THE GERMAN SHEPHERD SENTINEL
June 2006 - NEWSLETTER OF THE
GSDC OF GREATER RALEIGH
Pat Embrey, Newsletter Editor
1390 Sanders Road, Benson, NC 27504
PH: 919-934-6232, E-Mail: VonRillca@aol.com
Website: www.gsdcofgrraleigh.org
June Sentinel Information
Board Policy on Dogs at Club Sponsored Events
- June Meeting Information
- Mary 2006 Minutes
- Grow Old With Dogs
- Board O Gram
- Rules for Non Pet Owners
- The World of Dog Shows
- AKC Approves Working Dog Sport
BOARD POLICY ON DOGS AT CLUB SPONSORED EVENTS
The GSDC of Greater Raleigh welcomes your German Shepherd at our events, including meetings. However, the following rules must be followed:
Anyone with an aggressive dog (one that growls, snaps, or is in any way aggressive towards other dogs or people) must be muzzled.
Dogs will be free of loose hair and external parasites (fleas or ticks). Please brush your dog prior to bringing it to the meeting as we must clean up the room after we are finished.
For the safety of all members, guests and their dogs, it is strongly recommended that all dogs be kept up to date on their vaccinations. ALL dogs that are old enough, MUST have a current rabies shot.
JUNE MEETING INFORMATION
The Next meeting of the German Shepherd Dog Club of Greater Raleigh will be held on Wednesday, April 7, 2006 at the Exchange Park on Spring Forest Road. The meeting will begin at 7:00 PM for socialization. The topic of the program will be Search and Rescue, with the speaker being Mac Morgan, a former club member and active member of SAR who will speak about selecting and training a dog in search and rescue and the levels of training available; in addition, he’ll share stories from his experiences. Refreshments will be furnished by Frank Sanders.
MEETING MINUNTES
May 3, 2006
Program: Ken Bush, representative from Nutro Products spoke to our group about his dog food product line and what to look for on food labels. First you want to look at the meat protein source, the most common being chicken/poultry. Look for the word “meal” because that means that the water and fat have been removed - 5 lbs. of wet chicken equals 1 lb. of chicken meal. Second you want to look at the grain source. The most common is corn but that is not very digestible and is a cheap filler. Wheat is the second most common grain but rice is better – very digestible and high in essential fatty acids. Third you want to look at the fat source. Some foods use animal fat which doesn’t break down very well. Best in sunflower oil with its’ Omega 6, but chicken/poultry fat is also great. Nutro is the only dog food that is allowed to make the claim “guaranteed to improve skin and coat”. Nutro makes a complete line from puppy to senior foods, canned foods and treats, including new “dessert” coming out soon.
Also as part of our program Mary Bjelica made samples of 3 different dog treats and handed out dog treat cookbooks with dog bone cutters attached.
Business Meeting: No business was conducted because several officers were absent. Pat Embrey reminded everyone of the yard sale on May 13.
First reading: James & Keri Teater
Second reading: Natalie Kauftheil
Toni Pals
Treasurer’s Report: No treasurer’s report was presented as the treasurer was absent.
GROW OLD WITH DOGS
Donna Jacot,ArDeJay(Reprinted with Permission)
When I am old...
I will wear soft gray sweatshirts...
and a bandana over my silver hair.....
and I will spend my social security checks on wine
and my dogs.
I will sit in my house on my well-worn chair and listen
to my dogs' breathing.
I will sneak out in the middle of a warm summer night
and take my dogs for a run, if my old bones will allow...
When people come to call,
I will smile and nod as I show them my dogs...
and talk of them and about them...
....the ones so beloved of the past
and the ones so beloved of today....
I will still work hard cleaning after them, mopping
and feeding them and whispering their names in a
soft loving way.
I will wear the gleaming sweat on my throat, like a
jewel and I will be an embarrassment to all...
especially my family...
who have not yet found the peace
in being free to have dogs as your best friends....
These friends who always wait, at any hour, for your footfall...
and eagerly jump to their feet out of a sound sleep, to
greet you as if you are a God.
With warm eyes full of adoring love and hope that you
will always stay,
I'll hug their big strong necks...
I'll kiss their dear sweet heads...
and whisper in their very special company....
I look in the Mirror...
and see I am getting old....
this is the kind of person I am...
and have always been.
Loving dogs is easy,
they are part of me.
Please accept me for who I am.
My dogs appreciate my presence in their lives...
they love my presence in their lives......
When I am old this will be important to me...
you will understand when you are old....
if you have dogs to love too.
~Author Unknown
BOARD O GRAM
OF
THE GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG CLUB OF AMERICA
April 2006 Board Meeting
Written by Tom T. Mesdag
Edited and approved by Lew Bunch
Highlights of the April Board Meeting
The second regular Board Meeting of the German Shepherd Dog Club of America for 2006 was held on April 28 – 30, 2006 at the Wentzville Holiday Inn in Wentzville, MO. It was preceded by a very successful Strategic Planning Session on Friday, chaired by Carmen Battaglia. Many ideas and opinions were shared.
The following Officers in attendance were: Lew Bunch, President; Gary Szymczak, Vice President; Bill Pfeiffer, Treasurer; Sharon Allbright, Corresponding Secretary; Board Members: Carmen Battaglia, Lee Brown, Kris Fasano, Joan Fox Helen Gleason, Nancy Harper, Dania Karloff, David Landau, Carolyn Martello, Tom Mesdag, Paul Root, Rita Sandell and Tish Walker
Absent: Margery Golant, Recording Secretary;
Board Meeting At A Glance:
Approved duplicating 500 copies of the 2005 Judges’ Seminar to be sent to all Regional Clubs, Judges’ Seminar participants and other students of the Breed.
Nominated Lee Brown and Helen Gleason as prospective judges for the AKC American Classic Dog Show.
More positive changes to the Futurity Judging Requirements
Discussed a Regional Breeders Showcase held in conjunction with the Futurity that would be open only for Amateur Exhibitors, no professional handlers permitted.
The 2006 GSDCA National Specialty Show will be dedicated to our members with over 50 years continuous service.
Executive Committee Report:
The Executive Committee met one time to approve the production of fifty (50) DVDs of the 2005 GSDCA Judges’ Seminar, Dave Rinke, Presenter and Moderator. Cost of $228.14 was approved by the Executive Committee and ratified by the Board. These DVDs will be used for a Herding Group Judges Seminar in Louisville presented by Helen Gleason, Education Chairman.
President's Report:
Purina Alliance Program: In 2005 the GSDCA had 3132 Pro Club Members declared for the Purina Parent Club Partnership program. However, only1130 GSDCA Members redeemed weight circles from January thru December of 2005. We strongly encourage everyone to become Pro Club Members and send in those weight circles. The 2005 PPCP generated $13,270.23 for the GSDCA, $13,207.23 for the Canine Health Foundation which was matched by AKC, total value of the 2005 PPCP with the GSDCA was $39,621.69. The funds received by the GSDCA support education, health, and rescue efforts for our Breed. Please do your part to make 2006 an even better year, send an email to Laura Gilbert at PurinaAlliance@aol.com. This is a three step process #1 Tell Laura about you litters bred but not whelped yet. #2 Tell Laura about your litters whelped since October 1,2005 and Futurity nominate those litters. #3 Tell Laura about your dogs that were futurity nominated in 2002 or later which have finished their AKC Championship. It is not that difficult, all you need to do is send an email or make a phone call, Laura does all the work.
The GSDCA will be writing AKC asking them to increase their limit of 50 dogs for specialties held after Best In Show judging at All Breed Shows to 75 dogs so that clubs may still have the opportunity for strong majors.
Approved Helen Gleason as Education Committee Chairman
Corresponding Secretary Report:
Sent Parent Club approval to AKC for five clubs this year.
Received 683 e-mails this year requesting names of breeders around the country for puppies. It was recommended that breeders with puppies might want to advertise in the GSDCA website, if they have puppies available for placement
.
Conformation Judges nominated by the Board for the National Speciality 2007 are:
LaMar Frederick Charlotte LaRosa Kathleen Potter
Robert Funk Dick Jones Thomas McPheron
Obedience Judges nominated by the Board for the National Speciality 2007 are
Janice Anthes Stephan Picciuolo Dee Dee Rose
Dr. William Beauchamp Susan Oviatt Linda Stanley
Herding Judges nominated by the Board for the National Speciality 2007 are
Judy Vanderford Mary Weir Anderson
Treasurers Report; The Board approved two Requests for Proposal (RFP) documents to be made available to all interested parties .They are an RFP to obtain an Editor for the GSD Review magazine and an RFP to obtain an Election Tally / Management firm for our 2006 elections. Copies of the RFP can be obtained from Bill Pfeiffer via email to treasurer@gsdca.org or by writing to GSDCA Treasurer & Contracts Chair at 5001 Lenoraway Dr., Raleigh, NC 27613-1402. Replies to both RFP's must be back for evaluation by the respective recommending committees by 1st week of July 2006. An email to the membership referencing the RFP's was also approved and has been sent to the Membership.
The Financial records of the GSDCA for 2005 were examined by our auditors (Rhea & Ivy). Rhea & Ivy stated "In our opinion", the financial statements referred to above , present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the GSDCA, Inc. as of December 31st, 2005 and 2004, and the changes in its net assets and cash flows for the years then ended in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Tim Wheat, the Rhea & Ivy principle auditor also discussed in detail the provisioning of a $40,000 reserve account and charge against 2005 operating income for GSD Review expenses of this amount. He pointed out that it met all appropriate accounting tasks and standards as a charge against 2005 financials. This was rather than have these charges expensed and reflected in the 2006 operating financials. Tim also pointed out that in 1998 / 1999 we had an almost $80,000 non-recurring expense related to acquiring a new Review Editor at that time. This contributed to a net loss in 1998 of $54,000 and a net loss in 1999 of $32,000.
AKC Delegate Report:
The American Kennel Club ACE award is a national honor, given to only five dogs each year that have performed an exemplary act or series of acts. One award in the following five categories: Law Enforcement, Search and Rescue, Therapy, Service and Exemplary Companion Dog. Honorable Mentions will be reserved for exceptional entries in each category.
Anyone may submit a nomination. Submissions for the American Kennel Club Awards for Canine Excellence for 2006 must include: A non-returnable, original photograph of the dog. A 500-word-or-less description of how the dog has demonstrated excellence. Dog's call name, registered name if applicable, breed, age and sex. Owner/Nominator name(s), address, phone number. E-mail address if available. *Please note that to be considered, dogs must be AKC registered or registerable.
Nominations will be accepted until June 15, 2006 and should be sent to: The American Kennel Club, C/O Ronald N. Rella: ACE Awards 2006, 260 Madison Avenue, 4th Floor, New York, New York 10016. For more information you can also contact Ronald Rella.
Surrogate Dams: The AKC Board approved a request to allow the registration of a litter produced using a surrogate dam. The request involved a Portuguese Water Dog litter produced from eggs harvested from a now spayed bitch using a surrogate dam of the same breed.
AKC CAR Canine Support and Relief Fund has been established as a permanent charitable fund with the goals of providing resources, support, funds, and other assistance to: 1. Not-for-profit Canine Search and Rescue organizations.
2. Not-for-profit veterinary units providing support to the canine rescue teams.
3. Not-for-profit animal shelters and similar not-for-profit
Please note: The maximum amount awarded for any Support and Relief grant is $5,000.
To apply for a grant, please download the application at https://www.akc.org/dogny/grants.cfm or contact the Fund Administrator, Kim Macklin at (919) 816-3564.
Budget and Finance:
The final 2006 budget was approved by the Board.
National Specialty: The National Show will begin with move-in day on Tuesday, October 17. Puppy classes and 12-18 will be judged beginning Wednesday the 18th at 7:45 AM. The Futurity/Maturity finals will follow one hour after regular judging ends.
Stalls available to rent.
The Advance Brochure will be mailed to all members in May. Reservations, committee chairs, trophy donation and advertising information for hotels and transportation will be included. Please support your National by advertising in the catalog, contact (Patty Szymczak Pagairs@aol.com), purchasing reasonably priced reserved seats, attending the Gold Page luncheon on Saturday, ($60 for 2) and donating trophies (Jan Coleman Rocknolgsd@aol.com). Contact Dania Karloff (DKARLOFF@AOL.COM)
to reserve a booth space. Plan to attend our Membership welcome party on the mezzanine at the show site immediately after the Futurity/Maturity finals on Wednesday afternoon. Good eats, good friends, good time to celebrate the day's winners. The victory dinner will be held at the show site Saturday, October 21 with the cocktail hour beginning immediately after Select photos are taken. The menu is BBQ and all the fixins. Put your dogs in your stall or RV and come as you are.
There are twelve official host hotels listed in The Advance Brochure this year. Please make your reservations with one of them as they are offering special reduced room rates and arrangements for all who attend the National. The annual meeting will be held at the host hotel, Holiday Inn Wentzville on Thursday, October 19 at 8 p.m
.
Agility: Please email Julie Degen at EJDegen@aol.com or Jane Jeter at j- five@webtv.net if you are an agility competitor, interested in agility, or would like to serve on the agility committee. Members of the GSDCA who are interested in receiving information about GSDCA agility via email, send an email to subscribe to this informational list to: Julie Degen at EJDegen@aol.com or Jane Jeter at j- five@webtv.net
Additionally, if you would like to support agility with a trophy donation, please contact either Jane Jeter, Julie Degen or Nanci Nellis, thank you for your support.
Obedience: Anyone interested in stewarding for obedience at the 2006 National, please contact Dalene McIntire at 253-852-0605 or dalene.mcintire@verizon.net. Linda Booker is taking care of the obedience trophy solicitations for the 2006 National. To donate an obedience trophy, please contact her at 318-641-9877 or legatogsd@earthlink.net.
National Show Sites Selection Committee - (Joan Fox) The 2009 National show site should be in the East as per membership requests. Therefore, since the last board meeting I have driven over 3600 miles and have visited sites in Va., Md., 3 in Pa., Ga. and Fl. I contacted sites in Mass. and Conn. as well. All proved unsuitable for one reason or another except the site in Jacksonville, Fl. I also contacted Concord, N.C. to be penciled in for 2009 in case the Fl. site will not suit the Board. The July Board meeting will be in Jacksonville, Fl. in order to view this site. Some members have contacted me as to possible sites as well and I am currently looking at these. I am currently planning on visiting sites in Oklahoma City, Kansas City, Tenn., Scottsdale, and Las Vegas.
Futurities: Futurity Chair, Nancy Harper, presented the outline of a proposal for a new venue to be held in conjunction with the Regional Futurities. The name of the new venue would be, "The GSDCA Regional Breeders Showcase". ON THE SAME DATE AND IN THE SAME LOCATION AS THE FUTURITY
* Professional Handlers will not handle in the Breeders Showcase venue.
* All entries would come from litter nominated litters.
* You may enter your Futurity nominated progeny in either venue BUT not both venues.
* Owners may enter as many litter mates as they want.
* A best in Breeders Showcase, BOS, & Reserve will be awarded in each region.
* The winners from each region will compete at the National for National Best In
Breeders Showcase.
The Board has directed the National Futurity Chair to present all details pertaining to the rules and administration applying to the "Breeders Showcase" at the July Board Meeting. If approved, the new Breeders Showcase Venue would begin in2008.
Approved 2008 Regional Clubs dates and chairs
Region #1, Northeast
Iroquois GSDC of Syracuse, NY, Saturday, May 10, 2008, Cheryl Olson.
Region #2, Mid-Atlantic
Delaware Valley GSDC, Monday, April 7, 2008, Chairman, Dean Wylie.
Region #3, Southeast
GSDC of Memphis, Sunday, April 20, 2008, Chairman, Clara Dean Hope.
Region #4, Great Lakes
GSDC of No. Ohio, Friday, May 2, 2008, Chairman, Madge Kling.
Region #5, Mid –West
GSDC of WI, Saturday, June 14, 2008, Chairman, Dave & Martha Rinke.
Region #6, Southwest
GSDC of Austin, Saturday/or Sunday, April 12/or 13, 2008,Chairman, Mary Tripp.
Region #7, South Pacific
GSDC of Long Beach, Friday, April 7, 2008, Chairman, Tedi Ginsburg.
Region #8, Mid Pacific
Sacramento Valley GSDC, Friday, March 28, 2008,Chairman, Sharon Allbright.
Region #9, Northwest
GSDC of Pacific Northwest, Saturday, June 14, 2008, Chairman, Kathleen Strong.
Review Editor: Susan Casey is serving as the Interim Editor of The Review while the Board solicits bids for a permanent editor. Please send all Review correspondence to Susan at 2884 W. Oakland Drive, Sedalia, CO 80135. Susan can be reached at 303-660-0535. Clubs submitting show results are asked to submit them electronically to The Review just as they do for the Web site. This will allow results to be published in a more timely fashion. Show pictures should be submitted in jpg or tif formats at 300 dpi.
Advertisers are reminded to include postage when requesting return of photos. If an envelope with postage is included, be sure to affix stamps only. Metered postage must be mailed on the imprinted date; the post office will not accept metered mail after that date. Inquiries regarding missing issues of The Review should be addressed to Gail Hardcastle, who maintains the membership database.
Award of Excellence and Select Excellent Pins: The Board has approved a AOE and Select Excellent Pin. These new pins are now available and being distributed. One free pin will be awarded to the first dog owned by a GSDCA Member that receives one of these titles. Additional pins may be purchased for breeders, co-owners and for additional dogs who achieve these titles, contact Jane Kerner, AOE Chairman or Patty Szymczak, Select Excellent Chairman for details.
Award of Excellence and Select Excellent Policy Change:
The board has also approved a change in certification requirements for the AOE and Select Excellent Award.. Certification will now include the OFA, OVC and SV "a" stamp (Normal). Certification cannot be done before 24 mo. of age to stay inline with OFA. Please feel free to contact Jane Kerner, AOE Chairman or Patty Szymczak, Select Excellent Chairman with any questions.
Hero Dog: As of April 22, 2006 no Hero Dog nominations have been received. If none are received by deadline of June 1, 2006, the program will be kept, but no awards given.
Select Excellent Report: 2005 Sel. Ch. Breals Easy Does It, TC, has completed the requirements for the Select Excellent Award. Congratulations to Select Excellent Breals Easy Does It, TC and her owners Manuel Campo, Kevin Reynolds and Barbara Hefner.
Education Committee: Helen Gleason Chair. The Board has approved the link on the website for Education. The link will contain the following:
1. Education Committee Members, their phone #'s, and their email addresses.
2. List of Educational seminars for Judges and members of GSDCA.
3. Education materials on the German Shepherd and where to obtain them.
4. List of Judges who are members of the GSDCA, additionally, Judges who are willing to give educational programs in conjunction with judging assignments or to local clubs. The Judges will be listed in the different Futurity regions.
5. Annual Education Program for the National Speciality-topics for discussion and speakers who will be on the panels.
6. Judges Seminar which will be held in conjunction with the National Speciality for those people planning to judge German Shepherd's. Program includes in-depth study of the Breed Standard, hands on evaluation, etc.
Health and Genetics: I would appreciate everyone sending their favorite health website addresses to me Glen Sherwood at glenwood@tampabay.rr.com so I can sort through them and get them approved and listed as a reference by the GSDCA. I would appreciate folks sending them to me with Health Link in the subject so they can be placed in the correct folder. Please no articles etc. Just the link where the information is contained.
Membership Chair Report: We are in the midst of publishing a new Membership Handbook which will be partly financed by selling ads. We expect to have the new handbooks in the hands of the membership by late May or early June.
1. As we did last year, the Membership Committee will follow up (by e-mail and by phone) on members who did not renew their membership. The goal is to encourage renewal and gain information of what we can do to keep members' commitment.
2. We have outlined a Golden Members' program to honor and recognize members who have supported our breed and our Club through uninterrupted membership for 50 years.
3. We have outlined a Welcoming Membership program to assign mentors to new members and thus ensure a point of contact and assistance to new applicants.
4. I am soliciting ideas, opinions and volunteers for a new Outreach Program where we would sponsor free memberships (no cost) for long ago members that may have fallen on hard times. In addition, this committee will attempt to get in touch with these old/past members.
Parent Club Office: Notice to all Regional Clubs; the GSDCA office has moved - new address is GSDCA Office, Laura Gilbert, 2448 Johnstown Road, Chesapeake, VA 23322. Phone: 757-421-7854. Email address is GSDCAoffice@gsdca.org. Please be sure to add this address to your clubs premium list mailing to request the Bronze Medals awarded at the GSDCA Regional Specialty Shows.
Policy & Procedures: The Policy & Procedure is up and printable from the GSDCA website. I continue to update and revise the P and P on an almost daily basis. The index has been redone. The National, Futurity, Awards and Pins, and SV sections have been done again. It is also, updated after each Board Meeting. Bill Pfeiffer is going to attempt to put it all into a pdf file but for now it is easily worked with using Word Pad.
Products Committee Report: Please visit the GSDCA website and "SHOP TILL YOU DROP".
RALEEF: The GSDCA is committed to educating it's members about the threat these Animal Rights groups pose. We have formed a committee called RALEEF - Responsible Animal Legislation Education Effort Federation - designed to educate our members and advise them on national, regional, and local legislation that could affect their dogs and our sport. The Animal Rights groups are very well organized and very well funded. Every piece of restrictive legislation that is introduced and passed brings them a step closer to their goals. We must fight them, or our Parent Clubs will become extinct.
RALEEF has members in each region of the country. These members will appear at multi-day events in every venue to bring these groups' goals to light. They will hold seminars or speak to groups whenever possible. Our RALEEF Committee is available to assist your club in getting started or to advance your existing efforts. I urge you to contact the committee chair, Paul Root, at raleef@bellsouth.net.
Regional Club Website Committee: Is your club participating in the Regional Club Website Competition? For information and to enroll contact Amy Safdir, Chairman at (772) 286-3801 or email Almanya@bellsouth.net.
GSDCA-WDA Liaison:
The GSDCA-WDA is soliciting contributions for travel support for the GSDCA Team at the World Championship in Denmark. Checks should be sent to GSDCA-WDA treasurer, Martylou Plinski, 245 Deerhill Dr., Bogart, GA 30622, and marked for the GSDCA World Team Fund. The North American Sieger Show will be held in St. Louis from Oct. 27-29, 2006.
COAPA Liaison: The 2006 COAPA Sieger Show and Congress will be in Quito, Ecuador from Oct. 27-29.
SV/WUSV Liaison: The Dutch Sieger Show will be Aug. 18-20 in Limburg. The Austrian Siegerschau will be August 19, 20 in GMunden-Regau. Judges will be Dr. W. Tauber (Austria), G. Schwedes (Germany), H.-J. Dux (Germany), F. Kampenhuber (Austria), H. Wehinger, and E. Bosl (Germany).
SAR Committee Report: The main focus of this report is to make you aware of a wonderful tribute in the planning called Our K-9 Heroes. The ceremony is going to be held at Campbell's Field in Camden, New Jersey on Sept. 9, 2006 at 6 PM. The ceremony will be honoring those dogs involved in the 9/11 tragedy plus service dogs from every aspect, ex. SAR, mobility assistance dogs, hearing ear dogs, dog guides for the visually impaired, seizure alert dogs, and emotional support dogs. The sponsors plan to pay the entry ticket for each participant and would like to present a medal and some type of present for the dog. As you can see, this event will need outside support as programs must be printed also. 100% of all donations will be spent on producing this event. Any monies not spent will be donated to SAR.
Please send your donations to this wonderful event, honor all SAR and 9/11 dogs with your support. Please contact Lillian Kline at 856-435-8494 or lilliankline1@comcast.net. Or, you can contact Barbie Balyeat for more information. Thank you.
The American German Shepherd Rescue Association: The AGSRA is a fund raising/educational organization. The funds we receive are used to advance the work of organizations rescuing German Shepherd Dogs. This meets our goal of protecting the German Shepherd Dog from suffering due to cruelty, homelessness, ignorance, neglect and misuse.
Diane Roberts will be representing AGSRA and will testify before Congress during Pet Week in May. She will be sponsored by Purina. A full report will be in the Review.
End of April 2006 BOG
RULES FOR NON-PET OWNERS WHO VISIT AND LIKE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT OUR PETS:
1. They live here. You don 't.
2. If you don't want hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture.(That's why they call it "fur"niture .)
3. I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.
4. To you, it's an animal. To me, he/she is an adopted son/daughter who is short, hairy, walks on all fours, and does not speak clearly.
Why dogs & cats are better than kids:
They eat less, don't ask for money all the time, are easier to train, usually come when called, never drive your car, don't hang out with drug-using friends, don't smoke or drink, don't worry about having to buy the latest fashions, don't wear your clothes, don't need a gazillion
dollars for college, and if they get pregnant, you can sell their children.
THE WORLD OF DOG SHOWS
Showing dogs is a great sport where the thrill of competition is combined
with the joy of seeing beautiful dogs. Dog shows are one of many types of AKC
dog events in which AKC-registered dogs can compete. These events, which draw
nearly two million entries annually, include dog shows and tests of instinct
and trainability, such as obedience trials, Canine Good Citizen tests, field
trials, agility trials, hunting tests, herding trials, tracking tests, etc.
Dog shows (conformation events) are intended to evaluate breeding stock. The
size of these events ranges from large all-breed shows, with over 3,000 dogs
entered, to small local specialty club shows, featuring a specific breed.
The dog's conformation (overall appearance and structure), an indication of the
dog's ability to produce quality puppies, is judged.
TYPES OF CONFORMATION DOG SHOWS
There are three types of conformation dog shows:
All-breed shows offer competitions for over 150 breeds and varieties of dogs
recognized by the AKC. All-breed shows are the type often shown on
television.
Specialty shows are restricted to dogs of a specific breed or to varieties
of one breed. For example, the German Shepherd Dog Club of America Specialty
is for German Shepherd Dogs only, but the Poodle Club of America's specialty
show includes the three varieties of the Poodle - Standard, Miniature and Toy.
Group shows are limited to dogs belonging to one of the seven groups.
WHICH DOGS MAY PARTICIPATE
To be eligible to compete, a dog must:
* be individually registered with the American Kennel Club
* be 6 months of age or older
* be a breed for which classes are offered at a show
* meet any eligibility requirements in the written standard for its
breed
Spayed or neutered dogs are not eligible to compete in conformation classes
at a dog show, because the purpose of a dog show is to evaluate breeding
stock.
THE ROLE OF THE JUDGE
Judges examine the dogs, then give awards according to how closely each dog
compares to the judge's mental image of the "perfect" dog described in the
breed's official standard.
The standard describes the characteristics that allow the breed to perform
the function for which it was bred. These standards include specifications for
structure, temperament and movement.
The official written standard for each breed is maintained by the breed's
national club and is included in the The Complete Dog Book published by the
AKC.
The judges are experts on the breeds they are judging. They examine ("go
over") each dog with their hands to see if the teeth, muscles, bones and coat
texture conform to the breed's standard. They view each dog in profile for
overall balance, and watch each dog gait ("move") to see how all of those
features fit together in action.
HOW A DOG SHOW WORKS
Each dog presented to a judge is exhibited ("handled") by its owner, breeder
or a hired professional. The role of a handler is similar to that of a
jockey who rides a horse around the track and, hopefully, into the winner's
circle.
Most dogs in competition at conformation shows are competing for points
toward their AKC championships. It takes fifteen points, including two majors
(wins of three, four or five points) awarded by at least three different judges,
to become an American Kennel Club "Champion of Record."
The number of championship points awarded at a show depends on the number of
males ("dogs") and females ("bitches") of the breed actually in competition.
The larger the entry, the greater the number of points a male or a female
can win. The maximum number of points awarded to a dog at any show is 5 points.
Males and females compete separately within their respective breeds, in six
regular classes. The following classes are offered, and are divided by sex:
Puppy - For dogs between six and twelve months of age, that are not yet
champions.
Twelve-To-Eighteen Months - For dogs twelve to eighteen months of age, that
are not yet champions.
Novice - For dogs six months of age and over, which have not, prior to the
date of closing of entries, won three first prizes in the Novice Class, a
first prize in Bred-by-Exhibitor, American-bred, or Open Classes, nor one or more
points toward their championship.
Bred By Exhibitor - For dogs that are exhibited by their owner and breeder,
that are not yet champions.
American-Bred - For dogs born in the United States from a mating which took
place in the United States, that are not yet champions.
Open - For any dog of the breed, at least 6 months of age.
After these classes are judged, all the dogs that won first place in a class
compete again to see who is the best of the winning dogs. Males and females
are judged separately. Only the best male (Winners Dog) and the best female
(Winners Bitch) receive championship points. The Winners Dog and Winners Bitch
then compete with the champions for the Best of Breed award. At the end of
the Best of Breed Competition, three awards are usually given:
Best of Breed - the dog judged as the best in its breed category.
Best of Winners - the dog judged as the better of the Winners Dog and
Winners Bitch.
Best of Opposite Sex - the best dog that is the opposite sex to the Best of
Breed winner.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: May 10, 2006
Contact: Daisy Okas
Phone: 212-696-8343
AKC APPROVES WORKING DOG SPORT
-- Board Approved Parent Clubs Request for New Competition --
New York, NY - The American Kennel Club® Board of Directors has granted the request of four Parent Clubs to approve the Working Dog Sport (WDS), effective January 1, 2007 with regulations to be approved by the AKC Board. The breeds approved to compete in AKC®'s newest sport are the Bouvier des Flandres, Doberman Pinscher, German Shepherd Dog, and the Rottweiler. The regulations will be finalized by a committee consisting of a representative from each of the four Parent Clubs and AKC staff. Upon completion, the regulations will be forwarded to the AKC Board for approval.
"The Working Dog Sport is designed to enable dogs of applicable breeds to demonstrate the physical and mental abilities needed to perform scent and protection work, while maintaining a high level of control and a strong degree of obedience," said William Speck, AVP Performance Events.
The AKC Delegate Parent Club Committee endorsed the WDS and recommended four criteria that have been incorporated into the program:
* Each Parent Club - the American Bouvier des Flandres Club, the Doberman Pinscher Club of America, the German Shepherd Dog Club of America, and the American Rottweiler Club - is directly responsible for its own events and may not assign this responsibility to others.
* The Parent Clubs involved are directly responsible for this program. A WDS Advisory Committee will be formed with representatives from the participating Parent Clubs.
* Each Parent Club may run up to five events in a calendar year.
* The program will be run on a test basis for three years and then reviewed.
The WDS will be held only at the allowed breeds' National Specialties and not at All-Breed dog shows. For more information please reference the Frequently Asked Questions below.
The Working Dog Sport
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the Working Dog Sport (WDS)?
A: The Working Dog Sport is a competitive AKC Performance Event designed to demonstrate the progress that has been made in breeding for the physical and mental abilities necessary for performing scent and protection work, while maintaining a high level of control and a strong degree of obedience.
Q: Why is this an AKC event with AKC titles rather than strictly a Parent Club program?
A: The same question could be applied to any AKC Performance event. The sponsoring of events that enable breeders and owners to demonstrate the progress that has been made in breeding for type and quality, and/or for practical use, stamina, and obedience, is part of the mission of AKC consistent with the provisions of its Charter and Bylaws. AKC approval and AKC titles also give an event more national and international credibility than it would otherwise reflect.
Q: These events are now limited to four breeds. How many other breeds will become eligible to compete?
A: This is a Parent Club driven program. Only AKC breed Parent Clubs may hold these events and only breeds represented by Parent Clubs in the program may participate. Any Parent Club wishing to participate must document that:
* Historically the breed was developed to have these characteristics tested for WDS.
* There is sufficient interest within the Parent Club's membership to support this activity.
* The WDS competition will be held only at National Specialties with a largely breed-specific expert audience in attendance. The WDS will not be held at All-Breed dog shows.
Q: Is it unusual for breeds from different Groups (Working and Herding) to participate in the same Performance Events?
A: It is in fact common for breeds of different Groups to compete in the same Performance Event. The Groups are a dog show classification. There are many cases where dogs assigned to different Groups were developed to perform similar tasks. AKC's Herding, Lure Coursing, and Earthdog events all have participants from more than one Group.
Q: The Parent Club is responsible for the conduct of these WDS events. How will the Parent Club ensure that their club members entrusted with handling events are capable?
A: WDS personnel must have experience in participating in this activity. They must also attend an AKC approved WDS Institute/Seminar and successfully complete a written exam on the regulations and procedures of the WDS. AKC may establish additional requirements. The regulations specifically provide for WDS personnel to have extensive experience in this activity.
Q: Who may judge these events?
A: An individual who is in good standing with AKC, and who meets the following criteria, may judge WDS events:
* Documented experience in this activity.
* Be at least 21 years of age.
* Successful completion of an AKC-approved WDS institute/seminar.
* Two references from among the President, Training Director, or Director of WDS judges for a Parent Club in the program.
Additional requirements may be added by AKC, based upon recommendations from the Parent Clubs in the program.
Q: How is the WDS different from the program proposed two years ago?
A: The previous proposal put forward by AKC was open to all AKC-registrable breeds with events held by all AKC clubs. The current WDS was requested by four breed Parent Clubs (the American Bouvier des Flandres Club, the Doberman Pinscher Club of America, the German Shepherd Dog Club of America, and the American Rottweiler Club). The events may only be held by these Parent Clubs, and only these breeds are eligible to enter. The program has been endorsed by the AKC Delegate Parent Club Committee, with certain provisos that have been incorporated, as follows:
* Each Parent Club is directly responsible for its own events and may not assign this responsibility to others.
* The Parent Clubs involved are directly responsible for this program. A WDS Advisory Committee will be formed with representatives from the participating Parent Clubs. This is consistent with the administration of other AKC Performance Events.
* Each Parent Club may hold up to five events in a calendar year.
* The program will be run on a test basis for three years and then reviewed.
For the past five years, a number of these events have already successfully been held by the Doberman Pinscher Club of America and the German Shepherd Dog Club of America as special attractions with AKC permission.
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