THE BUBBLE
MENTORS & NEWCOMERS
BY STEPHANIE HUNT-CROWLEY
T his month, I am going to discuss something which has been a frequent topic of conversation for the past sev- eral years—mentoring. Mentoring has become the number one recom- mendation on Facebook help and advice groups, where answers are provided to inexperienced people who ask questions about breeding and puppy raising. One of the first things people tell them is that they need a mentor. This may be true, but the majority have no idea where to turn or how to find one. I decided to look at it from the other side of the equation. We talk about newcomers being discour- aged; we hear about newcomers not wanting to learn—but what is it like for the newcomers looking in? First of all, newcomers coming into the dog show world are not cookie cutter people and will have varying levels of interest and commitment. Do they really need a “mentor” or just people they can call upon for advice? I have talked to people over the years who have had their problem solved in a single phone call—these were people who had not obtained a puppy from me. There are also peo- ple who have a serious interest in showing their new puppy, but for some reason, cannot get any help from the breeder. I think back to when I started out in the dog show/breeding world. There was no Internet, no instant online communication; we either talked to people in person or on the telephone. Some of us sat down and wrote letters by hand or using a typewriter. Those who wanted to learn and those willing to share their knowledge were able to connect. Somehow, we learned more about each other in those days than we do now. Each of those letters that we wrote and received were read over and over.
128 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, FEBRUARY 2024
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