Breed Snobs - VENTING grrrr

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

Rooney's agility trainer phoned last night to ask if we would mind holding his beginner class today mixed with the more advanced class at a new dog park.  She was invited to be a part of a day long expo.  Sure - we didn't care so this a.m. we headed over to class.  When we arrived I saw that they had several clubs also there.  One was an Agility Club and one was an Obedience Club along with a Weiner Dog Racing Club.  Rooney and his regular class all did very well considering all of the distractions, barking, air horns, lots of people and other dogs, etc.  But the thing that really was so rude, the vast majority of both of these clubs were people with Australian Shepards and were they the worst breed snobs that I have ever seen!  Rooney was the only mixed breed dog as far as the eye could see and you would have thought we brought the swine flu with us.  No one said a word to us and you could see the whispers.  Rooney is only 9 months and he is used to people and other dogs being friendly - he was confused as to why no one would speak to him or pet him or let him by their dogs.  I got news for you people - I don't think your pure bred dog is 1/2 as cute as my mixed breed and they aren't any smarter.    I can tell you that Rooney will never get to a competition level in this sport - fine with me - because these people are rude and uneducated and I would never want to belong to a group like that.

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

Rooney resting with his dad at Agility Class.

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

Lori, I looked up USDAA and there are some groups here in FL.  I'll have to do some research to find which one might be closest to us and check that out.  Rooney just loves agility and I fully intend to keep up the lessons, just not sure now that we would ever go to a meet or whatever you would call it. 

I guess I thought that these people loved the sport of it but after yesterdays snobby attitude - it appears that many of these folks use this sport as a means of getting attention for themselves.  If running around a ring in matching tee-shirts, trying to discourage others from joining to keep the limelight on themselves is their deal - then they need to get a life.  LOL.  I had been to one meet earlier in the year to watch and had taken a young Rooney with and we also got the cold shoulder that day but I thought it was because we weren't in that particular meet - so I guess I should have known better.

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

Lori and Megan - thanks for the kind words.  I'm really trying not to be too touchy about it - but even my sweet husband was confused as to our treatment.  Rooney was his happy, eager self - ready to meet and greet the other dogs and no wanted anything to do with us.  I was just sad.

[Laura B.]

I am thinking of getting a doodle and have already experienced this. Any mention of doodles horrified the (otherwise very nice) people at the agility show we went to for research purposes. People generally suggested we just get a small standard poodle or if we want a mix just get a shelter dog. I would like to compete in agility, but wonder if we would be snubbed by purebred owners and rescue mix owners if we get a doodle. Would be interested in hearing more about people's experiences. 

[Stella]

If you stay away from AKC agility you should be ok. Even though mixed breeds are now being allowed into some Kennel Club organized trials, I don't think they are particularly welcomed and I have heard they have to compete in their own class, and not mixed in with the purebreds.

I'm in Canada and compete in AAC which allows dogs of all types to compete against each other - pure and mixed breeds, and have never had any problem with not feeling welcomed :)

[Laura B.]

Thanks, Stella. Good information. Great to hear you compete with your doodles and people are welcoming. We start puppy class on Monday with our 12 week aussiedoodle, so we will see how he is received. Hopefully, it will be great. :-)