This is controversial post, especially seeing as I’m a newcomer to the breed but I’m going to speak my mind regardless. Don’t read it if you’re easily offended. Let me start off by saying, I have WONDERFUL and amazing friends with BEAUTIFUL and functional dogs who straddle the working/show line split and this is not directed to ANY of you. You are awesome people and I love and respect you guys (even the ones I disagree with and argue with passionately). Some of you guys have versatile dogs who can succeed in both conformation and sports as a jack of all trades and others have multiple lines within your program that are highly specialized towards one side or the other and I commend all of you for what you’re doing. So if you’re in those categories, this post isn’t about you. If you only do conformation, but have equal respect for the sport world, this post isn’t about you either. This post is about the people who are blatantly insulting the world of dog sports in multiple ways.
Recent statements have been made by certain “well respected” individuals in our breed that indicate that the Sport/Working crowd do not understand the purpose of AKC and that furthermore we should leave the breed club and form our own, stop competing in AKC venues entirely, host our own specialties, etc. These people insist that the purpose of AKC is to “choose and evaluate breeding stock” via showing in conformation. They insist the evaluation of breeding stock is the ONLY reason for the conformation ring and give no respect to the idea of evaluating form to function, even in small, “fun” classes at specialties that are for altered dogs, veteran dogs, working dogs, etc. They also persist in referring to SERIOUS dog sports like agility as “fun classes” that are not an important evaluation of the traits required by our breed standard.
People, this is a herding breed. And many of the people making the above statements do NOT even herd with their dogs but want to claim they are promoting the traits and structure that are best for the sport of herding! These people are often breeding dogs who don’t even have a basic herding instinct test on their records. These are people at the top of the game who could easily afford to be involved in herding if they cared about it as much as they pretend to every time they go on a rant about “This is a herding breed, not a sport breed”.
In today’s culture, herding is simply not accessible to most people and I understand that (I’m blessed to be a farm girl with stock at home and I still travel 2hrs to herding lessons!) However, many skills required for herding (focus, athleticism, drive, fast turns, sprinting, intelligence, biddability, etc) can all be evaluated through training for sports that require these same traits. This is a MUCH better evaluation of herding potential than trotting around a show ring for 2 minutes. Obviously there is no other sport that can assess actual stock sense and that's unfortunate, but sports are the best substitute we have for actual herding.
That’s not to say that structure isn’t important, but it is far from sufficient proof that a dog can herd. For many people, sports are their only avenue to evaluate the traits that translate to herding ability, making sports of CRITICAL importance to our breed. To treat dog sports as a second class of competition is frankly insulting. We account for a HUGE percentage of people in AKC competition. I assure you the number of people across America competing in sports is exponentially higher than those in conformation.
Furthermore, the actual demand for herding dogs is at an all-time low. The number of people using MAS on working farms and ranches is simply not significant. In a modern world, there just isn’t a large demand for working herders. Like many other breeds, the need for our dogs original purpose is fading. Just as there is limited need for sled dogs or bear hunting dogs or working hunting dogs, our breed has evolved to a place where those traits are put to other uses. Yes, there will always be a small portion of people using the dog for these original purposes and it must ABSOLUTELY be respected but it isn’t our primary use anymore. I will *never* breed a MAS that doesn’t at least have a herding instinct evaluation. It would be disrespectful to the breed (and that’s more than I can say for some of the people who are criticizing the sport community). However, the majority of people I meet who are interested in this breed want family pets or sport dogs. Even within the working herding community, we are not a popular breed. Most herding MAS are either trial herders (herding for a hobby) or small farm herders like my own (people with small herds of smaller stock on limited acreage who don’t have enough work to keep a higher drive breed happy). People working feed lots aren’t using MAS. They’re using ACDs or BCs. People running thousands of cattle are using standard aussies or ACDs, etc. Ranchers aren’t standing in line for a 20lb MAS.
Furthermore, the same people who make these statements against the sport world will GLADLY dump any puppies they produce who aren’t “good enough” for the AKC breed ring into the sports world. They will take dogs who don’t even have sport titles or ANY proof of sporting ability, breed them, and market 3/4s of the pups as “pet/performance” prospects. Let’s overlook that fact that the qualities of a good family pet are often diametrically opposed to the traits needed in a high level sport dog because that’s an argument in its own right. Let’s focus on the fact that if *I* (as a sport enthusiast) were to breed 2 sport dogs with NO conformation titles and market all the non-sport puppies in the litter as “conformation prospects”, I’d be tarred and feathered as a backyard breeder. Heck, my dogs HAVE conformation titles in UKC and I’d STILL get run out of town for marketing my dogs as conformation prospects. Yet, these people think it’s ok to breed 2 dogs without even basic sport titles (which, let’s face it, are pretty easy to attain in some sports) and claim they have sport prospects for sale.
The sport world is not a dumping ground for over-boned, over-angulated, over-coated low-drive show line dogs!!!! Yes, any dog with decent structure and temperament can dabble in sports and gain some novice titles (especially in the less athletic events like lower levels of Rally and obedience). These dogs are GREAT for pet people who want to be weekend warriors but who lack the resources to manage a truly high drive sport dog. That doesn’t make these show line dogs "sport prospects" any more than my sport dogs would be "conformation prospects" just because they’re capable of eeking out a basic UKC conformation title. Any dog with decent structure, no DQs and even a half-way decent temperament can dabble in conformation too just as any dog with decent structure and a half way decent temperament can dabble in sports.
You can’t tell the sport people to get out of your club/venue and then insist on using their market to dump your puppies who can’t cut it in the breed ring. You don’t get it both ways. Either we’re a valuable part of your world or we aren’t.
And to tell us we just should not compete in AKC? The largest sporting venue in the country? How does that even make sense? And then to imply that the ONLY purpose of AKC is to preserve breeding stock is ludicrous. The vast majority of people with AKC dogs are NOT breeders. That is NOT the sole purpose of AKC (and even if it was, sports would still be a critical part of said evaluation in many breeds.)
Let’s look at what the ACTUAL goals, values and missions of AKC are per their own website (my comments and emphasis are in red).
"The American Kennel Club is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to upholding the integrity of its Registry (this means their FIRST listed purpose is to simply maintain accurate pedigrees, no more and no less), promoting the sport of purebred dogs and breeding for type and function (function, as in what the breed was originally designed to do…which isn’t “trot around a show ring in ANY breed I’m aware of). . Founded in 1884, the AKC® and its affiliated organizations advocate for the purebred dog as a family companion, advance canine health and well-being, work to protect the rights of all dog owners and promote responsible dog ownership.
Objective
Advance the study, breeding, exhibiting, running and maintenance of purebred dogs.
Note that breeding is only ONE of 5 objectives. Even if we say that "exhibiting” refers exclusively to the conformation ring (which is arguable as all forms of dog sports exhibit the dogs), “running” is pretty exclusively a performance reference. So this means that sports are EQUALLY important as an objective.
Core Values
We love purebred dogs.
We are committed to advancing the sport of the purebred dog.
We are dedicated to maintaining the integrity of our Registry.
We protect the health and well-being of all dogs.
We cherish dogs as companions.
We are committed to the interests of dog owners.
We uphold high standards for the administration and operation of the AKC.
We recognize the critical importance of our clubs and volunteers.
NO WHERE in this description does it say “the goal of akc is to evaluate breeding stock in the conformation ring”. The conformation ring is not even REFERENCED except for one statement about “exhibiting” dogs…. but “sports” are referenced many times. Even if you say that “conformation” is a sport, this is still not a mission statement *exclusive* to the conformation ring. This is a mission statement that makes it very clear they are dedicated to ALL aspects of dog ownership and especially the ownership of pets and family companions.
So who is REALLY missing the mission of AKC? This entire situation saddens, angers and disgusts me and the ONLY reason I’m not throwing names out there is out of respect for the rules of the groups where these statements were made which unfortunately prohibit the sharing of screenshots. Otherwise, I would throw these names under the bus in a heartbeat.
If you’re a “weekend warrior” sports person, do some research before purchasing from one of these top conformation kennels. They’ll gladly take your money while secretly stating that they think you aren’t even an important part of AKC and have no business competing in the venue. You are nothing more than a place to dump dozens of puppies they’ve produced who weren’t good enough for their conformation program. They don’t actually have any *respect* for you.
So for these elitist people, guess what?
You will NOT run us out of our club.
You will NOT run us out of AKC.
We will stay.
We will vote.
We will be heard.
You’ve picked a fight with the wrong people. The MAS sport crowd is FULL of strong-minded, stubborn and dedicated people and we will not be bullied. We will stay around no matter what you say or do. We are in touch with the modern zeitgeist of the dog world. At a time when the entire world of purebred dogs is threatened by the militant Adopt-Don’t-Shop crowd, this is no time for division. It is no time for classism or elitism. This is a time for INCLUSION and welcoming people with open arms.
If that means altered conformation competition (as seen in MANY other registries), so be it. If that means classes specifically for working dogs or versatility dogs, SO BE IT. Stop focusing on maintaining a past that the modern world wants no part of and adapt to a changing climate. Or don’t, and do your part to destroy the purebred dog world. That’s your choice. But many of you are older and won’t be around forever, so please do your best to at least leave some pieces for us younger folks to put the breed back together again when you’re not running anything anymore. Try not to destroy it so badly there is nothing left for us to inherit, because that certainly seems to be your intent.
You are the reason people don’t support “reputable” breeders. You are the reason they go to rescues. You are the reason they go to *friendly* backyard breeders. You are the reason they don’t support purebred dogs to begin with. This level of snobbery has got to stop. There is no place in the modern dog world for these kinds of people. Stop destroying our breed before it even gets a chance to be established well within AKC.
Put your ego aside for 2 minutes and pretend you actually care about the DOGS.
/Rant over.
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