AKC Dog Sport !?!

[dOg]

With the UKC/SDA marriage falling apart, this was the last thing I expected to stumble onto today!

<span style="color: #3333FF">AKC dog sport</span>

<span style="color: #3333FF">GSDCA affiliation</span>

Not sure folks are going to want to send in their original scorebooks just to buy another from the AKC though!

<span style="color: #3366FF">AKC Scorebook order form</span>

Is this huge, or another yawn? Only time will tell!

[Sarah'sSita]

Its quite contentious out there. AKC will NOT recognize a schH title, but then they created their own schutzhund with EXACTLY the same test and calls it the WDS. The GSDCA will host the 2013 WUSV, but totally dismissed the GSDCA-WDA. Go figure. The only thing that suffers: THE WORKING TRAITS OF THE GSD!! imo

[Samba]

What a mess!

The working traits of the GSD have long been abandoned in some lines and they probably aren't coming back anytime soon.

GSDCA to host an event for a title it does not recognize?

[umzilla]

AKC Working Dog Sport ("WDS" as opposed to UKC's Dog Sport, or "DS") has been around for a while - if you look at the event results, they list back to 2007. Honestly I'm not sure exactly when the first event was... but this isn't new. The rule book is nearly the same as a Schutzhund rule book.

Since the WDA is tied in the the GSDCA, the GSDCA does recognize WDA titles... so to speak. For example, when Fritz got his Performance Award of Merit from the GSDCA, they did recognize his SchH3 as counting toward the award. This award is from the GSDCA, not the AKC.

The AKC, as a registry and pedigree producing organization, at this point does NOT recognize SchH titles. In fact, Fritz's PAM wouldn't show up on his pedigree either, as it is not an AKC award - it's from the breed club.

Christine

[dOg]

Quote:Modeled after rules of protective or police-type sport programs (Schutzhund, IPO, etc.) used in many areas of the world, the AKC Working Dog program features tracking, obedience and protection at three levels. The AKC's program provides a well formulated evaluation of a dog's character, intelligence and desire to work. To obtain a WDS level title, a dog must earn passing scores at all three phases at a single trial - often on a single day.

For a limited time and in order to firmly establish the program in the shortest possible time, a "grandfathering" procedure allows for some titles earned in related sports mentioned above to be accepted within the WDS program. For instance, if your German Shepherd has earned a BH title, it will be eligible to enter a WDS trial at the Working Dog 1 level. Likewise, if your German Shepherd is already titled at the Schutzhund/IPO 1 level, it can compete at an approved WDS trial for the Working Dog 2 title.

Well, this seems to indicate GSDCA honors USA titles, and yes this is not new, seems it's been going on since May 2006
<span style="color: #3333FF">but this also makes it sound like they are AKC titles!</span>

But it also says:

Quote:The program will be run on a test basis for three years and then reviewed.

Guess that review ought to be happening now if not already!

This was all new to me this morning when I stumbled on it...I always
figured the AKC thought very little about bitework and was surprised
to find anything to the contrary.

And having never seen anything about it here, ever, thought it was
something new!

[onyx'girl]

AKC~American Kennel CA$H
hmm... Another way to add to their coffers

[gagsd]

I posted about this when it came out but received very few, if any, replies.
The underlying politics appear to be so tangled a person could be pulled under and drown

[dOg]

Alrighty then, don't ask, don't tell!

[Samba]

So the breed club can independantly "recognize" titles that the AKC itself does not.

[gagsd]

This is what I wrote on our training club forum (and I may be off on some points, and this is also somewhat opinionated)... If I have posted something wrong, someone please correct it:

GSDCA is the parent club and therefore the only one officially recognized by the FCI. (Although NOT under the FCI umbrella).
However, GSDCA has never in the past approved of bitework. So GSDCA-WDA was spawned (early 1980's) to provide for a venue through the breed-club, without actually being part of the breed club. GSDCA-WDA is now very much its own entity.

So GSDCA is mainly Am-lines.
Many of the GSDCA-WDA clubs I have seen are more geared toward Euro-showlines (but that is just a generalization).

Then you have UScA. Not officially recognized by FCI or AKC as anything. So when, for example, a world team is formed, competitors are chosen from UScA and WDA. This is an agreement the two clubs have reached. But quite a bit of friction. UScA has already forbidden judges to be approved for them and WDA.
CRAZINESS!

So now, AKC and GSDCA has approved the WDS (not to be confused with WDA). Sensibly, if the parent breed club now does "schutzhund," there would be no need for the red-headed step-child, GSDCA-WDA. Right???!

Except that WDA is its very own club now and does NOT want to become an arm of GSDCA. Valid point--how many GSDCA members understand protection work or have even attended a schutzhund trial? And how would Sieger style shows be worked into the mix?

You've seen how different the lines of shepherds are. And GSDCA does not even require hip-certs for their highest rankings (apparently that was a HUGE debate).

So GSDCA will be hosting the WUSV in 2013.
WHAT?! Yep, that's right. Not GSDCA-WDA, but just plain old GSDCA hosting an international schutzhund event.

And right now there seems to be a difference within GSDCA.... should they continue to promote WDS (which is kind-of like reinventing the wheel), or should they recognize and support schutzhund titles.