I guess I don't fully understand this ABCA vs AKC thing

[Cool Dave]

Well, you can throw my hypothetical situation out since I got from an earlier post that the dual registration is what killed the ABCA registration. Must have missed the mention that the dog in question also got a AKC ch conformation. There is NO way I would even ever have anything to do with conformation, let alone do that AND train for herding!

 

To be honest, with my budgetary outlook for the next 15 years it his highly doubtful I'll even be able to pay for herding lessons more than twice a month, especially for TWO dogs. Maybe fate will have it I come across it for free, or better yet I find me a 'sugar momma' to pay for all mine and my dogs expenses! Ummm ... 1 ...2 ..3.... nope ain't gonna be able to hold my breath that long!

 

Seriously though, at this point I only want to get into herding 'part time' because it looks incredibly fun and rewarding and assuming the dog(s) take to it, that it's also something they would really like doing. As for Ssasy, I don't think it really matters, she has a 'game' she trained me for where she just runs from one end of the reataining wall to the other and she loves that one just as much as Frisbee!

[Lenajo]

ok, I'll bite...Karen, pm me who it is. There are so many bad breeders to choose from. We've got show puppy mill, backyard puppy mills, and some illustrious "frisbee lines" that produce deafness at an alarming rate.

 

Cool Dave - read the Dog Wars book. It explains a lot. Read Eminent Dogs Dangerous Men, that also gives insight to this community as well as some of the rest.

 

Daviid, there were obedience people who fought hard against, but some who fought and then sold out. Some of the biggest "versatility" (aka, master of nothing, but very pretty colors and long fur) are from that group.

 

 

 

Um, no actually it was a few conformation people, 3 to be exact (one of the major ones now lives in Lenajo's back yard ), that had either imported dogs from Australia or who returned to the states from the UK that petitioned the AKC for recognition. However, the AKC broke all their own rules when sucking the Border Collie into their vacuum.

[mum24dog]

Digressing from the situation in the US - here in the UK we do have the same Barbie/working/pet distinctions but they aren't quite as important since our KC allows any dog, regardless of parentage, to take part in its events.

 

Yes, the recognition of BCs by the KC in 1976 was a terrible move and there are people who breed for show, but people who do stuff with their dogs never had to choose.

 

My field is agility and there are still many farm bred BCs getting to the top. For most of us the show world is an insignificant and tiny influence.

 

There has been an unwelcome development recently, however, since our agility dogs can now compete abroad and some of the top handlers have made sure they get dogs that are eligible to compete in the pedigree only events like the FCI "World Championship". Because the top people do it, impressionable people down the line do the same.

 

ISDS registered dogs are fine as the KC will recognise those, but the plain old unpapered farm dogs and perfectly good rescue dogs can miss out.

 

Having said that, partly because of pressure from the agility grass roots, this year the KC is supporting a team for the inclusive European Open rather than the FCI Champs (using the excuse that the FCI would be too expensive).

 

Whilst I am appalled at what national KCs have done to perfectly good breeds, our own has been a lot more responsive to its customer base over recent years where peripheral non-breed/show dog issues and activities are concerned. They aren't always the bad guys.

 

Just because I compete in a dog sport doesn't mean I approve of breeding for the sport and I totally deplore the trend towards fancy colours in sport or show lines. Since most pet owners think BCs only come in B/W, they aren't the main culprits here in fuelling the demand for something that looks unusual.

 

Pam