A Guide to the Dog Clubs of America

by Randy Hemsley

There are quite a few clubs and associations in the United States devoted to the love of dogs and dogs themselves. Some are comprised of owners groups just looking to get together for off-leash events, training exhibitions, obedience training, or other casual events. But there are others, like the American Kennel Club, that are closely managed and mainly for breed registration. Keep reading for a simple guide to the major dog associations in North America.

The primary and perhaps best known is the American Kennel Club (AKC), which deals only with purebred dogs. Basically, the AKC is simply a registry of breeds and dog pedigrees. Aside from purebred registration, the AKC also holds regular events and dog shows. To register your dog with the AKC, both the dogs parents must be registered and within the same breed. It can be an expensive and arduous process, but ultimately necessary if you are planning to enter your dog in show competition or using it for breeding purposes.

The AKC also supports its Foundation Stock Service (FSS). These are breeds, like the American English Coonhound, that are not quite yet fully recognized by the AKC, but are on their way. Dogs from the FSS breeds can be registered, but they cant earn championship points at AKC events.

For dogs with less illustrious backgrounds, the American Mixed Breed Organization (AMBOR) is a wonderful registry for dogs of mixed breed backgrounds. It enables them to compete in obedience and agility competitions like the popular SuperDog events. Founded in 1983, AMBOR is about dogs earning titles through ability and training, not patronage.

Membership is open to all dogs of any background, other than wolf hybrids, as long as the pet is neutered or spayed and the nails are properly trimmed. To register your dog with AMBOR, youll need to submit front and side photographs along with the application papers. From there, each competition your dog participates in, his tallies and scores will be automatically added to his record and entered into the nationwide obedience ranking system.

Purebred dogs are also welcome as members of AMBOR, but their entry is limited to the agility-specific programs and competitions. Dogs that are purebred, as in registered with the AKC or Canadian Kennel Club, are not eligible for the obedience or agility scoring systems. This means they wont appear on the web site highlights and cant qualify for mixed-breed national competition.

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For information on practical dog necessities, please visit http://www.dog-necessities.com/, a popular site providing great insights concerning issues that help you with dog care, such as dog training products , dog medical supplies , and much more.

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Underdog

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The 1 Show Dog in America Is a Mess

The #1 show dog in America is "Lockenhaus Rumor Has It V" which is pictured above, and below, walking on its metatarsus, with its hock almost touching the ground.

This dog won "herding" even though it cannot herd, and cannot even walk as a dog should.

A German shepherd should not walk on its metatarsals, and they did not used to.

Below is the gait of a wolf.

What have breeders done to wreck the German Shepherd?

Quite a lot. 

And what would it look like if we did the same thing to a horse?  

A lot like this:

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Get Rich By Breeding Dogs!

O.K., the title is a joke. 

But only barely. 

Though show dog breeders may not be getting rich, many show dog people breed dogs to defray their show ring expenses -- payments to professional handlers, payments on motor homes and hotels, veterinary expenses, etc.

With "hobby" expenses of several thousand dollars a year, selling puppies is a significant part of the economic engine driving the show ring model.

The need for uninterrupted puppy sales is one reason the show dog world is so resistant to change.

If show ring folks could not sell their current crop of dogs because an AKC standard had been changed in order to improve canine health, that would be a serious economic hit.

There is another reason breed clubs are resistant to breed standard changes, and an increased focus on canine health issues; it is a negation of their own life and their own expertise. 

What does it say about the breed club, and its breeders, that the dog they claim to love so much is now in such dismal shape?

Dogs are not dying young and in pain because they are committing suicide.

Entire breeds have not been wrecked by accidental vehicle impacts.

No, the story here is quite a bit sadder than that. It is a story about a lot of people with misplaced priorities intentionally breeding dogs, and the horrific results they have achieved despite decades and decades of putative expertise "in the breed."

For these folks to admit that the results achieved have been a collective disaster, has a huge emotional cost attached to it.

They are in the same position as the person who has given this or her entire life to a company only to be fired in humiliation, or the wife who has been married for 25 years who comes home to find her husband in bed with another man. Was the whole thing a joke? A charade? Did this investment of my life mean nothing?

Little wonder that a lot of people are willing to do almost anything not to have to face those questions!

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