THE “TAKEAWAYS”
by Gina Wieser
FOUR GUIDES TO USING SOCIAL MEDIA
H ow has social media affect- ed our sport? I believe this is a pertinent question for everyone. Social media is a presence that seems to encompass every fac- tion of our present-day lifestyle. It affects personal lives, jobs, education, politics, gender, and the list goes on. The list also encapsulates our world of dog shows, and at times, in a not so positive light. Good dog, bad dog, good judge, bad judge, good choice, bad choice, good show, bad show, good exhibitor, bad exhibitor, good club, bad club, and bippity- boppity-boo! Now, think, have you been a tar- get for negative posts? Has so- cial media affected you in your judging career or personal life? If so, did you react and how? When you see an exhibitor’s post of a win, do you comment about the dog or give a simple “congratulations?” Have you lashed back at posts that make negative accusations of your judging, or simply “let it go?” Do you get sucked into the drama and believe the extraordinary? Do you find yourself passing opinions regarding someone’s actions and/or comments of which you were not present to see or hear? Much like most things in life, you have control over the out- come, and you are responsible for your choices. Be it at a show or on social media, your ac- tions speak volumes to our dog show community. People often ask me what to do or say when negative chatter is lurking in the air; my answer is to do noth- ing. The less attention you give
to negativity the quicker it dis- integrates. Unlike face-to-face encounters, the great advan- tage you have when participat- ing in social media is opting to NOT participate or just take a pause. Sometimes temptation is strong, and you want so badly to hit the send/post/share but- ton, but just stop… take a breath, shut it down. Put yourself in the targeted person’s shoes, as it could be you who is next up on the SM chopping block. The PoodleClub of America Ju- nior Education program has an annual pizza party/luncheon, and we feature a guest speaker for the kids. Several years back we invited the now retired AKC Field StaffDirector, Patty Proc- tor. Patty’s presentation was on social media, a hot topic for our upcoming generations of dog enthusiasts. After the presen- tation, for fun, we play a trivia game and give out small prizes to the kids with the correct an- swers. Often integrated into these questions are what we call the “takeaways” from the featured speaker, clueing us in on how well the Juniors were listening. One of the questions that day was: “Miss Patty said you should consider these four things be- fore you post on social media; what are they?” With much enthusiasm, a Ju- nior waved her hand in the air saying, “pick me, pick me,” and then gave her answer… Is it necessary? Is it true? Does it improve on the silence? Is it kind? Perhaps we can all benefit from the “takeaways.”
BIO A third generation dog person, Gina’s family estab- lished Hell’s-a-Blazen Poodles in the late 1960s. Relocating from Long Island to five acres of farm- land in Connecticut; Hell’s-a-Blazen was built with the guidance of accomplished mentor, Wen- dall Sammet of Alekai-Carnival Poodles. Gina’s mother, Frances Rubinich, was the driving force behind the development of Hell’s-a-Blazen. At Frances’ request, Wendall procured very typical foundation stock from the English lines of Brans- lake. Together, they bred these English beauties to Martha Jane Ablett’s line of Silhoujette Poodles; a winning combination. The first three litters re- sulted in all champions, then on to being top-pro- ducing sires and dams. Hells-a-Blazen hails approximately 200 cham- pions worldwide and is present in most white Toy Poodle pedigrees today. In 1975, Gina became a licensed AKC Profession- al Handler and continued breeding with her moth- er until 2006, when Gina relocated from Tampa to Kansas City after being hired as an AKC Ex- ecutive Field Representative. Her mother fell ill in 2013 and passed shortly thereafter. The Hell’s-a- Blazen lines have since been passed on to a long- time family friend and breeder of significance. Gina’s involvement with Judge’s Education began in the ‘70s with The Dover Poodle Group, a Poodle education group under the tutelage of Jim & An- nie Clark. Gina is an active member of the Poodle Club of America, where she is a breed mentor, the Junior’s EducationProgramChairperson, and the Judge’s Education Director. She has been steeped in Poodles for over 50 years and claims themas the breed closest to her heart. Since retirement from AKC in 2020, she works part-time in a designer clothing boutique, does some judging, and totally enjoys being home with family and friends.
T op N otch T oys , A pril 2022 • 47
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