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The only real criticism I’ve heard about the AKC has been from herding dog people (Border Collies), some of whom prefer not to show in AKC shows because of the emphasis on conformation and not performance. I don’t know if this is just a few people’s opinion, or something else.
The parent breed clubs should hold the ultimate standard for each breed…and if breeders don’t agree with those standards then there might be an issue. But I’m not sure the AKC is to blame for having the same standards for conformation champions for working or herding dogs as they do for other breeds?
I know that my dog’s national breed club does not admit a dog into the Hall of Fame without a field championship. They made an exception a year or two ago for a dog that won over 50 all breed best of breeds…but I suppose that is such a huge accomplishment they felt it was worth making the exception.[/QUOTE]
There is quite a bit more criticism about the AKC than from the Border Collie people. Many of the organized hunting groups shun AKC and go for various field oriented registries, among them UKC for United Kennel Club not United Kingdom, some used CKC before the economy went through the utopian “Information Age” and destroyed the industrial and agricultural part of the economy which in turn created the bubble economy. People began desperately trying to make money in backyard breeding situations.
I find what AKC has permitted be done through the emphasis either on hunting or other breed specific abilities or conformation through the show ring, really, really destroyed some nice breeds such as the Rough Collie, the German Shepherd, Irish Setter, even the Labrador Retriever with the emphasis on the squatty, lumbering English type that was so hot for a while. Now it is nearly white labradors! Or dogs that have no desire to swim, let alone hunt… Yes, they can have a very big influence on type and genetics through the show ring and or breed specific traits organizations, be they hunting, coursing, herding, etc. And yes, I believe they can improve vastly.
But, the big culprit is the American people or whomever buys these dogs and in their ignorance perpetuates a seemingly never ending series of “fad” dogs created by Hollywood or celebrities. The miniaturization of various breeds is just one of those “fads”. When we were more purposeful as a country, our dogs were more purposeful and healthy. If we need to bring in outside breedings to improve a breed that becomes too line bred to remain healthy, we should have enough sense, and not be ideologically myopic or fanatical to not know that this can be done and can be done well and right. After all, where did these breeds come from in the first place? The dog which “began” the German Shepherd breed was seen and “discovered” at the side of a sheep herder at either a sheep herding competition or farm show of some type in Germany. There are hundreds of such stories for all of the breeds that were developed. We just have to get over this period in our history where fanaticism seems to rule in so many areas, and improve our lives in so many ways, among those will be how we improve the discussions about where the breeds are going and where we need and want them to go so that they do not end up in the dustbin of history along with a country and world that cannot seem to rid itself of all manner of corruption, political, economic and otherwise.
It is a far bigger question than just how the AKC has or has not added to the obviously big problems with have with our beloved dogs.
