This may have been already discussed but I just wondered if anyone else has heard about the AKC startiing working dog titles.There will be four levels utilizing tracking, and agility and the fourth level(master) they will be doing bite work!BITE WORK! Any way just thought this was interesting and wondered if anyone knew anymore details about it.

This rumor keeps popping up. Where is all this talk coming from, because I mailed some regional and some national AKC jerks and got back nastygrams both stating that this is NOT the case. That was a few months ago.

Anybody have anything substantial?

On another list the following letter was forwarded:

Dear Dog Sport Enthusiast:
The events of September 11, 2001 have changed
everyone's perspectives and focus on the use of properly trained and handled canines in the United States. Whether it be protecting vital facilities, detecting dangerous substances, or finding and rescuing survivors and recovering the victims of terrorist attacks, the role of the intensely trained human/canine team in contributing to Homeland Defense has never been more apparent. That is why the AKC is in the process of developing a Working Dog Sport in which
ALL AKC breeds may participate, as directed by the AKC Board of Directors. This would unify components of other AKC activities like obedience, Tracking, and Agility into exercises that would enable dogs to demonstrate characteristics and skills that could, with additional training, make them potentially useful in Homeland Defense.

We have the proposed regulations for four levels,
Junior, Senior, Open and Master, prepared. These
levels consist of various exercises found in
Aility, Obedience and Tracking as well as protection work in the Master level. We want to do a "walk-through" or "test run" of the requirements and would like to invite you to bring your dog and help us see if the
requirements that we have are what we need for this new and exciting proposed sport. This new proposed sport, when approved, will offer the suffix titles of JWD, SWD, OWD and MWD.

This new proposed sport will be for any and all AKC breeds so please bring your dog(s) and join us in this new venture and the fun. The "walk-through" will begin on March 30th at 8:30 A.M. at the Autumn Winds Agility Center located at 3701 Bosco Rd, off Rte 1 South from the Outer Beltine, New Hill, NC 27562. For further information please contact me at (919)-816-3900 or wms@a...<br />
Sincerely,
William M. Speck
Assistant Vice President -AKC Performance Events

I DO NOT know the origin or authenticity of the letter.

I do know that the following IS authentic. It comes from the minutes of the October 2002 Board minutes:

At its June 12, 1990 meeting, the AKC Board of Directors voted: "to prohibit any club which is eligible to hold AKC events from sponsoring any type of activity in which a dog is expected to act in an aggressive manner towards a person. This would include Schutzhund, as well as any other activity involving the biting, grabbing or attacking of a person; and that failure to comply with this policy will result in the revocation of a club's show and/or trial privileges."

The above policy resulted from AKC's long and costly battle against breed specific, anti-vicious dog legislation. The events of September 11, 2001, have changed everyone's perspectives and focus. Whether it be protecting vital facilities, detecting dangerous substances, or finding and rescuing survivors and recovering the victims of terrorist attacks, the role of the intensely trained human/canine team in contributing to Homeland Defense has never been more apparent. That is why AKC is exploring the establishment of our AKC Working Dog Sport, which would unify components of other AKC activities like Obedience, Tracking, and Agility into exercises that would enable dogs to demonstrate characteristics and skills that could, with additional training, make them potentially useful in Homeland Defense.

Following a motion by Mr. Marden, seconded by Ms. Scully, it was VOTED (unanimously) to add the following qualification to the Board policy:

"This policy would not preclude special attraction by uniformed police or military units, where dogs are demonstrating the skills necessary for law enforcement and/or homeland defense."

As I read this any AKC protection sports would be limited to Law enforcement, Military, and MAYBE SAR teams.

It doesn't read to me like they are changing their position on Schutzhund or civilains in protection sports.

Limited to LE and Mil, how the -F- would that work and what would be the benefit?

Those are precisely the two groups that don't need anything from the AKC, other than help in providing realistic working stock. Guess what? The only way that is going to happen is if they allow their AKC affiliated breed clubs, breeders, and performance participants to form a large goup where working dogs are trained and tested for ability, then bred accordingly.

IF the AKC ever pulled their heads out of their asses and started a working dog sport, I honestly wouldn't know whether to be happy. . . or scared as hell?

If they would at least make it legal and help get some coverage on TV of REAL dogsport (Schutzhund). . .Animal Planet at the USA Nationals instead of that bullshivit with the dogs jumping into water and the dogs running through a tunnel. . .not one of which had to the drive to do that work.

I better go to bed, I'm getting all pissed off. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

BUT, I can see many positive things if the AKC started their own service dog sport. The money and exposure would be great for the rest of us. . .more and more people would say. . .wow my dog sucks. . .where can I find a good dog?? How can I learn to train this way?? How can I learn to breed my own working dogs??

That would kick butt. I don't want to consider the negatives. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

This AKC working dog program is a reality and it's happening very quickly. I've heard the the lower levels are very basic, including ob, tracking, and agility, and could conceivably be done by many, many breeds. But as you go up in difficulty, the requirements become more stringent, and at the fourth Masters level, it is a full-blown IPO regulation competition.

Lee,

Perhaps someone should tell the AKC board that they may want to change their policy on sports where a "dog is expected to act in an aggressive manner towards a person. This would include Schutzhund, as well as any other activity involving the biting, grabbing or attacking of a person; and that failure to comply with this policy will result in the revocation of a club's show and/or trial privileges".

No matter what they do I think that for us to support them without , oh say, 13 to 30 years of effort to demonstrate that they are serious about trying to undo what they have spent that long doing.

Ah yes, I can see the faces as my drug, explosives, SAR, and cadaver dogs, many mixed breeds, many rescues from shelters arrive for the AKC "games". Actually that might be fun.

DFrost

This too is what I have heard Lee, and it should not be much longer before it starts. I am not sure what impact this will have on the AWDF and USA once it starts in regards to the WUSV and FCI worlds.

USA may be left without a chair when the music stops; it already looks like USA will be completely cut out of the world championships this year, with WDA controlling the team. I'm just curious where the helpers are going to come from for this AKC program. I like to be optimistic and think that expanding the base of schutzhund will maybe bring more guys into the sport to learn helper skills, cuz this country is soooooooo weak on talented helpers.

I had the same e-mail forwarded to me that Richard posted.The interesting thing is the walk through(here in NC ) is the same weekend as the AWDF trials in Charlotte NC. Now is that a coincidence or are they starting off with conflict?