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Across The Board
Direct From The Major Registries

The American Kennel Club

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
 

February 2007 - In the 1950s, the Poodle skirt as a fashion trend embodied the popularity of the number one AKC® registered breed. And if the recent media attention surrounding the release of AKC's 2006 Registration Statistics is any indication, not only does the Labrador Retriever reign supreme, but the purebred dog remains one of the most popular cultural icons in America. For further proof, one need only look to an AKC-registered yellow lab named Marley whose story still sits atop the New York Times bestsellers list for more than 63 weeks to prove our point.

Last month's announcement of our registration statistics, with a focus on the "Top 10" breeds, has reached more than 60 million people to date. Launched with an appearance on NBC's Today Show and a press event and photo opportunity at the "Top of the Rock" observation deck at Rockefeller Center, the news soon traveled to media across the country and even abroad. In the New York metro area alone, AKC made headlines on the electronic news scroll around the Fox News building, in Grand Central Terminal and Penn Station. New Yorkers also saw "America's Dog" - a larger than life smiling yellow Lab - staring back at them from an AKC window display at the Empire State Building.

A day after our press event, pictures of the "crowned" yellow Lab and a tiny Yorkshire Terrier sidekick were splashed across the pages of the New York Times, New York Post, Newsday, New York Observer and the New York Daily News. AKC spokespersons were in demand and appeared on national outlets such as the Fox News Channel and Martha Stewart Living Radio to talk about the joys of purebred dog ownership and the benefits of a predictable purebred. Additionally, the ascent of the Yorkshire Terrier to the number two spot garnered attention in the New York Times for a second time that week, appearing in the widely read Sunday section "Week in Review." America Online (AOL) even polled members on its homepage by showing photos of the top 10 AKC registered breeds.

We were flattered by all this attention, yet didn't know we had truly "arrived" until becoming fodder for satire on NBC's Saturday Night Live. On the "Weekend Update" segment, which makes light of the news of the day, the anchor proudly displayed the Labrador Retriever alongside the AKC logo and announced the top three breeds. Next, she named a fictitious last place breed, the "take-a-poo," by flashing a photo of a generic dog living up to its name.

In addition to all the national press attention, we ensured that AKC made news locally by segmenting the registration data by city. Separate press releases denoting local trends and their specific "Top 10" breeds were sent to the 50 largest U.S. cities. Coverage from this initiative continues to pour in, but to date has included the Boston Globe, Washington Times, Charlotte Observer, Dayton Daily News, Sacramento Bee, Houston Business Journal, Rocky Mountain News and the Arizona Republic as well as TV segments on stations such as KNBC (Burbank), WCCO (Minneapolis), WTAE (Pittsburgh), and WMC (Memphis.)

Each year, we will continue to celebrate America's most popular AKC registered purebred dogs with a major media announcement. But, we always know that where the fancy is concerned, no matter where your breed ranks, it's always number one on your list.

Sincerely,

 

Ron Menaker

Chairman

 

 

Highlights from the February 2007

meeting of the AKC Board of Directors


* The Boykin Spaniel will become eligible to compete in the Miscellaneous Class, effective January 1, 2008.

* The Board approved specific activities that a club must meet in order to maintain its eligibility to hold shows. The specifics are included in the minutes of this meeting.

* The jump height requirements in Obedience for the Dogue de Bordeaux and the Neapolitan Mastiff are to be lowered to three-quarters of the height at the withers, effective July 1, 2007.

* The Entlebucher Mountain Dog was approved to compete in AKC Companion Events, effective June 27, 2007.


 A lot of focus on the positive side of falling registrations, go figure. 

Great TV coverage and AKC window display at Empire State Bldg.  TV and press coverage which has been long overdue, hat's off to AKC on this! 

Short, boring list but then it was Westminster and that was anything but short or boring!  Great dogs, wonderful people, and excitement to spare.


 

AKC JUDGING CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY

Here is the actual policy that has generated so much debate:
"The American Kennel Club ® Board of Directors has adopted a new Judging Conflict of Interest Policy, effective January 1, 2007. AKC ® believes that it has the best judges in the world and expends millions of dollars a year to administer its judging approval system to ensure that quality remains high.

AKC judging approval confers a certain status on an individual and with such status comes an enormous responsibility to both AKC and the Sport as governed by AKC,” said President and CEO Dennis B. Sprung.

The policy states, with some notable exceptions, that AKC approved judges should be focused on judging and supporting AKC events. Approved judges should not have a significant interest in another registry that is in direct conflict with AKC or be judging for another event-giving organization to the possible detriment of events held by AKC member and licensed clubs.

The complete policy is as follows.  Bolding has added for added for emphasis.

JUDGING CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY

No AKC judge may have a significant interest in a dog registry or dog event-giving organization deemed by the AKC Board to be in competition with the American Kennel Club. Significant interest would include, but not be limited to ownership of, employment by, a directorship in, and holding office in.

Any AKC-approved judge, who shall judge a purebred dog event in the U.S. not in accordance with the rules of AKC, which apply to such purebred dog events without the express permission of the AKC, may be disciplined even to the extent of having his or her AKC judging approval revoked.

An AKC-approved judge may judge breeds that are not AKC registrable and/or that they have not been approved for by AKC at non-AKC events. The AKC Board has also given permission for the judging of certain other events based upon the following criteria:
1. AKC has no comparable events in place.
2. While AKC has a program in place, AKC judges have officiated at events under the aegis of the other organization for years before the AKC program was initiated.
3. The type of event is not or would not be perceived as being contrary to the best interest of AKC and the sport of purebred dogs.
4. The event is a breed or type of breed-specific performance activity.

No AKC approval is needed to judge versatility or performance activities developed by AKC Parent Clubs and sponsored by such clubs.

Events held by the following organizations meet the above criteria, and AKC-approved judges may continue to judge them:

• American Sighthound Field Association Coursing Events
• American Working Terrier Association Earthdog Events
• American Herding Breed Association Events
• North American Versatility Dog Association Pointing Breed Hunting Tests
• American Field Pointing Breed Field Trials
• United Kennel Club Coonhound Events
• Professional Kennel Club Coonhound Events
• Any of the various organizations sponsoring Agility Trials

Other activities may be added to this list at the discretion of the AKC Board.

......  end of quotation 

____________________ Handy links:

Senior Conf. Judges Assoc. Letter to the AKC Board April 2006
Individual Rights or AKC's Right to Change The Rules in Mid-Game?

Senior Conf. Judges Assoc. Letter To Members
No Judges' Associations Were Contacted, SCJA Reacts, Seeks Input

Conflict Policy Prohibits Learning New Breeds May 2006
Where Are Judges To Learn About Plott Hounds and Icelandic Dogs?


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