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I'm pissed. I have no political agenda and trust me, there is no monetary
gain in my being upset. I am not a trainer, a breeder or a working trial
decoy. I am not president of a dog club and I don't make my living from
dogs.
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H o w e v e r - - -
I own dogs. I own personal protection and sport dogs. I believe that private
citizens can own, train and responsibly handle dogs that bite - in the home
or on the field. If you don't agree, you can stop reading right here.
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I buy a dog and am defrauded. I sell another and make a profit. I've picked
up dogs abandoned in a back yard for 3 days in 115-degree heat. I've drug a
93 pound Shepherd out of a wilderness area, stopping every quarter mile to
make sure he's still alive and continue first aid. I've celebrated K9
victories with Jose Cuervo. I've missed work because I put a dog down the
night before.
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I am a doer. My butt is on that field. I have experience - less than some,
more than others. I work in a training group. I work alone. I travel to
competitions. I sweat. I bruise. I curse. I fall down and get back up. I
listen. I make mistakes. I ask for help and start over.
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I am pretty much just like you.
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But, I've recently done field triage on decoys. The next time I scream
"ice", I want it to cool down the beer, not stop bleeding or treat heat
prostration. And when a guy collapses at my feet, I want it to be 'cause I
look good - not because he's injured.
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Don't try pointing fingers at a scapegoat. The chain of blame leads right to
you, and to me. It encircles everyone who works with decoys.
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What's happening with decoys? What's up with decoy certification? Are decoys
really wearing lacrosse facemasks on the training field to teach dogs to
target the face? Are we utilizing pre-teens to work bite dogs when a trainer
isn't on the field and when competitors don't know that decoy is under
legal age? Are credentials for sale to the highest bidder? What's up,
people?
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I don't know. And, I wish I didn't have to care. But, I've seen a lot. I've
been in the trenches. I've been bled on and I've waited in the ER to see if
a decoy would be admitted. From my perspective, we're ignoring common safety
issues and that stinks. And, we better figure out how to fix it. Not next
year, not next month - - but now.
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Catching dogs is not about being macho. It is not about being a woman who
can do a man's job - - or a woman's job. It has nothing to do with your
social status in the dog community. And, buster, it sure ain't about showing
up and showin' off.
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It is about work. Catching dogs in a trial is very hard work. And, not every
training decoy can be a trial decoy. It is about being an athlete. It is
about entertainment for the spectators - profit for the vendors - and
camaraderie for the hosting club. It is about using every opportunity to
educate the public, in a positive way, about our dogs.
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And, it is about safety. Hello out there. What a concept: safety for the
audience, the handlers, the decoys and - - yes, our dogs.
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Did your club or organization hold a match this year? You did; that's
terrific. Do you have checklists for setting up a match? Do any of them
concern safety issues? Do you have someone with bottom line responsibility
to inspect what you expect will be done before the first dog goes off the
line?
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Did you think to yourself that the audience should have at least a visual
deterrent to keep them from wandering onto the field while dogs are working?
But, did the venue just not turn out quite like you planned. Are you in a
hurry to start on time and are you going to ignore that little voice inside
your head? That's fine. But what are you going to do when that 10-year old
kid, trailing a kite, crosses right in front of a dog being sent on the call
off? And, what about the dog that jumped the rope and went into the
audience, only to return immediately to the handler's side when called? What
if it had been a different handler and a different dog? Do you have a plan
of action for that scenario?
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Speaking of handlers, should they be concerned with safety? Should they do more than pay a fee, fill out a form and bring a dog? Should a handler
need to inform the trial steward that their dog has been targeting a
Lacrosse facemask worn by a training decoy? Well, maybe; or then again,
maybe not. All I know is that we better talk about it.
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What about decoys? News flash: decoys - you do have rights. It isn't sissy
to ask for and expect to see the insurance certificate for the match. You
also have the right to make certain the First Aid Kit is on the field - -
and somebody there knows who to call and what to do. Excuse me - it is your
life on the line. I believe decoys also have the right to expect cold water,
shade and a bench where they can sit down without having to remove their
pants. Am I a radical?
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And, decoys, as with any rights there comes a boatload of responsibilities:
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Act like an adult, please. Assume the responsibility to show up - - sober.
Bring a suit that fits - you. If your wrists are hanging out, don't expect
the handlers to notice. They just may have other priorities on trial day.
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Carry a bag that actually has items you may need - such as tape, gauntlets,
gloves and systemic antibiotics - - �just in case". And, while you are at
it, would you please fill out a 3 X 5 card with the name and phone number of
your family doctor? Are you allergic to penicillin or use insulin to control
blood sugar? Please - write it down. Hey, if you take medications daily, put down the name and the dose, too. And, pin that card to the inside of your bag where I can find it if you are passed out. |
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Club presidents and training directors, don't you look righteous. Where were
you when the decoys were checking in? Have you met these people before? Have you seen them work dogs and just how many years ago was it? These decoys may have credentials but just what do those credentials mean? And, do you always have a signed liability release from every decoy before every match?
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And, to those of you who have signed these credentials - - sit down. I want
to get in your face. If you have personally tested decoys in any bite sport
within the last three years, call me. Collect. I want to know just exactly
what you are testing. Did you ask 25 questions about the rules and
regulations of your sport? Good. But, did your test end there?
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Did you actually ask a decoy to work a dog - one that he didn't know? Did
you ask him to work it in prey? In defense? Did you ask how he was trained
and by whom? Did you watch him problem solve? Better.
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Did you ask the decoy to run in his suit? Walk steps? Did you knock him down
a few times and ask him to get up? Did you play "what if?" That's the best.
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Did you see a medical release or physical exam documentation? Should that
even be your concern? I don't have the answers, but I am going to raise the
issues.
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If you, as a club, want to hold a trial where the safety of the paying
public is in question - well, I can't stop you. And if you, as a decoy, have
a need to catch competition dogs when you don't have the physical ability, I
can't prevent you from becoming quadriplegic or brain damaged when the wrong
dog hits you the right way.
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But, if you are using decoys that just don't know that they just don't know,
and those decoys kill or injure my dog, well � you better duck.
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I saw things for years and kept quiet. I kept quiet on my own field and I
shut up out of town. It wasn't any of my business, I said. Well, I was
wrong. When I was trying to put Humpty-Dumpty together again, it became my
business, my fault and my responsibility.
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And, it's yours, too. Do we wait until our next match is showcased on 20/20?
Do we wait until a bureaucracy rears its ugly head and decides to regulate
our sports?
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I hope not. Get a grip. Get involved. Get your club together. Get active. Be
proactive. Talk to your national or international organization.
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And please, be safe. |
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