“There is no way I can pass her. She simply failed at several of the exercises.”
I stood in the middle of the dog ring, something I had promised myself I would never do again, and listened to the verdict. Mabel Joy didn’t pass her Canine Good Citizen test. She was only seven months old, but she performed the exercises flawlessly during our weeks of practicing at home. That day, I walked into the ring with confidence, but Mabel was more interested in befriending the Corgi she was testing with than being a good citizen. She was supposed to sit patiently and not display her usual social exuberance, but instead she felt the need to greet the woman beside me and then hop over to play with her dog. And yes, the photo above is the moment of the “big fail”.
Mabel flunked, and I was shocked. I stood in the ring, sobbing, remembering what my husband had said as we walked in that day. “Lisa, are you really ready for this?” He
knew what I had been through in those dog rings. But shouldn’t he direct the question at Mabel? Was Mabel ready? He had it right, though. I wasn’t ready.
“I will never do this again!” I said through sobs. “I will not step into another dog ring.” My husband, my best friend, looked at me and said, “Yes, you will, Lisa. You will.”
We walked out of the training center that day with me crying like a hurt child. On the drive home, I talked with God, and asked Him why Mabel couldn’t pass this simple test, and why her failure hit me so hard. What was wrong with me? What was wrong with her?
As we sat at a stoplight, I felt a sudden and overwhelming assurance from the Lord that there was a lesson here. A reason. A treasure. I heard God whispering to my heart to keep going and find the buried treasure in the middle of this brokenness. As the day went on, I began to feel determination setting in. I signed up for several classes so Mabel and I could practice. And then practice more. One of the classes was held in the training center where Gracie and I received our first non-qualifying score, known as NQ. Gracie had also not performed her exercises correctly during competition and was disqualified. In fact, we were standing in the very ring where it happened. Gracie had goosed a judge, then leaped out of the ring and into a spectator’s lap. When Gracie NQ’d she did it with everything in her!
As Mabel and I stood in that ring every week during class, the heartbreak of that first NQ with Gracie lessened. In fact, I could finally laugh when I looked at the photo from that day. It was healing to be back there and realize the NQ didn’t break us. It just made us stronger.
Mabel loves dogs and people, and it was a challenge for her to stay calm when we stopped to greet a person with a dog. She was supposed to sit beside me while the person and I talked for a minute, and then walk on without bounding over to play. I was determined that she would learn this, so every morning at a set time, Mabel and I walked out of the house and into the neighborhood for a greet-fest. Each neighbor we met would be an opportunity to practice. We learned when most people were out and scheduled our walks during that time. Our neighbors began to realize what we were doing, and they were gracious to take part. Soon, we had lots of neighbors to meet and greet!
One sunny morning, an elderly woman was coming out of her house with her little dog as we passed by, and I saw another opportunity for Mabel to practice. I greeted her, and Mabel stayed by my side while I explained that my dog was practicing to pass her Canine Good Citizen test. She replied that she would love to help. We did the exercise several times and found ourselves in much longer conversation than the standard 30-second greeting.
Her name was Millie, and she was vibrant and smiled easily. I love hearing people’s stories, and so I listened while she told me about recently losing her husband of 61 years and the tragic loss of her child. Millie and I talked about the brokenness she had walked through. “But I don’t feel broken,” she said. “I feel like God makes me stronger through the hard places. I have things I still want to do and I’m praying I have many years left to do them!”
When I told her the story of Mabel failing her test, she chuckled. “Mabel just loves people and dogs, Lisa. She will pass, but you will be the one who learns the most.” It didn’t take long for me to realize that this conversation with Millie was one of the buried treasures. She confirmed what God had whispered to my heart in the car after we failed the test, and I began to see the treasures of this painful experience with clear vision.
I conquered my fear of being in the dog ring and am finally able to laugh about the failures.
I met neighbors and have wonderful new friendships.
And I met Millie, who exemplifies that brokenness may change the topography of our hearts, and that’s not a bad thing! The lessons and changes make us stronger.
Millie was right. On July 12th, the day my husband and I celebrated our wedding anniversary, Mabel passed her CGC test with flying colors. And later in that same ring where Gracie got her first NQ, Mabel graduated from advanced basic obedience. Millie was right about something else – I did learn more than Mabel. Now, I’m determined to thank God for the lessons along the way, knowing that they contain buried treasure I will need for the journey ahead.