Front Cover Summer 2019

AKC SEEKS TO INVOLVE MILLENNIALS

AKC now has 74 disaster trailers spread throughout the U.S.

Karen Dorn

and more on the way. This has been a very successful pro-

gram.

Before every official AKC meeting there is an educational fo-

rum. This quarter Doug Lundgren presented all the events.

Most of us can remember the days when only purebred dogs

The rules committee is exploring cutting the time between the

could participate in AKC events, and those were conformation,

entry and the show. With technology, can this be achieved?

field trials, and obedience. Now conformation and field trials

The junior programs have added scholarships, reached out to

are the only events that are restricted to purebred dogs. There

4-H club members, and established recognition awards. The

are lots of events that any dog can enter by getting an AKC Pal

all breed committee proposed changing the rules so that Group

Number. Titles are available that are put after the dogs official

2, 3 and 4, could pick up one major from any breed that they

registered name. Within each sport there are several levels of

have defeated.

achievement so the participant can continue to train and im-

prove and get even more titles. Here is the present menu of

Financially, the AKC is in good shape. Litter registrations are

sports: Obedience, Rally, Agility, Lure Coursing, Coursing

up 3%, and individual dog registrations are up 1%. Invest-

Ability Test ( CAT ), Fast CAT , Field Trials, Scent Work, Canine

ments, at 10.7 mil., have gone up and expenses have gone

Good Citizen, Urban Good Citizen, Farm Dog, Therapy Dog,

down 1.7%.

Trick Dog, Dock Diving, Herding, Earthdog and in October

there will be temperament testing. These sports are growing,

Media efforts have increased with hits on Facebook videos and

and others may be added in the future. They also have a title

websites. They have developed 12,000 video clips to use.

for multiple winners. For the Versatility dog title, the dog

With the growing media awareness comes increased dog own-

needs wins in 5 of the above sports with one being confor-

ership and registrations, increased public awareness of AKC as

mation. There is truly something for everyone. In the agility

a dog authority, and increased awareness of purebred dogs

sport it is now an option to color the dog as long as the color

being a purpose bred dog.

is only on 1/3 of the surface area. Do they need racing

stripes?

The dog rules committee is revising the rules to take out the

Now commercial breeders cannot get a USDA license without

italicized part and make it actually part of the rule. Chapter

an inspection.

AKC is forming a task force to deal with breed-

11, sections 4, 12 and 13, chapter 14, sections 8 and 4 were all

er harassment that has plagued many breeders. The Breed Sus-

passed by the delegates.

tainability Group has been formed to answer the question,

Foreign dogs may now be shown for 30 days on their foreign

“Why are there fewer breeders today and what can we do

number and 3 generation pedigree. There are efforts to not

about it.” Representatives from many breeds attended this

allow registration of dogs with “not allowed colors” as stated

meeting, even those whose breeds are not vulnerable.

in their standard. The claim is that these dogs cannot be pure

-bred and be these colors.

Got kids or grandkids at home for the summer saying that they are bored or just into their video games? Problem solved!

The kids and your Dandie can participate in the AKC B.A.R.K. Program.

The AKC B.A.R.K. (Be A Reading Kid) Program invites children of all ages to read a book of their choosing to a dog. They may read to their own dog, a dog belonging to a family member or friend, or a dog belonging to an AKC Canine Ambassador that has been approved to participate in the AKC B.A.R.K. Program.* This program is designed to provide a new activity for children to do with their dogs, ever strengthening the human-canine bond, while also providing an opportunity to improve their reading skills.

MORE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT:

https://www.akc.org/public-education/akc-b-r-k-program/

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