Working the Dog Show

My boys had a wonderful opportunity to spend the last three days working at a Dog Show. We didn’t know what to expect, but we did know they were being paid $25 per day and would be there from 7:45 until 3:00 at the latest.

When we arrived, it was obvious this was a whole new world. Stations were setup throughout a large room with dogs of every breed I can imagine being groomed and polished for the day’s events. Going to the place we were directed, the boys were put straight to work. Ben was to be the assistant pooper scooper and Noah was a go-fer. They weren’t too excited, but I thought, ok, I guess this won’t be so bad. My plan was to stick around, observe and read or crochet. After a short time, it became apparent that we were in the wrong place. Asking a few questions, it was determined there were really two shows going on and we belonged to the other show.

We did find the right people, they were understanding knowing we were clueless and sent the boys to agility. This is where dogs climb ramps, jump hurdles, etc. all on instructor command. It was a looooong day as there were more workers than needed. They would work for thirty minutes and then sit for thirty minutes to an hour. On the plus side, I got a lot of crocheting done, but it didn’t bode well for days two and three.

On day two, we were assured that the mix-up is what caused the wait. Our fault – I felt bad even though there’s no way we could have known. Sure enough, Ben became a timer and Noah helped with obedience setup, and both were doing their jobs straight through. Day two ended around 12:15, which was nice.  Day three was pretty much the same as day two, Ben was the timer for one of the arenas and Noah was in charge of setting the obstacles and placing gloves for the dogs to retrieve in another arena.  They ended up having a really good time.

It’s been quite the experience. “Dog people” are definitely their own breed. Most are breeders (or hired showers) hoping for champions so they can sire or produce high dollar puppies. They were all very nice and quite proud of their canines. One lady remarked that it costs $20,000 a year to show dogs. Wow! I’m kinda partial to my rescue animals, so I don't get that end of the business, but it’s obviously lucrative. Good for them!

The “work” experience was a success. Ben and Noah learned that work is not all fun and games, but, when done right, it can be rewarding and sometimes enjoyable. They already have big plans for their $75 that is burning a hole in their pockets. I’m glad they had the chance for responsibility, hard work, engaging adults, seeing a world they’d never normally get to see and earning their own money. I hope we get to do it again!