Here's the totality of the U.K. Kennel Club Revised Breed Standards, by group.
For most dogs the changes are all very minor and generally boil down to randomly tossing in softening words to avoid "exaggeration,"which seems to be as far as the Kennel Club will acknowledge that show dog breeders and Kennel Club judges, divorced from the work that their dogs should be doing, have NO IDEA what is important in a dog -- or even what is obviously detrimental.
And so the changes to the Fox Terrier's standard makes minor changes to language concerning eye size and placement, but makes no mention at all of chest size -- this in a dog that cannot fit down a fox hole!
The Glen of Imaal Terrier now says the legs should only be slightly bowed -- and never mind the size of the dog which makes it unsuitable for work, or the fact that achondroplasia is still written into the breed standard.
The breed standard for the Scottie continues to me a monument of literary dysfunction reading (I am not making this up) as: "Thick-set, of suitable size to go to ground." Right. Here's a clue: a thick set dog is NOT SUITABLE to go to ground, which is one reason no one in the world is actually using Scotties in the field.
Some other breeds have had more extensive changes made in their standards (the German Shepherd, the Dogue de Bordeaux, the Mastiff, the Bulldog) but it remains to be seen whether the language is clear enough or strong enough, or whether the Kennel Club will toss judges and breeders that do not abide. What toss breeders? Surely the scrap of paper is enough for me to show I have a correct dog? Right. There's your problem. And yes, it remains unaddressed.
Note that in the links below, any underlined text indicates a change or addition. Square bracketed text indicates a deletion.
All Breed Standards will now include the following introductory paragraph:
A Breed Standard is the guideline which describes the ideal characteristics, temperament and appearance of a breed and ensures that the breed is fit for function. Absolute soundness is essential. Breeders and judges should at all times be careful to avoid obvious conditions or exaggerations which would be detrimental in any way to the health, welfare or soundness of this breed. From time to time certain conditions or exaggerations may be considered to have the potential to affect dogs in some breeds adversely, and judges and breeders are requested to refer to the Kennel Club website for details of any such current issues. If a feature or quality is desirable it should only be present in the right measure.
- Hound Group Breed Standard amendments
- Gundog Group Breed Standard amendments
- Terrier Group Breed Standard amendments
- Utility Group Breed Standard amendments
- Working Group Breed Standard amendments
- Pastoral Group Breed Standard amendments
- Toy Group Breed Standard amendments
.
9 comments:
I notice that my breed - the Flatcoated Retriever - has no revisions. I guess we're just so perfectly awesome, no fixing is needed. Except for our outrageous figures on death by cancer and early death by cancer, I might agree. But apparently that's a minor point.
Can someone make a suggestion?
For years I thought the reason AKC was good vs street/pound dogs was so that health issues would be screened out.
Why would anyone want to breed a known 'defective' gened dog and continue on the health problem?
Working critters (horse or dog) is the way to go
oi I'm lost
Street dog/pound dogs are a crap shoot
but now everyone's saying you have better luck than with a registered dog---how can that be?
But we paid a huge amount -for our family--more than a 2 week paycheck for a registered lab who died of heart failure before she was TWO YEARS OLD!
Of course the breeders of both sides claim
NOT FROM MY BLOODLINE
She was a Christmas present for our special needs son
Rips at my heart to remember her and all the hopes not to mention money we paid trying to keep her alive.
A year too late we learned about the CA lemon law where we could at least received some money back for the medical bills.
Guess my question is
is it just buyer beware
is there NO ORGANIZATION stepping up with qualifications/health certificate guarantees?
Guess not
charlie mamasita3045 at yahoo
I keep getting 'access denied" when I try to link onto the breed standard revisions.
j CT
Try pasting this link into your brower >> http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/2223
P
I have been reading your blog for a while now and I totally appreciate your gripe about the size of terriers in the show ring. However, I think it's probably for the best and we should embrace it.
Most people who want a terrier want a slightly larger dog than what a working terrier should be. Carins, Scotties, etc are small enough to be small dogs but not so small that they get lost between the couch cushions or that you worry about them playing with the kids. I am sure your Jacks can hold their own against beasts more ferocious than a 3 year old but none the less, most people want or at least perceive the need for a slightly larger pet terrier than what you have.
For the breeders producing dogs they know will never be used for hunting perhaps it's a good thing for them to strive to make dogs that fit better into people's lives rather than down a fox hole. Personally, I can sympathize with people who want a family pet but don't want a lap dog. I hate small fluffy white dogs too. AKC terriers are smallish wire coated pets. Nothing wrong with that. They are more laid back and, yes, larger than working terriers but that's as it should be. It’s a shame we can’t all stand up and just say what we really mean.
For both practical and foolish reasons, we, the dog buying public, want a dog with a certain look, size, coat type, energy level, and character. We also want a bit of the nostalgia that comes from owning a breed with history or that looks like dogs known to do a certain type of work. We do not, however, want a dog actually capable or eager of *being* a working dog.
The syndrome that causes Urbanites and Suburbanites to buy Range Rovers is the same one that causes any non-hunter to buy a spaniel or retriever. Thank God they’re buying them from the AKC instead of buying an actual working dog. Who cares if they want their version of a spaniel to have more and longer hair? Isn’t it for the best that it has less prey drive and lower energy level than a true working dog?
Like it or lump it a lot of people are going to buy a dog rather than adopt one from a shelter. Isn’t it the duty of the breeders to produce dogs appropriate for the market? What good would it do to breed Carin Terriers smaller and with temperaments like a Jack Russels? We’d have more Carins in shelters if we did that.
I find it just as annoying as you (OK, you are probably more annoyed than I am) that AKC terrier breeders claim their dogs even descend from working dogs let alone that the current generation of most AKC terriers would be any more suitable for ground work than a bulldog. Or that cocker spaniel or poodle breeders claim the ridiculous hair-dos on their dogs would do anything besides hang them up in a bush. That said, the market apparently wants heavily coated Cockers and many people like having the option of sculpting their Poodle into the shape of a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle (http://www.pinkcoyote.net/creativegrooming.html). SO WHAT?
My gripe with AKC breeders is that they’re knowingly breeding unhealthy dogs. The fact that they do so under the pretense of preserving a lineage or type of working dog just throws gas on my fire. As you have so eloquently pointed out on numerous occasions the dogs in the AKC ring are neither pure descendants of working dogs, nor are they representative of the phenotype of working dogs from years past.
My slightly unfocused point here is that I don’t have a problem with Carins or Scotties being too large or with Cocker Spaniels having too much hair to be good working dogs. My problem is with them having too many health problems to be good family pets.
A working dog can fit into people's lives, not only in the fox hole, perhaps even better than a dog exposure!
One of my dogs, who is with me in the morning in the countryside to work, in the evening I go to the city park, where they meet other dogs, is good and quiet with them.
is just more lively! ( Teach the dog) !
I breed dogs who are in shelters,
most of them come selections of fame!
They have the pedigree."Tree: A list of the ancestors of an animal, the responsibility to ensure the purity of a particular race"
the examination of DNA can try!
The expenditure would be less diaquistare the dog from a breeder
Mirko
I have a bit of a hard time embracing "logic" based on the thought processes that entice 'suburbanites to buy Range Rovers". I apologise for being a purist, but a terrier has a histroy and lineage that should be preserved. What is the point of a new generation that lacks the abilities of its father and mother. This is downgrading. I have a proper"working terrier" that is as tall as most Scotties( 14 inches) with a shaggy coat. he is even tempered and good with children and also makes an excellent house pet. When you put him in his correct environment, he is a great working dog. Terriers are workers and should be kept that way. A terrier that cant work is like a porsche without an engine. J CT
I know well the story of the little terrier from work! maybe we were the first to make the first selection! the great thing is that over the centuries and the dog of the common people!
"descends directly from the ancient terrars. Used to foxes, badgers and others struck the attention >of Roman legionaries< and Pliny the Elder! Etc etc........... " have very similar working terrier. today!"
"What is the point of a new generation that lacks the abilities of its father and mother."
If you select a working dog lively character balanced, there is a problem education to family life and work .
I love dogs polyfunctional!
Mirko
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