sorry for the neglect

I have neglected this blog terribly :( Since I posted that letter to the AKC it has become even more apparent that our sport of Pure Bred Dogs is in even greater danger than I thought. I plan to write more on this soon.

Open Letter to the American Kennel Club

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE AKC ON THEIR ALLOWING OBEDIENCE, RALLY AND AGILITY TO INCLUDE
MIXED BREED DOGS.

For all those that disagree with this change to our sport and there should be many of you, feel free to use any, all, or parts of this open letter. The names and addresses to which your letters should be mailed are included.

From:

Karen Mills

OV Indra Von Hoheneichen UD - WC318363

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To:
Mr. James Crowley
Executive Secretary
American Kennel Club
260 Madison Avenue,
New York, NY 10016

January 20, 2010

Dear Mr. Crowley,

Having just read the letter from John Lyons, Doug Ljungren and Curt Curtis crowing about the wonderful AKC Canine Partners program and how the Board in all their majesty has decided to allow mixed breed dogs to compete "head to head" with purebred dogs for the same titles in AKC Agility, Obedience and Rally events; all I can say is "Wow, what a slap in the face to all those who have faithfully maintained their purebred dogs and their breeding programs over the decades since the inception of the AKC."

The last 30 years I have been keeping records, studying pedigrees, spending thousands of dollars on clearances and now any mutt can be "registered" and compete in my sports. Now I can breed one of my wonderful breed Champions that I have spent thousands of dollars on finishing and getting health clearances so I could "breed the best to the best and to hell with the rest" to any mutt and sell puppies that will be able to compete "head to head" with the purebred dogs I thought we all cherished.

Here is an idea... if this is such an egalitarian idea then why not include CONFORMATION shows? Good grief... no one wants to think any event at the AKC may be ELITIST!

You can have a whole new Group... the Mixed Breed Group. These dogs can compete for Championships and BIS. There are certainly enough "types" of mixed breed dogs to form a group.

I propose the Mixed Breed Group:

Pit-Herding mixes

Pit-Working mixes

Pit-Non-Sporting mixes

Pit-Toy Mixes

Pit Terrier Mixes

Pit-Hound Mixes

Pit-Sporting Mixes

Herding Mixes

Working Mixes

Non-Sporting Mixes

Hound Mixes

Toy Mixes

Terrier Mixes

Sporting Mixes

Misc Mixes

and

Doodles

You would not need "standards" for these categories since the "standards" for purebreds have been shown to be of no consequence with this new rule change... after all judges can tell a sound dog from an unsound dog.. or they can go eeny meeny miney mo as they often do now.

When the AKC in all its wisdom stopped canceling the registration of
litters as a result of DNA testing and started issuing "conditional
registrations" to these litters, which could then receive "regular AKC
registration" if they bred true for 3 generations....I knew we were in
trouble.

The AKC Mission statement reads in part:

The American Kennel Club is dedicated to upholding the integrity of its Registry, promoting the sport of purebred dogs and breeding for type and function.

That is now the joke of the century.

I bet the "purebred dog fanciers" William G. Rockefeller, Dwight Moore,
Howard Willets, B.S. Smith, Marcel A. Viti, Frederick H.Osgood,
John E. De Mund, Clair Foster, Laurence M.D.McGuire, Henry Jarrett,
August Belmont, William B. Emery, Edward Brooks, Charles W. Keyes,
James W. Appleton, George B. Post, Jr., Thomas Cadwalader, Winthrop
Rutherfurd, James Mortimer, George Lauder, Jr., William Rauch,
Samuel R. Cutler, John G. Bates, J.H. Brookfield, Chetwood Smith,
Hildreth K. Bloodgood, Singleton Van Schaick, Hollis H. Hunnewell,
J. Sergeant Price and William C. Codman the initial Board of Directors
of the AKC are spinning in their graves.

Their Charter reads;
to maintain and publish an official stud book and
an official kennel gazette, and generally to do everything to
advance the study, breeding, exhibiting, running and maintenance
of the purity of thoroughbred dogs.

While this Charter reads:
It may, from time to time, alter, modify or change such constitution, bylaws, rules or regulations.

No where does it state that these modifications or changes will change
the mission of the club.... promoting the sport of purebred dogs and
maintaining the PURITY of it's registry.

Where is a lawyer when we need one... how can your Charter read?

ARTICLE III: OBJECTS OF THE CLUB

The objects of the Club shall be to maintain and publish
an official stud book, to adopt and enforce uniform rules
regulating and governing purebred dog events, to regulate
the conduct of persons interested in breeding, registering,
selling, purchasing, exhibiting and running purebred dogs,
to prevent, detect, and punish frauds in connection therewith,
to protect the interests of its members, to publish an
official kennel gazette, and generally to do everything to
advance the study, breeding, exhibiting, running and maintenance
of purebred dogs.

and you will now allow mixed breed dogs to be exhibited at AKC events?

The "sport of purebred dogs" has been declining for a long time... mostly from changes the AKC has made in an effort to boost revenue and placate the people that want to "compete" and "win" without having to know how to play the game or know the rules of the game.

There are those of us who have been competing in obedience and the breed ring for decades. We knew the sport was going downhill when the AKC began making changes to obedience that enabled people with poor training skills to earn titles. In my experience the first of those changes was doing away with the stand for exam in utility.

Having now gone over all the obedience rule books from the inception of obedience trials I can see where many such accommodations have been made.

When obedience first started, one of the exercises was the handler had to have the dog speak on command... and not just speak on command; but speak from a sit, a down and a stand.

Now that is a tough thing to train... not impossible, but tough.

Your history proves that the challenges to the masses of "weekend warriors" who were not actually putting in an effort to train their dogs, didn't have good instruction or had few dog skills, have been removed through the years.

Now we must suffer having to "compete" with mixed breed dogs. So in addition to having to put our dogs in harms way by showing with poorly trained purebreds we must now risk having them do sits and downs with mixed breed dogs that may be untrained and dog aggressive.

But never fear... the next thing to go will be the stays... that is already in the works.

Sincerely,

Karen Mills
Purebred Dog Fancier

cc:
Dennis Sprung
Ken Marden
John Lyons
Doug Ljungren
Curt A. Curtis

Dennis B. Sprung, President
25 January 2002
American Kennel Club
260 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016


Ken Marden
American Kennel Club
260 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016

John Lyons
Chief Operating Officer
American Kennel Club
260 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016

Doug Ljungren
Assistant Vice President
AKC Canine Partners
8051 Arco Corporate Dr.
Suite 100
Raleigh, NC 27617-3390

Curt A. Curtis
Assistant Vice President
AKC Companion Events
8051 Arco Corporate Dr.
Suite 100
Raleigh, NC 27617-3390