I personally believe this is a great idea. Hopfully it will encourage people to adopt more from shelters and not support the back yard breeders of poor quality "purebred dogs". I have seen too many in OB training classes, but their registered so they can compete..
I have several mix breed dogs that are spay/neutered because that's my choice, also they are very bright, well balanced animals.. They are a stablizing force for my purebred dogs who sometimes need that energy to remain balanced..
I am gald to see this happening and will particapate in the program if given the chance..
posted by SuAns
6 months ago
Having bred several litters over the years and shown in AKC shows I now welcome the opportunity to participate in competition events with mixed breeds. As a volunteer at my local SPCA I have worked with many wonderful dogs who would be great at agility, rally and obedience trials and will now get the chance to do so. They do not present a threat to the purebred dog breeder but in some cases it might be good if they do as it amazes me the number of purebred dogs that end up in shelters because of the over zealous breeder of AKC eligible dogs. Maybe it is these "money hungry" breeders that are worried about not being able to sell there pups at exorbitant prices that worry them and not the fact that AKC might make a few more bucks by allowing ALTERED mixed breeds to participate in competitions of their own.
I'd like to see the entire program posted here for everyone to read before they make statements on the 'Unknown".
Thanks for posting the link.
My issue still stands that AKC should not be considered a pure bred registry, if they now allow mixed breeds. They need to change the wording to make it a K9 registry. That is all they are now. A registry for dogs.
I dont care if the dogs are altered or not, they are still not "pure-bred". As a breeder, I would like to belong to a club or registry that has the same goals as I do. Breeding to better the breed.
Over the years since it was founded, the AKC has done many things that did not please a large percentage of the members. It was originally founded by a group of wealthy men who raised and showed dogs (with the aid of a full staff of kennel help, including a kennel manager). As time went on and more breeds of dogs were recognized and more people got involved with showing and breeding dogs, the AKC broadened its scope. When the AKC broadened its scope to start offering obedience competition, many exhibitors did not approve, feeling the AKC was about breeding and showing to a standard of perfection and obedience did not fit that original purpose.
Did you know that women were not permitted to serve as delegates until fairly recently? When women delegates were admitted, many of the old guard were not pleased, feeling that women were not needed and should not be included. It was the 1970's when women were first permitted to serve as club delegates.
My point is that with every significant change that the AKC has made, there will always be people who prefer "the old way," yet the AKC survives because it adapts to current conditions. In fact, it adapts more quickly these days than it ever did. There is much to criticize about the AKC, but finding a way to bring mixed breed dog owners into the AKC will only strengthen the organization and the hobby as a whole. The additional entries will help clubs that are struggling, the additional members of clubs will provide more people to work at club events and the additional people who now have a stake in seeing the AKC kept strong and vital will add their voices to help defeat anti-dog legislation that keeps being sponsored by HSUS affiliated legislators.
The AKC is not "registering" mixed breed dogs in the way that you are registering your purebred dogs. They are providing a listing privilege that will make it possible for owners of mixed breed dogs to participate in performance events. No parentage will be tracked, no offspring will be recognized; in fact, the dogs must be desexed in order to be eligible for the listing privilege.
I have been around the show world long enough to know that while many exhibitors pay lip service to the concept of breeding to better the breed, in fact they are breeding to win, even if what wins is not what is correct for a particular breed. That has been true for as long as there have been competitions involving dogs.
Just because its popular, or with the times, or even "breed to win" doesnt mean its right. You can try to justify anything and make yourself beleive its right.
OK. I went to the link provided by collieflower, thanks by the way, and as I understand it, the registration is for mix breeds to compete in performance trails only and held completely separate from show events. I am new to the show world but not new to veiwing events of many kinds on tv. I have often wondered how many events were available to any breed to participate in. For example, my daughter's little mix rescue would probably excel in agility if properly taught, but where could she participate in an event? I don't see that this registration will help breeders of designer breeds because you can't register the litter. What I do see happening is those owners of mix breeds that participated in events for any breed like agility, having more opportunities to go to an event they and their dogs love.
I do admire all those who breed for the "right" reasons, but the fact is there are a great many purebreeds in shelters. When my daughter adopted her dog, whose "kill" date papers had been shuffled around a month after she should have been put down, there were nearly twice as many purebred dogs than mutts at this shelter. This could be a great opportunity to educate the public about shelters, purebred dogs and reputable breeders.
I support this plan because I believe that folks who meander into an agility or obedience class with a mix will have the opportunity to work toward a goal. If they are bitten by the "bug" then they'll go get a purebred if they want to seriously compete in a performance event. Top competitors in agility or obedience tend to choose their prospects before they are even bred. They want to control and shape their pup's experiences to enable them to perform at that top level. And they want a dog whose parents have been temperament and health-checked and are sturdy and sound so that they don't invest three years of training into a dog who then physically falls apart. You may happen upon a nice mix at the pound, but it could take you years to find the right dog and then you have no clue as to its health and soundness history.
I also believe that no one is going to be threatened by having mixes compete against one another in agility or obedience. It takes nothing away from these venues, and may add to the number of people who participate. Obedience entries have been falling off for years, and now even agility folks are starting to see some drop off. Is this a money issue? Yep - and we better try to support the AKC and other organizations or none of us will have a venue to show dogs.
I applaud any new participant in performance events and will be happy to encourage folks who are competing with mixes. It means they are training their dogs - and that's a HUGE part of what the AKC is pushing here. Better trained dogs are better citizens and are ambassadors for dogs in general.
I think it's a fabulous idea. I especially like that the dogs must be neutered. For everyone who's howling about this, I would remind you that it takes a PUREBRED poodle and a PUREBRED Golden to make a Goldendoodle :-( We need to monitor our own, as well.
Thank goodness there are people who love the "mutts". Accidents do happen.
But it is critical that we must, through AKC and other means, educate the public that a Goldendoodle (aka designer dog) is still a mutt with unknown attributes, and unknown temperament.
I applaud the integration of mixed breeds and neutered dogs in the performance ring, rescue, and as aid dogs! If it helps for AKC to keep track of these dogs to achieve titles, etc., then I think that's a good thing, as long as the regs are clear on neutering.
