THE BUBBLE: NEWCOMERS BENEFIT FROM MENTORS’ KNOWLEDGE
They could also share their experiences gained over the years, telling of life as a show dog breeder and exhibitor when things were very different to what they are today. These were breeders who were able to breed at least one or more litters a year without being called a puppy mill. There were breeders who may have owned, shown, and won with more than one breed. In earlier decades, they may have kept two, three, or more breeds over the years and this was accepted. Some will still be living in their original homes, but many have moved into condominiums, apartments, or even retirement complexes. Today’s newcomers will often not know their names. People in every breed should look back and ask, “Who were the people who were always willing to provide help and advice? Who was that person who provided that one word of encouragement that changed everything? Where are they now?” We have already lost so much history which could have been recorded because the breed- ers who came before were forgotten—and so was their knowledge. I remember being introduced to a famous breeder from the early days of my breed at a show in London, I think it was Crufts, and I was still a teenager with a lot to learn. I had no idea that, many years later, I would wish I could go back in time and talk to this woman and learn about the dogs that she knew personally, both of her own breeding and of others. Now, to us, they are just names on a piece of paper with a sparse selection of poor-quality photos to go by. I think of all the breeders around the world who have already passed on, taking their knowledge—and secrets—with them. How many breeders can you think of who were revered when you first joined the dog world 20, 30, 40 years ago? Many will be long gone. How many will have been asked to impart their stories to a scribe? Across America and around the world, there is a vast pool of knowledge sitting out there waiting to be remembered, recorded, and utilized. There are people who would love to sit down and talk to some newcomers and give them an idea of what it was like back then. When combined with new discoveries, this will give the lis- teners a greater depth of knowledge and the ability to make their own decisions as to what they think is the way forward. So many of the things that we’ve talked about or discussed recently have been about the problems the show dog and purebred dog world in general have faced in recent years, as well as possible solutions. Why not talk to some of the people who understand the trials and tribulations of being part of the dog show community but who can provide a dispassionate opinion? Let some of them be the mentors, the teachers. Not all will be willing or able, but if just a few of the remaining respected elders of the dog world in every single breed (who might otherwise be forgotten) become par- ticipants, newcomers would be able to learn and knowledge would be preserved.
“ACROSS AMERICA AND AROUND THE WORLD, THERE IS A VAST POOL OF KNOWLEDGE SITTING OUT THERE WAITING TO BE REMEMBERED, RECORDED, AND UTILIZED. THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO WOULD LOVE TO SIT DOWN AND TALK TO SOME NEWCOMERS AND GIVE THEM AN IDEA OF WHAT IT WAS LIKE BACK THEN.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Stephanie Hunt-Crowley started to show the puppies from her first litter as a teenager in England. She was also one of the original breeders who introduced the American Cocker Spaniel to the UK before relocating to the United States. She gained approval from the KC to award CCs in the UK and subsequently judged the breed there and in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Stephanie has written for breed and all-breed magazines, as well as general interest publications, and now lives in France.
88 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, MARCH 2024
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