Editorial: December 17, 2021

Endings …

Here we are again, at the end of another year. 2021 brought us mostly negative news. The politics of the world are unsettling. The negativity on social media is upsetting at best. The pandemic played with us like a cat does with a mouse. On a more personal level and closer to home, the loss of so many of our friends and relatives. Whether a result of the Covid-19 virus or natural causes, we mourn their passings. Sadly, the list is long, but the three names that constantly come to mind are Lesley Boyes, Sue Vroom and Luc Boileau. Hard to imagine a world without these three individuals, whose larger-than-life personalities brought us so much joy and pleasure. We in the dog world are a competitive group, but sometimes you have stop, sit back and remember that it’s only a dog show. We don’t diminish their importance, just put them in proper prospective. There will be another one tomorrow. We can’t undo the past, but we can learn from our mistakes and try to correct them in this coming new year. Let’s reject all that negativity as well as thinking the glass is half empty.

Beginnings …

Let’s begin this new year with a glass that is half full. It’s a new beginning for all of us. So clean the slate and start to be positive in all aspects of life. While dog shows are the lion’s share of life for most of us, there is life outside of the sport. The show calendar doesn’t leave us much time to enjoy all things that life offers us; you have to grab them and hold on. The down time between dog shows has been minimal, and the feelings from last weekend are still present a day or two before the start of the following weekend. There is no time to decompress. We need to come together as a family. A family that in the world of conformation is getting smaller. We are reminded that sometime ago, Amelia Musser and Roz Kramer came to a decision to reconnect with people who once were friends and drifted apart for reasons now forgotten. We were part of that decision-making, and it brought us many more years of a friendship that otherwise would have never been. Think about that as you walk by a former friend or acquaintance. Just say hello and wish them a happy holiday and the best for the New Year. With all that said, we at Dog News would like to take this opportunity to thank all our readers and those who have supported us for letting us continue to bring you all the news from columnists around the world. So in this last editorial of 2021, we want to wish each and every one the happiest of holidays and all the best for a Happy, Healthy and Winning New Year. Thank you again and safe travels. See you 2022!