I was farting around on the net again and noticed on another board that an AKC person is at it again to ban schutzhund. I have not read the article that was written but the drift is that we really don't need biting dog sports. Does nyone else know anything about this? The time is coming that change must take place. I think it is up to the working people to ensure that the change is in the direction of the working dog. Any idea's?

I, for one, am not concerned about the AKC wanting to ban bite sports. Schutzhund is growing in this country very quickly, as well as Ring and protection stuff. If the AKC wants to eliminate themselves from all of the money that could be made from our dog registrations and from whatever revenues will be gained as Schutzhund slowly creeps into more and more American households, they can certainly do that. But, looking at the organization as a whole, I don't think it will happen. Not with many individual breeders and not with the AKC as a whole. They want to sell their dogs, and sell their organization.

I think we will see some changes on the positive side in the next 10 years or so.

Just keep training and buying working dog material. Keep spreading the word about how great dogsports are. Every non-show person, who is interested in dogs that I meet and talk to about training and sports, gets excited and wants to learn more. People just don't know about this stuff. . .yet.

I'm not so much concerned about the AKC as the SV. I keep hearing rumors that pressure is mounting in Germany to eliminate the courage test entirely. Perhaps this is just conservative good-old-days grumbling (I'm not deeply enough involved in Sch yet to really know what's going on, so I have to rely on what I hear from the people in my club), but the decision to disallow "bite" words in the test doesn't bode well, IMO.

Can anyone reassure me? <g>

Unless the AKC cleans up its house in short order, I think all American working dog people (by which I mean anyone who works a dog in any discipline) need to begin the inevitable task of getting their own breed registry together.

The AKC seemed about to reconsider its stance on Schutzhund--smart move on their part. Of course I would be shocked if they actually followed through with any smart move. It would be so completely out of character for them.

This is the ONE organization that could do something to completely shut down the puppy mill industry. Do they? Nope. They make feeble little protesting noises and claim that they've done their part. Bulls**t. Puppy mills are a cash cow for AKC registration funds. This is the kind of organization we're dealing with here, folks. Don't expect any miracles.

Pete Felknor

This was a recent discussion on an email list that I'm on. The woman that wrote the letter about "biting sports" is a complete moron. One of the higher ups in the AKC received so many emails and letters of support that they decided to vote to have another SchH exhibition. The vote passed unanimously, so it appears the AKC will have another SchH exhibition at their 2002 National event.

I think many times these issues always relate to money. It's my opinion that a large part of the dog community are extremely left-wing. Because of this, the AKC statistically obtains more money from these people. So therefore, they're going to make their desicions accordingly.

I agree with Van Camp. Schutzhund seems to be growing very rapidly, and in 10 years or so it will be great.

I think many people that attack this sport are just whack jobs who live in a fantasy world. They have no need for this sport, nor do they care for it. I think this is very similar to the gun issue in this country. The only threat I feel could occur in the U.S. is that they could possibly tax people with "dangerous breeds." That could happen one day, but the main thing is I don't feel they will make this sport illegal.

I do believe though that many BS dog enthusiasts will try. Of course, that's just my opinion . . . I could be wrong.

Wolf Larsen wrote "The only threat I feel could occur in the U.S. is that they could possibly tax people with "dangerous breeds." That could happen one day, but the main thing is I don't feel they will make this sport illegal"

Can this tax come in the form of outrageous insurance premiums??

Milt

Dead-on right, Milt. Many insurance companies simply will not cover GSDs, rotts, PBTs, and similar "dangerous" dogs in homeowners insurance. They either attach a rider or just refuse liability coverage in toto.

And yet another advantage to the rare breeds. When the insurance companies raise the rates for dogs they do it based on breed. If they have never heard of the breed they assume it is OK.

The reason I made the comment about that is because I've talked to several Germans online that told me they do this in their country as of now. I've also heard that since this has happened many breeders are no longer owning these dogs because they can't afford the cost with several dogs at a time.

As far as the insurance companies go, they've been doing this for awhile I think. I never lived in an apartment, but I've heard that many don't allow several breeds to live there.

This is one of the reasons you never see the blind community working with GSDs as much, like you see Goldens and Labs. The reason for this is because when they walk into a place of business insurance companies that insure these places don't allow certain breeds to enter for any reason. I assume there are exceptions for government and police reasons, but I think that's it.

When I said what I said, it's not that it doesn't concern me, but I think sometimes things are inevitable. I hope this is an issue that isn't one of them. I guess time will tell.

This isn't really an issue that's related to Schutzhund, but it's another issue as well that's rising. I guess I feel it's the only thing I can think of that could happen here in the protection dog community.