I have a chronic problem. It’s called ADDOD. ADDOD is an abbreviation that stands for Attention Deficiency Dis… Ooooooooh Doggy! It effectively means that, at a race track, I’m perfectly capable of staying focused on the race cars and the track action, unless I catch sight of a dog, especially a tiny one. When I do, all my attention will irrevocably be drawn to the little furry friend with the cute tiny paws. It’s gotten so bad that in 2015 I almost missed a pass for the lead in an F3 race because somebody had sat down next to me with a Yorkie…
Unfortunately it seems that such moments of distraction will start happening more often in the future, as the number of (little) dogs present at race events is steadily rising. I’m not sure who started the trend or even when/where it began. I only know that until a few seasons ago it was only a handful of drivers, usually the ones that had a camper parked in the paddock, who had their dogs with them; but nowadays pretty much everyone is bringing pets. Particularly GT events tend to be overrun by Chihuahuas, Pomeranians, Bichons, Papillons, Pugs, Tibetans, and other kinds of arenttheycutes.
In the beginning I felt sorry for the little critters. Race-car engines are incredibly loud and I know from experience they can be damaging. Insufficient ear plug use at the start of my motorsport fan ‘career’ has left me with a damaged left ear and a slight case of noise deafness. So, logically, I figured that if I, as a human, could suffer such a serious decibel injury that easily, then the risk and potential physical hurt for dogs had to be ten times higher, given that their hearing is so much better than ours. The more you hear, the louder it sounds, the bigger the damage, right?
Apparently not. For reasons I’ll probably never understand, dogs never seem to be bothered by engine noise. I’ve never seen a single one looking scared during an active track session. Most of them simply tag after their owners through the paddock, wagging their tales and soaking up all the activity around them. On the grandstands they either lounge in the sun (provided there is any), sometimes looking up in annoyance when somebody stands in the way and casts a shadow, or they gaze in wonder at the wheeled things flying passed over the tarmac. I once saw an enthralled Pomeranian who was actually following the cars from left to right with its little head as they shot passed. I also once encountered a Pug with a dislike for HTP Mercedes. Every time an HTP-car passed by, it barked angrily.
I’ve actually only once seen a sad dog on a race track. It was a few weeks ago, at VLN1. Halfway through the race I noticed a tiny Terrier sitting on a plastic chair in the back of a team truck. It was crying, crying, CRYING. Immediately my old fear that it might be in pain returned. Nothing was further from the truth, however. The Terrier turned out to be hurting because of a human felony. Its owner had taken it off her lap, gotten up from the chair, climbed out of the truck, walked to the dustbin three meters away, dropped in a banana peel and had failed to do all that AND return to the chair within two nanoseconds. The Terrier was simply missing its cuddles. I guess I would’ve cried too if I’d been in its place. Wouldn’t you?