the ring properly was not as easy as make a breeder’s heart sing. And it is them sitting ringside, because there is
it looked and my first go around in also the place that can test the metal always something else to learn.
her conformation ring was painful. of even the most committed breeder.
Commitment
Laurie walked up to me and asked, Mother Nature takes no prisoners, Which brings us back to commitment.
“Are you showing at Golden Gate and if you have ever doubted this fact, To log the 10,000 hours that Gladwell
this weekend?” I answered “No” to just breed a litter. points to as one of the distinguishing
How Did You Spend
which she said under her breath as elements of achieving success, you
Your Last 10,000 Hours?
she walked away “Thank God”. Planning a breeding draws on all of must be committed. It can take some
the things we have learned in dogs. people years to accumulate their
I think back to when we first got friend who was far more experienced
I persisted. We came back to class It is the one place where it all comes 10,000 hours, others never will. But for
I recently read a book started in the sport. We initially were
in the breed and marveling at how
on a regular basis and six weeks later together – sometimes as we thought, those dedicated, passionate folks, the
called “Outliers: The looking for a pet – a dog to take rapidly Dawn could get to the
I competed at my first dog show. We and sometimes not. I got to know a first 10,000 hours were gone before
Story of Success”
running with us. The idea of a pet details of the animal’s structure –
placed 3rd. I didn’t drop the lead, very well respected Bulldog breeder. they knew it. Their commitment has
written by Malcolm
progressed to the thought of getting quickly able to identify the strengths
trip over the dog or run up on the We were talking one Sunday afternoon carried them through the dark hours
Gladwell. The book
a show dog. So we went to a dog and weaknesses of the dog being
judge. It was in my mind a perfect about our goals as breeders. She of pain and disappointment and has
show to see what it was all about and discussed. While I knew that it all
performance. said very succinctly to me “I decided been celebrated in the consistent
attempts to answer the
we watched the Dalmatian judging. seemed to fit together properly, she
very early on that I wanted to be the quality of the progeny that carry
question of why some
I had no understanding of the breed could tell me exactly why. That’s the
Six years later I ran around the group person that people looked for at a their kennel name. You can be quite
people succeed and
standard, ring procedure, or the difference 10,000 hours makes.
ring with my first special. Laurie was specialty show. You know, the person certain of where they’ll be spending
others never reach their
judging process. The dogs all looked
sitting outside the ring watching me. that people said “Gosh, I wonder what their next 10,000 hours.
potential. I am sure
about the same to me, and I had no When we got started in dogs,
I think it was the first time she’d seen Jennifer will have this year”.
many of you have read idea what the judge was doing, let my husband was going to be the
me with Ginger and only my third
the book or have heard alone why she made the decisions Conformation Handler and I was
time in the group ring. We placed We all know who these people are How about
about it. There is a
she did. going to train the dogs in Obedience.
2nd. Afterward Laurie came over within our own breeds. They are the
After sitting ringside and watching
to congratulate me. I think she was thoughtful people who have invested
you?
concept in the book
that resonated with me
After that first show, we did our people show dogs in conformation,
almost as happy as I was. She took years of time and effort in the sport.
homework. We read the breed and finding myself to be an abysmal
me under her wing and gave me Every litter is carefully planned, and
– the 10,000 hours rule.
standard and any breed publications failure at obedience, I decided to try
some advice on showing “in the big while every litter might not produce
Gladwell’s premise is
we could get our hands on. We my hand in the show ring. Heck, all
leagues”. Six months later I would the result desired, over time there is
that to excel in any
spent time talking to breeders and you had to do was run around the
find myself competing against her a consistency and quality that cannot
endeavor requires an
attending dog shows, and we began ring with a dog – how hard could
and her husband Larry in the Best be denied. They are the people
investment of 10,000
to develop a better understanding that be!
in Show ring. That’s the difference that are modest in their successes
hours of effort. I think of the breed. I remember sitting
10,000 hours makes. of which there are usually many and
it is a valid premise and ringside in the early days, as my eye I went to my first handling class. It
able to bounce back from the brink
I believe that it applies
started to develop. I could now find happened to be the week before
Nowhere in the sport of dogs is of disaster of which there are always
to just about everything
my way to a good dog, and while I the big benched show in California
the concept of 10,000 hours more a few. These people have put in their
could single out that dog, it took where we were living at the time. The
apparent than in the whelping box. It
we do in this world,
10,000 hours multiple times over. They
time for me to identify the attributes class instructor was the professional
is where the proverbial rubber meets are the backbone of our sport and
and of course, to the
that made this animal a good one. I handler Laurie Jordan Fenner. I very
the road. It is the place, when all goes while they may not be in the ring at
sport of dogs.
remember sitting with a very good quickly found out that running around
right and the planets align that can every national specialty, you will find
~ Michele Wrath
SunnyOaks Dalmatians
E Boston Terriers | www.ebostonterriers.com E Yorkshire Terriers | www.eyorkshireterriers.comE Boston Terriers | www.ebostonterriers.com
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