The North American breeder

The North American breeder

By Martin Wahl

The AKC/CKC will diligently check the addresses and zip codes of all applications. Should they find an uncrossed t or an undotted i, the application will be rejected, thus proving to the applicant how "correct" and powerful they are. However, they have no means of any kind to support or help or give any helpful information to breeders. They do not have a classification system for the purpose of identifying breed worthiness, nor do the AKC or CKC have anything remotely similar to the SV’s "breed survey system" or make any breed information available to breeders that could be used to make well informed breeding decisions. North American breeders are completely on their own when it comes to getting help or guidance to breeding related questions such as: the value or background of bloodlines in a pedigree, a dog’s breed-worthiness, or even the very least: are the dogs shown on the certificate or pedigree really the sire and dam? Maybe some of them are, but only maybe.

North American breeders are not only hopelessly lost and without any support from "their" AKC/CKC, they are also unorganized, and therefore a perfectly safe target to take the blame for everything that is wrong with any pet. (see also: "The Puppy Report") Veterinarians (which are very well organized) simply love breeders, for without them, they could only blame themselves for the poor health of most American pets. One perfect example is hip dysplasia. The veterinary industry has been aware for many years that the only 'real' known fact in hip dysplasia is that is has multiple causes. That's it. Anything else is guesswork and hot air. Yet they, and every little old lady with a do-good opinion, love to send letters to editors, telling the breeders to be more responsible about HD and whatever else may be wrong with the neighbours untrained and mistreated pet.

Anyone truly interested in improving the American pet situation, put up, or .... Put your money where your mouth is and fund some research so that breeders can get some solid facts instead of hot air. Blaming breeders for dog health problems is the same as blaming the sailors for the sinking of the Titanic. If you really want to improve things, check out a ship called FCI, for, it's only a question of time before the AKC and CKC will sink.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that honest breeders are extremely cynical of the AKC and CKC. Why bother paying for an AKC/CKC registration certificate or an AKC/CKC certified pedigree when the information contained in them is most likely incorrect and certainly unreliable and therefore useless? The AKC and CKC are to a breeder, what a dog catcher is to a dog.

Many of the better breeders are so frustrated with the AKC/CKC that they will use only German bloodlines and register them only with the United Schutzhund Clubs of America (USCA), which is a member of the FCI through the WUSV and complies with FCI rules.

Because the public is starting to turn away from American Shepherds, some American breeders have started to use German sounding kennel names in an attempt to hide their real bloodlines. If you have a pedigree and like to find out what you REALLY have, compare the names to the lists of German sounding American kennel names and German show and working bloodlines.

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