Page 188 - ShowSight - October 2019

G I N I V A I N WG O o r R T D A . . . K I N G HOUSTON
SEMINARS
FROM THE EXECUTIVE EDITOR EMERITUS
Joseph Neil McGinnis III
REQUIRES A LOT OF GIVE AND TAKE!
“What some educators need to do is educate about the AKC written breed standard. Not their own interpretation or agenda.
Sorry, needed to say that.”
—Vicki Havicon
“More time for lunch!” —name withheld
“I have found all but two of the seminars I’ve attended to be positive experiences. I partic- ularly love the hands on. It's a great opportu- nity to put what you learned to the test. My least favorite aspect is unprepared presenters and people who think they can fool the sys- tem by checking in and disappearing. I be- lieve the AKC has gotten a hand on that. The seminars that are good need no improvement, others need better presenters The most valu- able take away is getting a great education from experts in the breed. What can they im- prove or improved in the breed and how it is done or getting done. Again I will mention the hands on....having dogs to go over. Some great, some mediocre and some bad. “
—Hal Bierman
“I’ve attended seminars on a breed I’ve owned, bred and shown for twenty-five years. My pet peeve is when presenters go off the reservation (“The Standard says <whatever> but I prefer <whatever>.” I don’t think that’s
how it’s supposed to work. I realize that’s a complaint but there’s much positive to be gained. I’ve learned a great deal from semi- nars and I’m very grateful for that. Thanks to the people and organizations who give them”.
—name withheld
“I have had only positive experiences in the seminars I have attended. I think that was due largely to the abilities of the presenters. I enjoy most the hands on part of a seminar. I also get a lot from ring side mentoring. "Real Life" can often delay the process but I believe two things could be done to assist in helping those who learn at a faster pace than others to advance more quickly. Considering the number of breeds in a group and the fact that many of them hold their independent na- tional specialties during the same time of year, more regional group clubs holding mul- tiple days of seminars would cut down on cost and time. The "New and Aspiring Judges" seminar should be offered more often. If you are truly active in more than one facet of the Sport of pure bred dogs, you are likely at your busiest when groups of seminars are offered. For example the week preceding and the weekend of the AKC/Royal Canin event.”
—Donald Plummer >
186 • ShowSight Magazine, october 2019
Celeste M. Gonzalez
Seminars have been a staple of the sport for many years. With the current judges’ approval process, Breed, Group or any dog-show-related seminars have all taken on even greater significance. In the months to come we’ll examine the process, the results, and hopefully include some time-saving or other type tips from experienced presenters and coordinators. I welcome input! To get started, following are just a few of the opinions we’ve heard or received.