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HOW LONG WILL SHOW BREEDERS SUPPORT THE SPORT?
Show and hobby
breeders preserve the breed standards, protect the health and
welfare of dogs, and are the backbone of all dog clubs.
April 2011 -
Barbara J. Andrews,
Editor-In-Chief,
TheDogPress.com
 In
fact, show/hobby breeders have been the backbone of the entire dog
sport. We project pride, dignity and dedication whether on TV or at
the vet’s office. We are kind and generous with our dogs and dog
friends but speak ill of our breeding program and we are as fiercely
defensive as a mama Chihuahua.
Dog shows and dog breeding were
once a gentleman’s sport. The men stood ramrod proud as their new
birding dog was shown off by the kennel manager and structure and
gait discussed. Wives posed and paraded in high fashion, accented by
the newest little “toy” and it was more than corsets that
kept their
back rigidly strong.
As America recovered from two wars, the sport of dogs attracted
commoners with working class dogs which included herding and flock
guardians, hounds that treed and trailed, and police and military
dogs. Suddenly the Marine Corps “Devil Dogs”, a Rin Tin Tin German
Shepherd or a Lassie dog were within reach of the average family.
The Upper Crust kept a stiff upper lip as the public
invaded the dog show scene. The new generation dog lovers were
affable, outgoing. Those who were a little put off by the stuffiness
of it all found their niche in the new sport of Obedience.
“AKC Registered” became the epitome of dog ownership. One had
bragging rights if they had “papers” but even without an AKC
registration certificate, a purebred had value and the owner
achieved a certain degree of status simply by owning such a dog. It
was a sign of good taste which somehow reflected on the human’s
pedigree.
America returned to the affluence of the 20s and 30s and demand for
purebred dogs was so great that Sears Roebuck sold puppies on
premises. Pet shops were born. AKC became a multi-million dollar
corporation because for the first time in history, everyone could
own an “AKC registered dog.”
In the 50s and 60’s, a new industry was born. Veterans
received VA
loans to set up puppy breeding farms and hardscrabble farmers
discovered a new money crop. Puppy mills prospered and AKC gobbled
up the gold. Hobby breeders shrugged it off as the collective
backbone of American dog breeders flexed with the times.
Puppy mill mixups resulted in Peekapoos and Cockapoos which were
cleverly marketed to a gullible public. Whereas dog breeders, like
other stockmen, had once taken pride in a long “line” of practical
characteristics for herding and hunting, pedigrees became secondary
to cuteness and salability.
No one cared, life was good. Purebreds still made sense if you had
children, a shop to be protected, or aspired to become a hunter. The
public realized that the best way to get the right dog for their
purpose was to find a purebred dog. The most popular breeds from the
late 50s to the mid-70s were Collies, German Shepherds, Poodles,
Cocker Spaniels, and Chihuahuas.
By the early 80s sportsmen
were looking at Labs, Goldens and intriguing new breeds like the
Grey Ghost, reputed to be uniquely suited for both fur and feather.
“Humane Society” had not
yet become a curse word and shelters were still called “dog pounds.”
You could own a Rottie and Pit
Bulls
weren’t on the Most Wanted list. But then dogs didn’t seem to bite
people as much back then.
In the 90s, big bucks and high
society gained control of the sport again. Puppy farms that had
once provided income for disabled vets were swallowed up by the Hunte Corporation, which by the way, also collected over $12 million
in federal funding. AKC and Andrew Hunte had secret meetings and
board members went to puppy mill auctions. AKC renamed puppy mills
as High Volume Breeders. Hobby breeders were out-produced and vastly
outnumbered, no longer AKC’s “Cash Cow”. As the Millennium ticked
over, AKC instituted the Frequently Used Sires program, the puppy
mills deserted, AKC pursued, and PETA and HSUS took control of
family choices for a dog.
 Fast forward to today. Zoning, regulations, fees, and land costs
portend the end of all but commercial puppy mills that can afford
the aforementioned. The American Kennel Club told us to shut up
about puppy mills because after all, it was our fault! AKC actually
postulated that puppy mills were necessary because we show and hobby
breeders could no longer meet public demand. That damming insult put
many breeders into terminal osteoporosis.
Loss of bone density must have also affected our ability to reason.
With backbones gone, show
breeders sold their souls for a few ribbons and whatever sales
crumbs could still be picked up. In all fairness, we were a bit
distracted as the animal rights movement, UNIMPEDED by AKC,
tightened the screws. Joint by joint, our resolve crumbled until
bent and broken, most of us left the Sport of Dogs to the wealthy
socialites who first formed it. We can’t afford legal battles, we
can’t fight an Animal Control permeated by HSUS moles, and any
viable breeding program is zoned, taxed, or regulated out of
existence. Without pet insurance, another of AKC’s hugely profitable
side deals, we can’t afford the vet bills.
And on top of all that, we have no puppy sales! How are we to
produce the next generation of healthy, true-to-the-standard,
predictable purebreds with no market for our pet puppies? Do we bend
over, holding our crippled spines, and just slink away from that
which we love? Or do we stand up straight and fight for our right to
engage in a traditional American hobby?
Do we take the American
Kennel Club to task for deserting show and hobby breeders - the
foundation upon which it was built?
Is there anything we can do
to counter PETA’s incredibly effective campaign that makes people
want to “save a life” by adopting someone else’s reject instead of
buying a healthy, socialized, gorgeous purebred from a breeder?
 How
can we overcome the image HSUS projects of genetically defective
purebred dogs?
Since AKC absolutely refuses to market the concept of
well-bred purebreds, is there any reason to stand up for what we
believe in? Are we too crippled, too browbeaten, and too alone to
change the direction of purebred dogs?
I don’t have answers but if you have a plan or comment, email
Editor@TheDogPress.com.
Let’s all put our heads together and see where we are, and whether
we have any control over where we’re going.
Barbara J. Andrews, Editor-In-Chief
http://www.thedogpress.com/Editorials/1104-Backbone-Gone_Andrews.asp
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