AKC Gazette
September 2011
AMELIA AVERIL
MOVING FORWARD
By the time you read this column, plans will be in full swing for the 2011 Bulldog Club of America’s national-specialty weekend to be held Thanksgiving week, November 21 through 26. It will be held at the Sheraton Premium Hotel, in Vienna, Virginia. The location is right outside Washington, DC. This is a great opportunity to go to the shows and visit the nation’s capitol.
These national weekends are a good place to see dogs from all over the country and to visit with old friends and meet people who share a common interest in the Bulldogs. There are educational opportunities as well as having fun. Plan to attend; I promise you will be happy that you did.
The Bulldog community moves along, and soon the year will be over and new officers will be elected for the Bulldog Club of America, both on a national and divisional level.
Being elected into office is a serious responsibility. It is not a popularity contest. Tough decisions sometimes have to be made.
We have an obligation to impress upon new owners the privilege and responsibility of owning a Bulldog. To grow up to his potential, a young pup must have love – the kind of love that can forgive and forget occasional mistakes, the kind of love that gives and not takes. So enjoy your puppy, and above all love him.
If you have a good dog and decide to show, do so. Do not be discouraged if you lose from time to time. If the dog is a good specimen, he will win and finish. Remember that it is individual opinion that makes dog shows. If every judge picked the same dogs, there would be no need for dog shows, hence there would be no hobby of showing dogs.
No not listen to ringside gossip. Negative remarks about other people’s dogs are not productive. This type of criticism is based on negative thinking. Anyone, including a novice, can fault a dog, but it takes an expert to see the virtues. When I say virtues, I mean characteristics that are good according to the standard of the breed.
In conclusion, let us look for a dog who is a good representative of the breed. We can only hope for pure perfection and strive for it, but until that day comes along, give me a dog who makes the others look commonplace.
Let me conclude with words my grandson, Tim, said to me upon leaving church. He said, “Heaven is the place we go to meet our old pets.” I think this statement made by a child says it all. Pets are a big part of our lives and members of the family. Enjoy them.
Amelia Averil, 8 Willow Brook Rd., Hillsdale, NJ 07612.