From: abb@unislc.uucp (Anne Beck)
Subject: Re: Hunting ability in Labradors
Organization: Unisys Corporation SLC
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 14:44:00 GMT

From article <17g8roINN7r6@moe.ksu.ksu.edu>, by terry@eece.ksu.edu (Terry Hull):
> daveb@pogo.wv.tek.com (Dave Butler) writes:
> k>This is why I would 
>>assert that no dog should be able to earn either a champion status, or a best 
>>in breed (and definitely not a best in show) unless it has excelled in the
>>working requirements of its breed.
> 
> That would be quite difficult for the AKC.  Take the Rottweiler for
> example.  They were originally herding dogs, and have been changed
> from that into a guarding/protection/police dog.  The AKC will not
> allow Rottweilers to herd in their trials, and do not recognize any
> organization that gives Schutzhund titles.  They also do not
> themselves award Schutzhund titles.  Under these conditions, how can
> the AKC possibly evaluate the Rottweiler's working ability?  They do
> not even have an endurance title to evaluate the dog's stamina.  IMHO,
> this is a sad state of affairs.
> 
> Another thing to consider is the difficulty of comparing one dog's
> ability in Schutzhund with another dog's hunting ability.  Also, how
> do you evaluate the working ability of a lap dog?  Do you remove all
> "working" requirements for that breed because they don't work?
> Doesn't that make it easier for the lap dog to get a BIS than a German
> Shepherd?  The next question seems to be what do you do with a
> multi-talented dog like the GSD?  Do you make him herd, do police
> work, do agility, do obedience or what to prove his working ability?
> (Sorry, the AKC does not recognize agility titles either.  Drat!)  It
> seems like there are a lot of issues to be handled before a proposal
> like this could ever be put into effect.  
> 
Marget Johnson, the other day, explained the requirements for a VN 
(Versatile Newfoundland), a title the NCA awards for Newfs who do 
their "traditional" work and also win conformation championships.  
Other breed clubs have similar programs.  It seems that the place to
put on pressure is at the national BREED club level, because that is
where the experts are and where the people who are really committed to
a certain kind of dog are.  The AKC has too many breeds to be concerned
with working ability.  This doesn't mean that stance is correct, it
just is.  And think of all the "disagreement" about AKC conformation
judging:  are these the same folks we want to judge stamina or "lap dog" 
tests? or do we want breed club "experts?"  It's also easier, at the
breed level, to put pressure on breeders (peers) to produce dogs who
work as well as look good.  If the word gets out, for instance, that
certain breeders produce Newfs who can't swim, then those who are
really committed to the breed steer puppy buyers away from those lines.
The same holds true with the swimming fool who really looks like a Lab:
those really committed to the breed will go elsewhere.

There is a limitation inherent in "versatility" titles, of course:  too
many people take the MINIMUM route to the title.  However, the dog is
still being worked traditionally, and the recognition these dogs and
handlers attain works to the benefit of the breed.  

So instead of bemoaning a breed's lack of working opportunity, get
to work on the local or national club level and put on some working
events.  Don't wait for the AKC:  these folks are still pondering
puppy mills!
> --
> Terry Hull  -  terry@eece.ksu.edu
> Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Kansas State University
-- 
   Anne Beck			| The difference between difficult
   abb@unislc  sun!unislc!abb   | dogs & vicious human beings is
   Unisys  SLC UT               | that difficult dogs don't rise to 
			        | prominent positions in the community.
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