I agree.. this is just another way for the AKC to get more money.
Betterment of the breed... what the heck?????????
Joan and Stephanie,
I agree that the AKC seems to have become more intrested in money than what their original purpose was and is. I also agree with your ire over the AKC catering to puppy mills if that is in fact what they are considering/have considered. I am replying to yur message because I think you sent it to the wrong place. Did you send it to the AKC and/or its delegates? Did you send it to your breed club and ask them to address the matter with the AKC? Blowing off steam here isn't going to move the AKC, but member clubs and delegates can and will.
What is your definition of "puppy mill?" Do you think the AKC doesn't register puppies if the breeder isn't responsible (meaning, they check health status of parents)? If the parents have AKC papers, the AKC will register the offspring.
The mixed-breed competition isn't much different from the ILP - except that you could have something unrecognizable (AS LONG AS IT IS SPAYED/NEUTERED) and you can compete against other mixes in separate competitions held in conjunction with regular competitions. It's not as open as the ILP program and, because training for competition takes time/effort, you aren't going to see breeders popping up to produce mixes for this - there won't be the market.
The folks who are breeding the peke-a-poos, etc. are breeding for the pet market and they are doing it now. Those dogs won't need the ability to be registered with the AKC UNLESS they are going to compete in competition venues. Nearly all those "designer dogs" are terrible sport prospects. People who are serious about performance competition are going to go to known breeds and responsible breeders. And that's because it takes so long to get them ready to compete. Folks who only do conformation don't realize that.
The AKC is going to go broke if they don't do something and then there won't be a venue to compete with your dogs. The AR folks are blasting the AKC - we don't need to join in the fray. We can either stick to the same old ways and have the ship sink, or we can see how to get more people involved in responsible dog ownership and competition.
Keep in mind that at some point in the past your "purebred" was created by mixing breeds to produce a dog for a purpose. Genetics aren't static and inbreeding has created a lot more problems than it's solved. The WarmBlood (horse) registries figured this out and now test their stallions for 30 days in several different sports before they will recognize that individual as a breeding animal. They look at the papers last - and that's why Warmbloods are nearly all you see at elite competitions.
Owners of "designer dogs" will not be listing them with the AKC for an obvious reason...they think they have purebreds. I've yet to meet anyone who spent thousands of $$ on a designer dog who would admit it's a mixed breed. With the kind of money they're spending they're also not likely to have their dogs steilized. The mixed breed program will provide an opportunity for owners to train and compete with dogs they've adopted from shelters, found on the street, etc., and these dogs are NOT a threat to those of us who own purebreds. I myself have a mix I rescued from a shelter, and he lives with my purebreds. They have NOT been infected by his mixed breed status and they continue to be purebreds. This program probably will not enrich the AKC, but it will help our obedience clubs survive and it probably will encourage new people to get into the purebred dog fancy. It also will give us access to new supporters when we are fighting anti-dog legislation. So get over the elitism and welcome a new group of pet owners into the wonderful world of dogs.
Barbara Wicklund
Whoa - I haven't read the AKC promoting puppy mill registered dogs - just mixed breed dogs. I guess you mean the Designer Mutts. I am violently opposed to puppy mills, pure or mixed. However, what the AKC has done is just encourage people who believe in mixed breeds to join the club - compete (among themselves) not with purebreds, but start being exposed to purebreds, and give fees to AKC ... which AKC can turn around and use for protecting the rights of all breeders and all dog lovers (think oppose breed specific legislation). I think the way to look at this is the ignorant people will join the AKC and suddenly be on OUR side, notice the purebreds, and get interested!
Linda Braun
northern VA
