AKC, Obedience, Rally, Agility, Tracking, Herding Trials

[CaroleBoaz]

A bunch of us, mostly longhair and roughhair owners, want to join the AKC so that we are recognized by the FCI, and also so that we can compete in Agility, Obedience, Rally, Tracking and Herding trials.

If you have an FCI registered dog, or the offspring of such, and you are interested, please email me at:

dscna_shorthair@hotmail.com

This is open to residents of the US and Canada. I’m not sure about Mexico, but I can check if somebody wants to know. If you know of somebody not on the forum that might be interested, pass it along.

Somebody was wondering how many roughhair dogs there are in the US. We have 18 in the studbook, and there are 34 longhair.

[chimere]

very good initiative

[ZodiacT]

You can already compete in AKC trials, you just can't register them as a Dutch Shepherd. Personally I worry about the breed receiving AKC recognition and then being bred for looks rather than working ability, like what happened to the the German Shepherd, but maybe that's just me. I'm not fond of the AKC to begin with.

[chimere]

requires that people do things in perspective
and sees that the dogs are beautiful dogs that can work

it is very strange (for me) to see the gap between AKC and UKC

why not think beautiful and good ?

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il faut que les gens fasse la part des choses
et voit que les chiens beaux sont aussi des chiens qui peuvent travailler

c'est très bizarre (pour moi) de voir le fossé entre AKC et UKC

pourquoi ne pas penser beau et bon ?

[CaroleBoaz]

The AKC does get a lot of criticism. Often accused of doing stuff for $$$. Isn't that the way the world works.

But they are the option in the USA for those wanting FCI recognition. Plus, when it comes to Companion and Performance trials, the opportunities outnumber UKC by at least 10 to 1 in my area.

The only way I can compete with my dog in AKC is to neuter him and call him a mixed breed.

One of our members owns 3 rough coats. Two are the cutest little girl puppies. He says he gets so many positive comments from people because they are very social, well mannered, and goofy. Says he could easily place 40 of these guys.

[ZodiacT]

Ah, I forgot that they needed to be neutered if entered as a mixed breed, Zodiac is already spayed so we never had that issue. I have heard of some people entering their dogs as a brindle Malinois since brindle is apparently listed as an alternate color but I don't know how effective that is. I just personally don't like the AKC for a lot of different reasons but I can see why breeders would want recognition.

[alspyce]

I don''t think you can blame an organization for the ruination of any animal. PEOPLE ruin them, and there are good and bad in every group. Everyone interprets a standard differently, and every one's idea of a dogs willingness/ability/intelligence/temperament and conformational quality is going to be different. I feel it's up to the breeders/breed clubs/and responsible owners to protect their breed.
Then, of course, every breed has it's "get rich quick" breeders.

[ZodiacT]

I feel it's up to the breeders/breed clubs/and responsible owners to protect their breed.

Which is exactly why some breed clubs won't allow you to join if your dog is AKC registered, they take it as a sign that your dog was bred for looks and not working ability.

[Choochi]

The AKC does get a lot of criticism. Often accused of doing stuff for $$$. Isn't that the way the world works.

But they are the option in the USA for those wanting FCI recognition. Plus, when it comes to Companion and Performance trials, the opportunities outnumber UKC by at least 10 to 1 in my area.

The only way I can compete with my dog in AKC is to neuter him and call him a mixed breed.

One of our members owns 3 rough coats. Two are the cutest little girl puppies. He says he gets so many positive comments from people because they are very social, well mannered, and goofy. Says he could easily place 40 of these guys.

What about other venues? I know there are alternative orgs in just about any sport, USDAA for agility, I know in Canada we have CARO for Rally-O which is actually considered to be the higher standard competition to the CKC alternative.. etc. I can totally relate to the frustration of wanting to compete or title in a sport and having a lack of events or ability to do so. Perhaps it might even be easier to try to organize special events for Dutchies in the US to compete in these sports then to try to get the breed recognized by AKC. I guess that would all depend on the amount of effort the individuals are able to put into this. The Cane Corso has SACCI, their breed club that puts on such events, they even fly in expert judges from Italy. Mind you there are a lot more people involved, but it all has to start some where.

I do share Zodiac's point of view, I do not wish to see this breed in the AKC or CKC. No, being a member of an org does not automatically ruin a breed, but it is the people who are drawn to that org who do so.

And quite frankly I find your friend's comments a little disturbing. Not sure if it's because his dogs are so well behaved and easy going (isn't that a contradiction to what this breed is supposed to be) or that he would think of placing that many but (if I get this right) what's stopping him is that they aren't AKC recognized? The people who are not buying Dutchies because they are not AKC recognized are precisely the type of people who shouldn't have these dogs. THIS is how working breeds are ruined. This is how they get bred down to be better pets, so that 40 uneducated Joe Shmoes can have pretty brindle but mellow and goofy puppy to show off to their neighbours. This is what happened to the Dobermans who are now the laughing stock of the working world.

Mind you saying that the entire breed will be ruined because a portion of the population has turned to crap is a bit of an overstatement, but I am just really against this idea of turning working dogs into mindless urban pets. There are so many other breeds and mixes from the shelter that fit that bill perfectly. I'm not some one who is against breeding, but with the amount of dogs being put to death in shelters, some of them being perfect with the exception that no one wants them, I do find the idea of people breeding indiscriminately with no higher purpose (or just to sell a few puppies,essentially what a byb is and a step above a puppy mill) a little disturbing.

[Choochi]

Has any one kept tabs on how the AKC Border Collies are doing?

And just to add, while I think that the idea that you can have beauty and brains is certainly a noble one, I think it is impossible to get 100% of both and you will always be sacrificing some of one or other while breeding if you truly try to achieve both. Jack of all trades, master of none. You can't specialize in every thing. I get the idea of having a breed standard for the sake that the dogs all more or less look alike, but the second a breed enters a show ring you start getting trends. Like it or not, it happens in every breed. Then those trends take over and all rhyme and reason is thrown out the window and people competing in that venue are forced to make a decision, either sacrifice all else and try to win or exit the venue, and most don't make the second choice.