A GSD from the Good Ol' Days - Note the structural differences

(Special thanks to Norman Epstein for inspiring me on this post.)

I avoid most “registration politics” where possible, as really, I just like dogs, and I have my ideas of what I want my dogs to be doing, the rest of the world be damned. I feel that a lot of registries seem to be set up mostly to stack the decks to put a standard in place that just happens to underscore that a founders’ own dog are going to be the best of breed. Okay, totally cynical and probably untrue, but the fact is that the ideas of “what a ‘good’ dog should be” is pretty subjective within any registry that scores a dog in any way. I know a long term South African breeder who often laments that the style of dog currently in vogue is going to increasingly mean that his (consistently strong) stock will be scored lower and lower as the years pass. A quick look at the Boerboel Wikipedia page shows that every week there’s a new edit where various registries try to get their interests into the description — this week it’s KUSA that’s winning the wiki war.

For me, what I’d like to see out of my dogs is mostly a preservation of my own view of “current” South African styles and breed requirements — active protection from a dog with a certain amount of self control and judgment — I have also learned that attempting to get others to care about what you’re doing with your dogs is basically hopeless. There is too much animosity within breed communities, and no-one will agree with what means of hip scores you use, what training you do, or why you’re not breeding for the biggest, laziest dog possible. My ideas are my own, open to my own interpretations, some may mock or laugh at them, but it’s what it is. The more diverse breeders there are who are attempting to improve or preserve bloodlines in some way will help the breed overall, as long as there’s a good accounting and management of the genes along the way. All you can do is the best possible as far as your philosophy is concerned, and try hard along the way to do no harm.

Anyway, in Boerboels, there are many existing and past membership organizations, ebbing and flowing as members come and go. Despite my aversion to registries, my dogs are actually registered with the largest, the SABT, which I more than tolerate as they both grade the dog’s conformation (not as big an interest to me) but they also validate and register the pedigree (a handy bit of work that I really appreciate) and, they are the original and still the largest registry by far, and I like that historic background.

Well, there is a slow crawl of the Boerboel into the AKC (American Kennel Club) apparently promoted to some extent by the ABC (American Boerboel Club). This will be great for North American breeders, as it will greatly increase the number of dogs they sell as the profile of the Boerboel is raised. It has been argued quite effectively that this will also be a tragedy for American dogs, as they will be made into “good looking” dogs (as per whatever caricature of a South African dog is a fad in that particular year) but will lose some of the edge that makes them good at working. Here’s are some snippets of thoughts and views on what has happened with other breeds:

“The number of working dogs ruined by the AKC grows every year. Irish setters, once famed at finding birds, are now so brain-befogged they can no longer find the front door. Cocker spaniels, once terrific pocket-sized birds dogs, have been reduced to poodle-coated mops incapable of working their way through a field or fence row. Fox terriers are now so large they cannot go down a fox hole. Saint Bernards, once proud pulling dogs, are now so riddled with hip dysplasia that it’s hard to find one that can walk without surgery in old age.” – The AKC & Working Dogs

Border collies had a long, protracted fight, which is now resulting in a split between those who are “in” and those who are “out” of the AKC:

‘Remember, the AKC does not “have” the Border Collie. The AKC only “has” those dogs that are registered with AKC. You can keep your dog in the working Border Collie gene pool and out of the AKC gene pool by registering with one of the working Border Collie registries, and NOT with the AKC.’ – http://www.bordercollie.org/akc.html

JRT’s are also in the same boat:

The Club is, and always have been, emphatically opposed to recognition of the Jack Russell Terrier by any kennel club or all-breed registry. Recognition, it is believed, will be detrimental to the preservation of the Jack Russell as the sound, intelligent strain of working terrier it has been for more than 100 years. – http://www.therealjackrussell.com/jrtca/jrtca.php

… and the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel:

Some rare breed clubs have refused to merely hand over the ir registries to the AKC and have kept their breeds out of the AKC. In turn, the AKC has welcomed such breeds when a few dissidents from the larger rare breed club, hoping to gain fame in the larger arena, bring a handful of dogs to the AKC and write a new standard. One such bitter takeover of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is on-going. Thousands of Cavalier owners kept their dogs out of the AKC while a dozen people took their Cavs to the AKC, founded a new club, and wrote a new standard. The rare breed Cavalier club continued to thrive and to resist the takeover by the AKC in 1997. – http://www.netpets.com/dogs/newsroom/akcfss1.html

I suspect what you’ll end up seeing is a split in the breed, as with all working breeds: You’ll have the “lookers” and the “do-ers”, where some are great at hanging out by the fireplace, yet others are the ones who will be out patrolling the fields. As long as the correct consumer is able to get to the correct puppy for their needs and experience level, the downside shouldn’t be too far down, but it is a bittersweet development in the breed, to see an age end, and another begin.