Rescue Prejudice!

I recently applied to join the local kennel club, and I have been assisting with the club's puppy classes as well as taking puppy, obedience, and rally classes with Cedar. I really enjoy the training side of dogdom, but I have never been involved with (or all that interested in) showing.

Anyway, I took Willow with me to this month's club meeting. (It was her first social outing since living with us, and she did marvelously!) Anyway, a few acquaintances met her before the meeting, and we were introduced as part of the meeting, so everyone heard that she was a rescue who just came us.

At the end of the meeting, we were putting away my chair, and one of the members (an elderly lady) was looking at Willow and asked about her. (I dont know if she didnt hear the introduction during the meeting or was just making small talk.) After establishing that, yes, Willow is a CKCS but noticably smaller than breed standard, the lady asked if Willow had been bred. I confirmed that, yes, I believed she had as she was rescued from a puppy mill after she was already over a year old. The woman looked at me nastily and said, "well, in my opinion, dogs that arent standard should not be bred!" It was as if she thought I condoned the millers!!

Shocked, I said, "I understand. She's a rescue." Then I walked away.

I have rescued a dog before, though not a purebred dog. Even with a rescue mutt, no one ever thought negatively about the dog because she was a rescue! Is this type of behavior part of the common "attitude" I've heard of some show people or was this old lady just off her rocker??

Let's just say the woman was....'.....an old dog that probably is set in ther ways and cannot be taught new tricks....'rescue cavaliers ARE cavaliers!

You stated yourself well....some people just don't get it.
Try and let it go .

Nancy
NJ

Send her over to ME!!!

Oh this makes me so cross.
Perhaps if it wasn't for all the pedigree dogs being "Bred for type" we wouldn't have all the problems that there are with many breeds today.

Un-educated is what she is, ignore it and show your beautiful Willow as proudly as you can in your next class!!

Alison, Wilts, U.K.

That's ridiculous. I understand your frustration though--I've actually had people, seriously--people, as in more than one, tell me that Gus isn't really a Schnauzer because he is white and it's color not recognized by the AKC. I reminded them that white is recognized in more countries than it's not, including Germany where they originated! :roll: I wanted to tell one woman to get over her righteous self, but I politely took my "bizarre" (in her words) Schnauzer and walked away. I could have also mentioned that Beagles aren't typically pushing 50 pounds as hers was, but I let it go. :roll:

Willow has the most wonderful "cavalier personality". Even after all she has been through. Try not to let people stupidity upset you. Sandy

Stupid old cow, that's why are breeder never shows her Cav's she said the old school cav breeders always look down their noses at people... :yuk:

Thanks for the support. I was really shocked at first, but the more what she said sunk in, the agrier I got. I'm happy that Willow had no clue what she said, or it would have ruined her first outing.

Rude comments aside, Willow did so well at that meeting, I was very proud, even though I had nothing to do with it! She barked only once, and that was when she noticed her reflection of herself in the wall mirror. (She always barks at her reflection, but I have yet to see her bark at another dog!). She even took some chicken from a woman's hand! (Willow has issues accepting treats from people's hands right away). I'm excited to get Willow enrolled in the next obedience class. She'll love to meet everyone.

This type of judgmental behaviour is so annoying.

I know there are some excellent breeders out there. Sadly, there is a contingency that continue to breed Cavaliers that are prone to MVD & SM - both terrible diseases.

And how dare anyone judge your beautiful rescue Cavalier? How dare she?!!

I will NOT buy a Cavalier puppy ever again from a breeder, whilst it is in my power to rescue a Cavalier.

ALL Cavaliers are beautiful. My Cailean is enormous. He is the biggest Cav I've ever seen and he must weigh more than 30 pounds. His mother and father were both very large. Does this mean that Cailean's mother shouldn't have been bred from?

Then I wouldn't have my beautiful, loving boy.

What's the crime in a small dog, or a rescue dog?

Poor you - I would've wanted to hit her.

Moviedust said:

Thanks for the support. I was really shocked at first, but the more what she said sunk in, the agrier I got. I'm happy that Willow had no clue what she said, or it would have ruined her first outing.

Rude comments aside, Willow did so well at that meeting, I was very proud, even though I had nothing to do with it! She barked only once, and that was when she noticed her reflection of herself in the wall mirror. (She always barks at her reflection, but I have yet to see her bark at another dog!). She even took some chicken from a woman's hand! (Willow has issues accepting treats from people's hands right away). I'm excited to get Willow enrolled in the next obedience class. She'll love to meet everyone.

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YOU did have something to do with it. You have her feeling secure. With that security, she can face the world without hiding, crying, barking or biting.===== I mean Willow === not the ole biddy - rotf

OMG {{{{{{{{Moviedust}}}}}}}} big hugs to you and darling Willow.

It is such a sad state of affairs when you meet people like that woman. Tbh, she is more to be pitied than to be pilloried, as she very obviously can't see past the end of her nose :roll:

I wonder, does she breed Cavaliers? If so, does she carry out all of the necessary health checks, including scanning? IMHO, it's people like that who do more harm to the breed than people like us who willingly rescue these poor neglected souls.

Does this woman, I wonder, have Cavaliers (if she has an Cavaliers) that are extremely tiny? These are the Cavaliers that aren't really true to type - they're just the ones that the breeders have specialised in! Like Misty's Cailean, my Maxx is a hooooge boy and so were his parents. In fact, all of my breeder's Cavaliers are larger boned. I once met a lady who used to breed Cavaliers and judged Cavaliers at Crufts for years too. She informed me that she gave it all up when people started going away from the naturally larger Cavaliers that you always used to see - says it all in my book! This lady had bred champions and showed me her boxes of certificates and rosettes She used to groom Maxx for me when he was younger and never has anyone else done his coat so well :|

Anyway, rant over and apart from agreeing with the others, next time you see this old bag, just stick your foot out and trip her up - she obviously walks round with her eyes closed if she can't see how beautiful Willow is :lol:

WoodHaven said:

YOU did have something to do with it. You have her feeling secure. With that security, she can face the world without hiding, crying, barking or biting.===== I mean Willow === not the ole biddy - rotf

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Aww, thanks, Sandy. Willow was pretty well adjusted by the time she got to us, and some of that is due to you!! Willow is certainly doing well, and she doesnt know a stranger.

Funny aside: My husband was a bit miffed that she took the treat from the woman at the meeting because it took him several days to get Willow to accept a treat from his hand. He was a bit eased, though, when I told him the woman's treat was cooked chicken, which we havent given her at home. But I certainly know what will motivate Willow in training!

Willow has the true heart of what a cavalier is supposed to be. Thanks to you and rescuers like Sandy. It is wonderful to see how loved dogs blossom. Ignorance can be cured; rudeness can't be and it sounds like this woman is both.

I say ignore the dumb broad! You know you have a great dog. It wasn't that poor pup's fault that she was in a puppy mill. Just love her and watch her blossom. My favorite line is remember that the bell curve means half are above the normal intelligence line and the other half are below. We know in which half that old bag resides.
J.

Some people feel so bad about themselves that they have to make others miserable too....seems the senior lady might be in that group. I am sure that the majority of people that cross Willow's path will see that she is a well loved beautiful cavalier pup that is a special special chosen pet for the people that she belongs too!