The Great British Public

These last few days I've been getting the schedule ready for the Performance Weekend next April where agility handlers hoping for a place on the GB team will come and show their skills. It's interesting when you get into the planning process of something like this how many questions turn up. Still, all the questions will be answered and the schedule out before Xmas - essential Christmas reading!

The world of GB Dog Agility is in a bit of turmoil at the moment. Our culture in the UK has developed in to one I can best describe as 'learnt helplessness'. Through society, publicity, attitudes and behaviours the great british public is developing an attitude of 'it's not my fault'; ' I deserve it'; 'it's not my responsibility'. Unfortunately it overflows from society into sport, business, interests and hobbies - dog agility included.

Couple this with an unhealthy assumption that it's wrong to want to win and you get a culture of 'no-one should want to win, and if I don't win its the fault of, the government, the teachers, bankers [always good to have a pop at them], or the organising body, so I'll change the rules' - sounds familiar?

I try not to get drawn into these debates until there is hard evidence supporting the argument. At the real core of the issue is, or should be, dog and handler welfare which I totally support. However, these few people are minded to make rule changes on assumptions, thoughts, views, half thought through ideas and observations, not on proper scientific evidence.

A quote by Eleanor Roesevelt springs to mind:

"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people"