the training (we spend half the class gossiping and catching up :yes: ) Don't give up for the sake of your doggy - they do so enjoy it Let us know what you decide Edited by Jack Dog, Jun 19 2008, 02:18 PM.
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| Tafia | Jun 19 2008, 03:52 PM Post #9 |
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Total Gas Bag!
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Nic - any dog that can climb the mountains that Brandy climbed the other weekend must be in tip top physical condition. Don't take these folks to heart and remember that your life is admirably full and varied unlike your fellow class members. Lucky old you! |
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| Nic | Jun 19 2008, 04:25 PM Post #10 |
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Competition Manager
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Honestly everyone, thank you so much for your kind comments. I really feel sooo much better now you have all given me your thoughts. It is times like these where TT is a life saver. I am glad no one here thinks Brandy is overweight, Tafia these were my thoughts exactly, she climbed 2 mountains last weekend, goes on hour long walks a day, goes out with my pony and me (which she keeps up in gallop with!!), i just dont think she CAN be overweight!! It was a horrible thing to be told to be honest, I was already not enjoying myself, and I care about my little Terror soooo much, it bought me close to tears with anger and worry that perhaps I was being blinde and she was overwight. However, I have pulled myself together now, and esp after reading all your comments and realised her dog was just stupidly thin, and looking at a normal healthy dog is something she obviously isnt used to! I am not going to give up, I will either carry on alone, there is a filed 15 mins away which you pay yearly to use whenever u like, and I will go here. However, there is a club near me who i didnt go to when I first picked the one I am at now as it is non competitive and I thought I was serious about it, turns out I am, just not to the degree these people are. One show a month is fine for me, and absolutly no pressure on any rosettes! So maybe this club would be good, only prob is it is on a sunday which I usually struggle to fit everything into already! But finally, if nothing happens and I dont do it as much as I do now, my fortnightly hour lessons on a weds will be replaced with nice long walks, to be honest Brandy isnt a real hyper dog when it comes to agility, she likes it but not fussed too much I dont think, so I am sure a extra long walkies is not something she'll mind :) Thanks again all :) |
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| Marean | Jun 19 2008, 09:16 PM Post #11 |
Total Gas Bag!
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I too am sorry to hear of this horrible experience you've endured, there does seem to be two sets of people when it comes to showing be it in the show ring or agility. When Harvey was a pup we started doing the companion dog shows and the little fun ones you get at fetes etc and even with these the hoity toity people I came across left a nasty taste with me. I enjoyed seeing other BT's and would often start chatting with other owners but some people would just blank you completely, took it all far too seriously and I really couldn't be bothered with mixing in that sort of environment. My neighbour shows her Australian Shepherd and she just gets on with it and ignores these types, but from your point of view I agree with the others in that finding another club would be ideal, such a shame when you clearly both enjoy it to give up all together. :flower: |
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| Mattie | Jun 19 2008, 10:30 PM Post #12 |
One of the regulars
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:hug: When I went to agility this is what I got as well and packed it up because of it. Why not try and get a fun agility group up, there will be others like you who are not interested in competitions but would enjoy the fun. You could make your own jumps etc and have more of a varity that you can when competiting. |
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| hannahb | Jun 19 2008, 11:34 PM Post #13 |
Chatterbox
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Nic I am full of admiration for you, Brandy is a gorgeous, fun and fit dog - and that's down to the love care and attention she gets from you. Some people are just silly when it comes to competetivness - and it's often not the most successful people who are rude and awful. I like the idea of fun agility :lol: could be sorta like crazy golf :lol: |
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| Sky | Jun 20 2008, 07:13 AM Post #14 |
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Chatterbox
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So pleased that you are feeling a bit better now Nic, it just takes a bit of TT to do the trick, that's what we are all here for :yay: |
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| hannahnicholls | Jun 20 2008, 09:03 AM Post #15 |
Chatterbox
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I don't know how I missed this :rolleyes: Tell them all to f**k off! :lol: I know those people you are talking about I dealt with those types for years in the horse world. How dare they make comments on your dog with out you asking for their opinion first. :x: It makes me so cross, forget about them and either try another club or do what everyone suggests and make your own little agility course. Snow says Brands is perfect as she is and even if she was a little over weight he quite likes the more rounded figure :yes: |
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