New dog breeds
Freak6238
<br><br>William Elliott
somm...@my-dejanews.com
frea...@aol.com (Freak6238) wrote:
> If you create a new dog breed, can you have it registered with the AKC?
> <br><br>William Elliott
>
There's more to registration of a new breed than just creating it. There are
several steps that need to be followed. First of all -- the breed must be
"created" -- or more correctly, "developed". Many breeds today originated as
mixed breeds -- the Labrador Retriever, for instance, originated in the early
to mid 1800s from a Newfoundland and a black Pointer. However -- this first
cross did not "create" the breed. A new breed does not appear with the first
mating. The pups from that mating must be bred to other dogs that exhibit
the characteristics desired in the "new" breed. For instance, in the
development of the Chesapeake Bay Retriever, dogs which did not exhibit the
distinctive wavy coat and a high retrieve drive were not bred. They were most
likely sold/given away as pets and neutered/spayed (or whatever was possible
during that time). This development process should not be undertaken by one
person -- but by several people working together to develop the strong points
and minimize the undesirable traits of their chosen breed. Sometime during
this development, this group should create a written standard -- a
description of what the "ideal" dog for that breed should look like. Each
breeding should be toward this goal of "perfection." As the popularity for a
particular breed grows, specialty clubs should be formed. Suppose there are
50 people working on a particular breed. 10 of those people might live in
California; 25 in New York; and 15 in the Northwest. They are all working
toward the same goal. The people in each area could and should get together
on a regular basis to talk about their breed, share hints and tips, "show"
their dogs to each other; etc. These would be regional clubs. In addition
to the regional clubs, there should be a National "parent" club -- this club
is responsible for maintaining the written standard; setting a code of ethics
for its members/breeders; holding shows to determine which dogs meet its
standards; etc. Once the National club is set up, the "new" breed is
approaching AKC eligibility. However -- there must be a certain popularity
level before AKC will start "admission" procedures. Once the "popularity" is
at a certain point, AKC will allow certain breeds to participate in its shows
in a "Miscellaneous" class. These classes are for practice only -- NOT for
points towards an AKC championship; and for judge education and knowledge.
After a certain amount of time, AKC will then "admit" the "new" breed into
it's list of recognized breeds. The most recently recognized breeds are the
Lowchen and the Havanese. It's important to realize that not all breeds that
exist in the world are recognized by the AKC. Fila de Brasiliero and Dogue
De Bordeaux are two breeds that are well established -- but not recognized by
the AKC. Basically -- all this means is that these breeds are not eligible
to compete in AKC events -- either conformation or performance. It's also
important to realize that not all breeds are "new" -- many of the non-
recognized breeds have been around for centuries. There are any number of
reasons why a breed has not been recognized by the AKC. The people who own
the breed may not wish to be recognized by the AKC. (This was a problem with
Border Collies -- many of the owners/breeders did not wish for AKC
affiliation for fear that the breed would "split" into show lines and field
lines. That's a whole other topic, however.) The breed may not even exist
in the United States. (There's a well-established European breed called the
Eurasier that has one known breeder in the United States.) AKC recognition
may take many many many years. One cannot "create" a new breed out of one
breeding; nor can that person apply for AKC recognition on his/her own.
Before you decide to try -- look at the long term commitment you would be
getting into and then make your decision.
Heather Gearhart
Sommersprasse Dalmatians
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ranch/6105
Chesapeake Bay Retriever Relief & Rescue
http://www.cbrrescue.org
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