THE PITFALLS OF PERFECTIONISM IN PURSUIT OF PERFECTION IN THE RING
I’ll always remember Carol Hollands mentoring me as a new judge. She taught me not only to double-check my outfit prior to leav- ing home, but to give it a test run through all of the movements that I would potentially use that day. A note here that, although this applies to both exhibitors and judges, judges normally have great experience from their longtime exhibiting years and understand this principle well. However, from time to time, we see pitfalls of perfection in a judge’s attire—though it is usually fixed by noon. PITFALLS IN THE RING Let’s go to the ring now and see what kind of pitfalls lie there. What about the exhibitor who continually resets the dog’s feet right before the judge walks up the line or walks up to examine the dog? This is the perfectionist who sets and resets the leg or foot with min- ute changes. As a judge, I applaud the exhibitor who makes every attempt to present their charge with perfection; however, when I see the continual setting and resetting, all I can think is, what’s wrong with that “front” or “rear” that it needs all that perfecting? The answer is obvious—the dog has an imperfect body part and, on top of that, is unable to use it correctly. The attempt to present a perfect stack turns into a pitfall for the dog. Another pitfall of perfectionism is over-trimming. One hair at a time turns into frustration at trying to create the perfect silhouette on your dog. Maybe you’re trying to give the dog the impression of more leg, as in a Golden Retriever. You snip—then snip again—snip, snip, snip, and pretty soon your attempts to perfect your dog’s outline ends up with the dog appearing over-trimmed. The result is that he looks too young to be a special, and even out of proportion for the breed. Had you asked a professional, a specialist in your breed, to assist you and teach you the proper techniques, you might have had a winning outcome and not fallen into one of the many pitfalls. At this point, we’ve talked about the attempts at perfection that turn into pitfalls, but what else could contribute to efforts that turn sour? What about when you unrealistically consider yourself as a part of the elite? You want to go “mano a mano” or “pro to pro,” except you’re not in that league, you just think you are. So, you go around the ring and you believe you are perfecting your handling skills. You
“YOU HAVE FALLEN INTO THE MISTAKEN MINDSET THAT YOUR ATTEMPTS TO BE FLAWLESS HAVE MADE YOU PERFECT, AND THAT IS THE PITFALL.”
stop, you have to set each leg at least twice to get a decent stack, and when the judge comes up to your dog, you guessed it, the dog is standing out of kilter for its breed. When you take your dog down and back and return to the judge, ready to get your dog’s attention, you bend over, flailing your arm, all the while thinking you’re ready to win the Group at the Garden. You are not. You have fallen into the mistaken mindset that your attempts to be flawless have made you perfect, and that is the pitfall. SO, HOW CAN THE NEGATIVE FEEDBACK LOOP BE BROKEN? Here is where it is critical to be open to constructive cri- tique, to seek out information from your mentors, and to self- reflect on BOTH your successes and failures. Such is a growth mindset, one that allows for positive growth, improvement, and ultimately, success. In all of these cases, the pitfalls of perfec- tionism rest on the lack of preparation and a willingness to ask for help from the experts. There is no shame in reaching out to someone who knows more than you do. In fact, I commend those who acknowledge their need for support. Reach out to the breed mentors, the handler mentors, and of course, the coach- ing mentors who can jettison you from mistaking your attempts at perfection and translate them into authentic perfection. You can’t do it alone! Being open to feedback opens the door to allow for success to unfold, which leads to that star quality that we otherwise fondly refer to as “perfection,” in the winner’s circle.
come to a stop with your dog without cueing him. Not only is the dog still moving while you stopped, but he wasn’t even trained to know he should stop. After an awkward
BIOGRAPHY Ms. Lee Whittier has been involved in the sport of purebred dogs for over three decades. Her involvement began as owner, exhibitor, and subsequently, a breeder of Rottweilers. She has also owned and exhibited numerous breeds in three Groups, currently Tibetan Terriers. Lee began judging in 2000, and then took a hiatus for several years to work for The American Kennel Club as an Executive Field Representative. She returned to judging in 2011, and currently judges the Working, Terrier, Toy, and Non-Sporting Groups, eleven Hounds breeds, six Sporting breeds, Bouvier des Flandres, and Best In Show. She has judged throughout the US as well as internationally. Lee is a standing member of Dog Fanciers of Oregon, the American Rottweiler Club, and the Tibetan Terrier Club of America. She is Show Chair for Vancouver Kennel Club and the Terrier Association of Oregon’s January show with Rose City Classic. In addition to judging, Lee Whittier has developed the Dog Show Mentor program, exclusively for owner handlers. This is an online program where owner handlers of all stages and levels learn to develop an individual, strategic approach to showing dogs. She also travels to speak to owner handlers all over the world.
128 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, APRIL 2022
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