AKC is currently affiliated with FCI, but not a member organization. One of the prime sticking points is the lack of recognition for the working titles from the other world clubs. That includes the prohibition against working (biting) sports.

If AKC gets into "bite" sports, all that will do is allow Unqualified people and dogs to get involved with something neither can/should do. Then when we start getting bad bites because of incompetent training and incompetent dogs, the Working GSD and Schutzhund will take the hit from it. JMNSHO! AND, if someone shows up with a good dog, What quality of helper will be there?

The current AKC terrier trials are "cute" but not very realistic. Turn them loose in a tunnel with a pissed off coon and see what they've got.

Bob posted:

 Quote:

The current AKC terrier trials are "cute" but not very realistic. Turn them loose in a tunnel with a pissed off coon and see what they've got.

Let's find a Coon trained for Protection and see what would happen!!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Anything the AKC gets involved with in respect to any Protection Work will turn to shit. Further more aren't they just a registering body, that created activities for their own self interest.

Hello,

If you think I agree with an AKC's attempt at this I would say read my post again. I did explain why it is happening or at least why I think it is happening.

LE dogs don't need AKC. This is a given and I don’t think a person can read my endorsement of a plan in my last post in any way.

I will say again that the quality of the K9 is diminished in many areas.

It is not good.

The MINIMUM standard has become the goal and not the beginning but the end. This is too bad.

As far as LE jumping on AKC bandwagon…I don’t know.

It does not seem likely but I am all to aware of LE being snowed about their K9 and I think AKC could snow in the best of them if they wanted.

Like it or not, AKC has the power by why of their people base in communities around the country. I think they do have a chance to sell the sizzle and not the steak to new and forming K9 communities because they have political and financial mobility to do it.

Again I don’t think it is a good thing but I am not worried about the effects of my training to meet their standard so I don’t care much either.

Dennis,

I deleted the duplicate post.

I have been thinking about hte AKC and it's position in the dog world. I think that we have given them a lock they don't deserve for many reasons. The origional goal may have been good but the application has sucked. The idea that one organization can be the total for everything has proven to be not effective.

I have been thinking, and that is always dangerous. What I have come up with is an outline for what may be a better method. The basic organization would look like this:

Each breed would have their own club. That club would establish a conformation standard and identify their own judges. Judges would be breeders/experts in the breed. Conformation champuoships would have 2 levels, a Champion and "Grand" Champion. Champion level would be based on a pass/fail for proper conformation. Dogs with the Champion level would be considered Breed worthy. Championships would be based on the evaluation of 3 judges. Each show would have 3 rings with a different judge for each. Championship status would be available in one show. Champions would then complete under each judge for a best in the ring. If desired there could be a fourth judge to identify a "Best in Show". Grand Championship would be based on beating a specified number of Champions. Grand Champions would compete against each days winners in the Final ring for the Best in Show. In addition at each show there could be performance events in obedience, Agility, Tracking, and Protection (or whatever the breed was bred to do). There could easily be a loose Federation of breed Clubs to allow for a more effective utilzation of resources.

This type of Organization is much more like my understanding of how much of Europe has organized their breed clubs. By having the breed clubs identify desired Standards for both Performance and Conformation, the breed clubs would be Identifying what are good representatives of the breed. Because the breed clubs are identifying what the dogs should do there is a better push towards what the breed should be. Basic, functional conformation would improve and individuals would be strongly encouraged to participate in performance events with their dogs.

The AKC has used momentum to establish their position based on their ability to keep records. They have used that momentum to allow people that have no intrest in maintaining proper representatives of a breed to direct how a breed is developed. This has created the current problem in all the working and sporting breeds. For the Poodle people to tell the GSD people what is and is not accptable in their breed is crazy and that is what AKC has done. An example is the ban on Protection sports.

There is no reason that the people that are involved with a breed shouldn't take that power back. It just takes a few individuals to realize that the AKC has no power other than what we have given them.

Dennis H.I think you're hit the "REAL" problem on the head=EGOES. Having been involed with AKC for 20yrs & protection work for the same time I can s ee why the AKC will have its way. Richard G. Nice thoughts ,but a pipedream from reality

Simply said,

It's the AKC

I like your idea Richard. I guess the best chance for success would be competency demonstrated in their own ring. Win in their obedience trials and you will win their ears.
The task will be overwhelming as long as certain training methods that produce high hectic drive prevail and judges refuse to fail dog teams because they have a good attitude. This reinforces poor training to continue and propels the idea that great obedience cannot coincided with pronounce energy and happy working attitude within the same dog.

Sport dog people need to set their bar to the level I believe pioneers like Max Von Stephanitz would have adopted 15 years back. Forward thinkers that accomplish their goal for the breed and sport is what is needed to bring about change.

Each breed would have their own club. That club would establish a conformation standard and identify their own judges. Judges would be breeders/experts in the breed.

Someone correct me if I'm totally off base, but I thought this is exactly what happens right now. The GSDCA is the breed club for the GSD; they establish the breed standard for our breed, not AKC, and they qualify judges in their breed. Admittedly, GSDCA is not conforming to the parent club's conformation standard (the SV's) and that is a very big bone of contention between the WUSV and GSDCA, but the AKC does not attempt to dictate what the German Shepherd should look like or act like. The GSDCA does.