The Art of Listening

With the big Rose City Classic (RCC) coming up this week, it gets me to thinking about a variety of things. First of all, I'm excited to see all the people that I'm going to get to see! There's a lot of conformation people that I really only get to see at shows because we all live so far apart. With this comes a whole lot of fun social get togethers after the days showing is done so that everyone can get caught up. Long days of showing followed by fun evenings gabbing together over drinks and good food make for very full days!

More than anything though, this show is a learning experience. It's about learning how to handle your dog in a very busy environment with a myriad of things going on. Learning more about various breeds that you may only see at dog shows. With all the performance events going on, you have the opportunity to learn more about the different sports and various levels of difficulty, in addition to seeing some top dog/handler teams. But most of all, there's a lot to learn just by closing the mouth and opening the ears to all that is going on.

Sometimes it seems that people get so caught up in trying to impress others with their "knowledge" that they don't stop to think about what they're saying. There's the old saying that "it is better to be silent and thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt." Often the person doing all the talking and "impressing" does not understand that they are indeed show casing their lack of knowledge, or just generally making themselves look like an ass. With the number of top notch professional handlers (both performance and conformation), breeders, and exhibitors that abound at this show, the smart person keeps their mouth shut and absorbs everything that is going on around them. There are many things that are not said in front of a person who has shown that they tend to run off at the mouth. There are also many things that are not said in front of someone who has expressed a particular opinion or allegiance. A lot of times it is better to go under the radar and just listen and learn, than to try to stand out and be "known." Then again, there's also a lot that doesn't get said around a person who is an unknown entity. Oh the politics of it all!LOL If nothing else, it can be quite entertaining!

Regardless, there's going to be a whole lot to take in over the week and I'm looking forward to good friends, good times, and lots of listening and learning.;0)