I Stepped in Sh!t
Published on 16/07/2024
By Steve Goodall
Before we get to the sh!t I have stepped in (that’s why you clicked right?) I’d really like you to lend me your eyes to talk about the value of community. I have written before about dog trainers being able to embrace a feeling of “certain uncertainty”. More, now than ever it seems, we are constantly subjected to the opposite, an aggressive certainty that is constantly erupting at us through our phones. Be it blogs (I’m aware of the irony here), posts, podcasts or the, good ol’, comments section we are seemingly in world of steadfast opinions that actually go against the scientific values we all aspire to follow. How we move away from this tribalism is a blog for another day, written by someone with much better skill than myself, but today I want to talk about how having a community of likeminded individuals who are open and honest can help us grow and flourish as dog professionals.
I can’t stress enough, the importance of finding a space where we can all have difficult conversations in a safe, supportive way. These spaces can take many forms; café trips with a friend, strolls with a couple of good mates, professional meet-ups, Facebook groups, group WhatsApp’s, meetings with others in any form (the list goes on). I’m lucky enough to have a few of these spaces where I feel able to talk through ideas in a space where I won’t be judged, where I can say stupid stuff or ideas that haven’t been thought through and, crucially, I know that the people who inhabit that space wish me nothing but love. One is in conversations with my partner, Corrin, another is the Students and members Facebook group we have with PACT and another is on our podcast “Barks from the Bookshelf”. We actually recently had a really great conversation with Professor Carri Westgarth about some difficult topics. Because we all are friends, professionals and only wish the best for each other, we all felt safe to talk and express our views without judgement and that is a truly wonderful place to be.
So, finally, why did I call this blog “I’ve stepped in Sh!t”? Well… it’s because I have… On numerous occasions. Not actual doggy turds (although I’ve done that enough as well) but, for the purposes of this blog, I’m talking metaphorically, in conversation. When I say something wrong, blurt out an idea I haven’t thought through, poorly research a topic or, perhaps, just go on a gut reaction I call this “stepping in sh!t”. I step in it ALL the time. On top of this I’ll state here, with absolute certainty, that I’ll step in sh!t again many times and, guess what, I’m alright with it. I’d even go as far to say that I look forward to it.
Why am I alright with it? Well there are two reasons: One is that I have a family, a support network and community of people around me where it is very safe to step in sh!t around them. They know me. It’s a gang of people that trust that sometimes we need to think things out loud for ourselves. These people give me the benefit of the doubt and let me grow. Quite often, I have to talk out a wrong idea to get to the right one. This means I’ll say something I've been thinking and, when I do, I’m hoping, with all my heart, that if I’ve got it wrong, my community will tell me I'm wrong so I can either learn there and then, OR, work it out myself later down the line. The point is that we should surround ourselves with people that'll hose off your sh!tty shoe for you. Because that is what good communities and good friends do. They'll give you the benefit of the doubt by saying "well, he doesn’t always smell like sh!t, so let’s help him out here.”
The other reason is that I am a strong believer we need to get inside those murky, dim lit, dark places in our minds. If we don’t we run the risk that they will fester, get mouldy and grow opinions we don't want hanging out inside our brains. Our binary (with us or against us) arguments will only serve to encourage a harder stance on both sides. We all have doubts. We all need doubts. Doubts are what make us strive to learn, to be better. My friend growing up used to say "every vicar wakes up an atheist sometimes" and that throw away comment she made, still leaves a lasting impression on me to this day. What does that mean for us as dog professionals? It means that from the university educated, to the dog sports enthusiast and even the TikTok viral video hunting dog trainers out there (and everyone in between) all NEED to keep questioning ourselves. Committing to follow the science often means challenging and letting go of beliefs you've held as certainties for some time. We need to get comfortable with that certain uncertainty and, above all, we need to strive to grow by surrounding ourselves with people that will call us out in a supportive way when we do, inevitably, step in that sh!t once more. Now excuse we while I hop towards the hosepipe… yet again.