Clean Run - February 2015 - 5

Going to the Dark Side
By Frankie Joiris

I've started this piece a dozen times or more. Each time I get
stuck, sounding too harsh or too hollow by turns, surprised at
how quickly my opinion turns to emotion. I've been involved
in this sport for 15 years, long enough to know we're a friendly
and supportive tribe, and long enough to know that, for many
people, the agility world is divided. For over a decade I competed with what some people call "off breeds," Norfolk Terriers and Whippets. I was successful with them, which, in turn,
brought me students from across the country and even across
the ocean who were competing with other less common breeds
and wanted to succeed. As flattering as this was, I remained
adamant, good dog training is good dog training, regardless of
what breed one was working with.
Still, I heard over and over that it was a wonderful thing that
I had chosen these breeds and not sold out, not gotten a Border Collie. And, of course, on a less personal level, I heard the
constant chatter one hears about people "going over to the dark
side," the self-righteous comments about staying with the breed
one loves, doing agility for the love of the sport, not being one
of those uber-competitive people who just picks a dog (read:
Border Collie) they can win with. From within the ranks of
Border Collie handlers there were a few who fanned the flames,
talking about how Border Collies weren't for everyone (as if
any breed is good for everyone) and implying that it took a really special person to bring out the best in these dogs; and sorry,
you probably aren't that special person, but they are. We've all
heard these comments from both sides of the aisle, we know the
majority of our fellow competitors don't feel this way, but the
sentiments are definitely out there.
On certain levels, the rift is wide enough that there have been
trainers who, despite quite limited success with their own dogs,
have built careers on their steadfast loyalty to those supposedly
more difficult to train "off breeds." Articles in which the authors
make comments to the effect that getting a single Novice leg on
their Whatsithound is an accomplishment on the level of getting a MACH on a Border Collie. Wait a minute, unless you've
both gotten a MACH on a Border Collie and a Novice leg on
a Whatsithound, you really are not qualified to make that determination. More than once I've read claims from people that
training their nontraditional breed makes them a better trainer
than someone who "just trains Border Collies." This attitude
angered me for years, even as people praised me for sticking

with "the breeds I loved" and doing so well with them, I did
not hesitate to point out that the coaches who were helping me
achieve this success had Border Collies, that there was nothing
special about me for my choice of breed, and there was nothing
wrong with the people who, because they wanted to excel in
the sport they loved, chose a breed of dog that, for a variety of
reasons, was built to excel in it.
And then, I did it, I sold out, I got a Border Collie. I expected
some conversation from the militant "off breed" contingency,
I expected some of the "better than thou" Border Collie handlers
to make remarks as well, and I was not disappointed on either
count. The very first time I took my puppy to a trial to socialize,
expecting the same adoring cuddles every other one of my dogs
got at the same age, I wasn't even across the parking lot when I
heard a voice behind me say, "Oh, no! You've gone over to the
dark side? How could you? You were our terrier hero!" She did
not even bend down to pet my puppy who was doing her best to
get her attention, she just stared from puppy to me and shook her
head. And like a well-scripted play, 20 paces later, an acquaintance who has Border Collies crossed my path and said, knowingly, "It's not as easy as you think it's going to be. Border Collies are not for everyone, you know. Everyone thinks that all you
have to do is get a Border Collie and you'll have instant success,
but really, most people fail, they don't understand the breed."
Seriously? I am, like every other puppy owner, a proud mama
with my cherished and adored dog. Why is it that, just because
she's Border Collie, there's an assumption that she's merely a
vehicle to my success? And that brings me back to the start
of this piece. I thought I could write a well-constructed article
about why we should not treat Border Collie handlers differently, but my emotions get in the way. Yes, my plan is for KissMe to do well competitively in agility, but she is also my pet,
my soul mate, my darling little dog, and that is what people who
make Border Collie comments seem to forget. We all love our
dogs, regardless of the kind of dog we have, and those words
that are casually tossed around to criticize our choices do more,
they put into question our relationship with our best friend, they
hurt. It's time to stop.

Frankie Joiris

Frankie Joiris is a full-time agility instructor. For three decades she trained animal actors for television and film, as well as teaching pet and competition obedience and rally.
She has owned and competed with a wide variety of different breeds in many different sports . Her Norfolk Terrier, Stamp, was the first and is still the only CH MACH in the
breed. She currently runs a Whippet, a Pyrenean Shepherd, and a Border Collie. Frankie can be reached at fjoiris@me.com or through the website www.speedoggie.com.
February 15 | Clean Run

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Clean Run - February 2015

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