AKC Gazette
June 2010
AMELIA AVERIL
HAVING FUN!
Following are the current officers of the Bulldog Club of America, who took office as of January 1: president, Robert Rodenski; vice president, William Smith Jr.; treasurer, Gordon Grant; secretary, Lynn Smith; and AKC Delegate, Robert Newcomb. The executive committee includes Robert Hall, Jean Hetherington, Nancy Schultz, and Jennifer Thomas.
It is hard to believe, as I write this column on another snowy day here in the New York City area, that when you read it we will be awaiting the beginning of summer. Soon the air conditioners will be running, and we will remind people to never leave a dog in a car in the summer heat, but right now I see the snow and ice falling as I think about what I will write.
I am thinking about summer dog shows and how they can be a time for a family outing and fun. The family and the dog go to a dog show, and when judging is completed, the owner-handler and his family can relax and spend time with fellow exhibitors who share a common interest.
Having spent most of my adult life involved in dogs, I can honestly say that most of my friends are in dogs. I have met them through my involvement in the sport, so I advise all of you new to the sport to show your own dog. Win or lose, you will have the fun of a family outing and the company of good friends.
Let me address a question I have been asked about showing. It is important to remember that the road from the whelping box to the show ring is full of frustrations, hard work, and disappointments. Anything can happen and so often does. The puppy whom we voted “most likely to make it as a show dog” can fall apart. And how many of you have seen the pup who showed little promise make it successfully to the show ring? I have.
To sum it up, if you think you have a pretty good dog, go out and show. Don’t be discouraged if you lose from time to time. If the dog is a good specimen, he will finish. If he does not win consistently, go back and look at him; perhaps your original assessment was wrong and he is not a show specimen. So go back and try again. Patience is the name of the game. Above all, have fun!
Amelia Averil, 8 Willow Brook Rd., Hillsdale, NJ 07612.