What I don’t Like about the AKC
My two biggest problems with the AKC revolve around snobbery and the unwillingness to admit when things are broken. I want to start with the latter.
We all have breeds of dogs that we love, for what ever reason. Breeders and owners of show dogs especially have a breed fixation. That makes admitting when there is something wrong with the breed (or breed standard) very hard. While some issues (like early death among mastiffs) can be admitted and worked on, others are much harder to admit.
Take the Bulldog. Temperament wise, it’s a lovely dog. But it shouldn’t exist anymore, at least not in its current form. No purebred Bulldog can be born naturally. Their heads are too big. All Bulldog births are caesarian. Stop and think about that. We are perpetuating a breed that can’t actually continue to exist without human intervention. This is wrong. In addition, esophageal problems (making it hard for them to eat) are common among Bulldogs, as are problems at the other end. Our friend who had two Bulldogs had to wipe their rear ends. Sweet as the Bulldog may be, the entire breed isn’t healthy, and there’s no quick fix.
In England
20-30 years ago, when C’s grandmother and mother were showing dogs, a merle Aussie was a rare site to behold. Now, 75% of the Aussies you see at shows are merles. Merle dogs are pretty, but the blue eye is more prone to cataracts and blindness. However, breeders went with what was popular, even if it was worse for the dogs.
The German Shepherd breed standard includes a majorly sloped back. Except that sloped back is a major part of what is responsible for the GSDs’ hip dysplasia problems. Eastern German GSDs (bloodlines that were cut off from the western world while the wall was up) have less of a slop and fewer hip problems. Why can’t the breed standard be changed to encourage healthier dogs?
As much as the AKC does for dog health, there are many cases where simply changing the breed standards could do wonders for the breeds. Yes, it breaks with some traditions, but aren’t healthier dogs worth it?
The Bulldog question is harder, but is the most serious. Maybe the breed should be de-sanctioned for a while. Let breeders bring in some new blood and get a dog that’s actually viable, that could be born outside of a surgical room. We’re not doing the dogs any favors by continuing the way we are.
Snobbery is what keeps the AKC from growing. They’ve made a huge improvement by allowing mixed breed dogs in agility events, but its as much about attitude as it is the actual rules.
And I’m not saying individual members are snobs, just that the organization as a whole is. A former AKC president used to tell people that if they wanted a purebred dog, they should adopt one from the shelter at the same time. That’s a good message, but their slogan of the last couple of years – “For the Love of the Pure Bred Dog” – that’s a problem. It makes even people like me, who happen to own purebreds, think really, mutts don’t deserve love, too.
Their new slogan – “The Only American Registry that Matters” isn’t much better. The purpose of televising a show like Westminster
The snobbery shows in other forms. Take the poodle hair cut – and please, take it far, far away. I don’t actually care what cockamamie story you try and sell me for how this is traditional, its ugly, and turns people off of poodles. I like poodles and I root against them in shows because of this hair cut. (The same can be applied to the Lowchen and the Portuguese Water Dog, though their haircuts are a little less awful.)
And then there’s the fact that some breeds have better/more advocates. Poodles have three chances to make it to the Best in Show ring. In fact, two of them can be in Best in Show at the same time – a toy and a standard or miniature. Cocker Spaniels also have three chances, the only difference being coat color – black, another solid color, two colors. Beagles have two chances based on size. Dachshunds three based on coat type –short, long, wire-haired.
These are different breeds of dogs. They aren’t. Border Collies and Aussies also come in multiple acceptable color variations, but they don’t have an entry per color. There are also mini-Aussies, but they don’t get a separate entry for that, either.
The Cardigan Welsh and Pembroke Welsh Corgis are actually two different breeds of dogs, as are the three sizes of Schnauzer. But poodles and beagles? All one breed, just different heights. Cockers, just different colors. Why do these breeds get more chances to win? (And don’t try telling me numbers. If numbers mattered, there should be yellow labs, black labs, and chocolate labs, but there’s not. There’s just one lab.)
There is an old fashioned snobbery set in here about which dogs are more deserving, and an unwillingness to break tradition. This can only hurt the AKC.
I have less of a problem with the rate at which new breeds are accepted in to the AKC. There needs to be a long enough tradition of the dogs so that standard breed traits can be determined, and there need to be enough of the dogs around in order for good breeding stock and a consensus on what breed traits should be.
I do have a problem with the reflexive nature with which supposedly responsible breeders try to knock actual new, developing breeds. It is possible for someone who is cross breeding dogs to be a responsible breeder, though the AKC might not want to admit that. And while we don’t use dogs for the same work we used to, there are new needs that a current breed may not always fit.
I get why breeders don’t like all the “new” designer dogs. And I get that a lot of those come from back yard breeders. But the hatred of the Labradoodle bothers me. (It’s not ready to be a registered breed yet; the breed is too new to have a good set of breed standards, but the breeders developing this dog deserve to be treated with respect.)
The first people to breed Labradoodles saw a need. They saw people who could benefit from a service dog, wanted a service dog, but could not have one due to allergies. Poodles have the right type of coat to be mostly hypoallergenic, but not the right temperament to be service dogs. Labs are the quintessential service dog. Poof, they bred them, knowing that of that first litter, maybe only one or two puppies would end up with the traits they were looking for. But that’s how you start a breed. That’s how all breeds were started. Put together two dogs that had the traits you want, and hope for one or two puppies that get both. Then keep doing it. Get enough dogs to have a foundation stock and go for a second generation. Then a third, etc.
In the end, I think the AKC is a mostly good organization, doing some great work for dogs. But they are caught up a little too much in tradition and looks (of the dog), sometimes to the detriment of our four legged friends. They’re making good strides, but more need to be made. And hard decision or not, the health of the dogs must always win out- even over breed “extinction”.