![]() ![]() The heroes and heroines of these stories owned Collies, Sealyhams, Fox Terriers, Scotties. In those days, the common man was not considered worthy of owning a purebred dog. When Morris and Essex only invited a few dozen breeds but attracted an entry of 1800 dogs, when celebrities showed dogs and bred them, when having an elite kennel was considered a vital part of being truly successful in business. For, you see, those books are a fantastic view into the world of purebred dogs in the first part of this century, in the “golden age” of dog shows. Mentioning these books is not really a non sequitur. From A to Z, from Algonquin (soo sad) to Lad, a Dog and White Fang. The AKC back then was an expression of the will of its constituency, who were show breeders.Īs the logical expression of my total dog obsession, I’ve read just about every piece of vintage dog literature I could get my hands on. It also worked well when most dogs in the US were neither purebred nor registered. This worked out very well for the AKC when they were the only show in town for the vast majority of breeds, which was up until maybe 20 years ago. It doesn’t make a lot of judgements as an organization about what good breeding is or what bad breeding is it holds standards but does not define them. It keeps track of registrations, gives us a convenient way to track the points we receive, certifies judges, and so on. The AKC has always seen itself as a big smart filing cabinet. We also like that they donate lots of money (our money, but that’s OK) to research and good causes. (The UKC Grand Championship is more indicative, but that’s another thread for another time.) That’s why we stick with them. So an AKC championship tends to mean a little bit more about the physical (remember, physical only) quality of the dog than an IABCA or UKC championship. AKC keeps track of pedigrees, many since the breed was first introduced into the US, which is no small task, and they offer the hardest conformation competitions. AKC is no more a stamp of approval for puppy personality and health than being born at Johns Hopkins means you’re going to be a genius. I think – I HOPE – that most pet owners and puppy buyers realize that the reason good breeders use AKC as their registry is that AKC has the most challenging shows and competitions, and because AKC is maybe MARGINALLY better at inspections. Since, of course, breeding (the DOGS, thank you so much there’s a reason Last Daughter is going to be Last) is on my mind, I wanted to give my little treatise on the way breeding has gotten a little riskier in the last few years. ![]()
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