Marlene Groves calls for zero tolerance toward bullying in the sport, urging stronger accountability and a renewed commitment to civility.
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We have all seen both the old and new AKC Sportsmanship language, and now it has the new added word of Civility. In business, this document would be deemed, Guiding Principles or Core Values.
The language regarding History, Dog Welfare, Policies, and Rules is actually pretty brief, and then, by and large, the rest of the language of the revised code speaks to Personal Conduct.
The other thing that most of us have seen is behavior/conduct at shows, events, and even social media comments which are not, at all, in harmony with this document.
The NFL (National Football League) has a Personal Conduct Policy, and in my opinion, they have a well-defined system for applying discipline through fines, suspensions, and even total banishment. The PGA (Professional Golfers Association) has a Zero Tolerance Personal Conduct Policy that I love. It applies to all volunteers, contractors (vendors), and members; and it includes any form of communication (letter, email, social media, phone, or in person). There are also many other large sports organizations and associations with Conduct Policies.
I got into the sport of dogs (a bit minimally) in 1980, then really went deep about 25 years ago. Even though there were more people and more dogs, and it was busier 25 years ago, the sport felt calmer over all, and I must say, more professional. People were happy to see new people coming and they were far less hostile if they did not win. But society as a whole has changed, where now everyone has far more of an opinion; plus, I believe, social media really grew some “keyboard krazies.” Bottom line: we see more poor conduct than before in all sports and in many areas of life.
Let’s applaud the AKC for bringing sportsmanship and conduct back into focus. That said, if the Code is only “words” and people at dog shows just sit and watch poor behavior, we are not likely to get things back to being calmer, kinder, and more professional.
Folks who know me know that I am a huge advocate for bringing new people into our sport. However, I find it hilarious that some people/professionals go after breeders like me for prioritizing show homes; commenting, “S/he will put anything with four legs in a show home.” Most breeders let comments like these slide, knowing they reveal the other person’s character—but should we continue to let all disrespect, rudeness, and personal attacks slide?
In the past, people have even been known to pursue individuals at events, saying awful things and even “body checking” them when they thought no one was aware. When this happened to someone close to me, I used the experience as a life lesson and did not report the incident or make anything of it—but it was wrong to ignore the menacing behavior. Looking back, we should have taken action!
I know of a puppy in a new show home with an owner who has a friend helping her show (which is doing quite well: a Puppy Best in Show, three Championship points, and all are learning about the breed, etc.). They have contacted me, very concerned about a person who is vulgar, foul, and hostile towards them at shows. I suggested for them to not take things personally and try to avoid the other person, but that has not worked. Recently, I told them that if the foul language and abuse continue, they need to consider a bench hearing, or at least report it to the Show Chair; or maybe just ask the AKC Representative to try to be ringside next time. This should not be what any new person goes though while trying to get into our sport!
Recently, I was visiting with someone, a younger participant, who I have been asking to join one of our local dog clubs. She told me of the troubles she had when she first got started and how she nearly quit due to the ugliness she endured in a specific breed. I thanked her for not giving up, as she is a wonderful addition to our sport, but I know some people have left because of similar treatment. She nailed what it really is—it’s BULLYING! Being bullied includes things like verbal attacks, hazing and intimidating, stalking, threatening, menacing, spreading rumors, etc.
Anyone who has been in the sport for more than a minute has some kind of story about bullying and poor sportsmanship. Some stories include folks who have had troubles in their own breed club by a board member or someone else high ranking. So, besides the words printed on paper about Sportsmanship and Civility, would the sport benefit by developing a tip sheet for how to handle troubles or bullying at a dog show? Or do we just put up positive words saying what we want and then keep letting the negative things slide?
Bottom line for me: I’m for a ZERO TOLERANCE FOR BULLYING!
I’m also probably at a point where I will stand up, speak up, and call out bullies and other misconduct. And if that means calling a bench, well, maybe that’s what we all need to do until more of us embrace and display the true intention of our sport’s Code of Sportsmanship & Civility!
Here’s a link to the AKC Dealing with Misconduct booklet: https://images.akc.org/pdf/rulebooks/RDMSC4.pdf
And here’s a link to AKC’s Discipline Guidelines: https://images.akc.org/pdf/Revised_AKC_DISCIPLINE_GUIDELINES.pdf
American Kennel Club (AKC)
