Mixed breeds can compete with the goldens and border collies in the same classes. They will get the same titles.
The original proposal for allowing mixed breeds in AKC obedience events would have them compete in separate classes.
Of course, this will help the AKC get more registration fees, and it still does little for the systemic problems that exist within the purebred dog fancy.
But it is a small crack in the wall.
And I’ll take it.
This is good. very good. A first step. Applause.
Now how about in all the others …. hopefully that will come.
Patrick
I’ve been following this since the AKC sent out their member survey and the questions were designed to take the temperature of the membership over this issue. You can figure how I voted.
With full acknowledgment that Agility is still treated like the bastard step child by the AKC (just watch the video from last year’s Invitational… “left out in the rain”): This is the beginning of the end. Health will never be a good enough reason on its own for massive change. Face to Face competition just might be.
We’ve known about the mutants pedigree breeding has thrown off for a long time, the “Exposed” show wasn’t shocking by exposing they exist, it was shocking because it showed they win ribbons. The mutants aren’t the byproduct, they’re the main course.
Head-to-head, tail-to-tail Agility competition, open to mutts of all stripes, is a venue, the venue, where accidental and purpose built hybrids will stick it to the blue bloods.
I bet they won’t be allowing intact crosses to compete.
Otherwise, I can see people breeding lots of golden/border collie crosses for these trials.
In order to actually register a mix with AKC it must be altered.
No Mischlinge dogs can have gonads.
No point in crossing goldens and BCs for agility — the BCs do fine in the golden-sized size classes on their own. There are many more BCs in agility than goldens. When they cross BCs for agility is usually to a smaller breed to get something with BC speed and agility-ability (mental and physical) in one of the smaller height classes. BC-JRT crosses were popular for a while in flyball to get a smaller height dog that could obsess on flyball. I’m not sure if they’re still the cross du jour for that venue. Probably pretty good for agility, too.
Maybe a BC-golden cross would work for rally or traditional obedience?
I don’t care much for agility. I can’t run.
However, goldens are a mainstay of AKC obedience trials.
Hmmmmmm?
This is a way for the AKC to collect entry fees.
I think we will discover the following:
Mixed breed owners have as much potential to be batty as purebred owners.
Dogs will be dogs.
Everyone loves his or her dog and will find reason to brag about it–more power to ’em.
I wish the AKC would just be a registry instead of trying to be everything to everyone, but they’re in money-making mode and expanding their customer base. Eh.
I’m not worried in the least about any of this. Free swim, everyone.
You have to pay to register a mixed breed, so that’s also more money for the AKC.
Every dog was a mutt until a KC said it wasn’t. And oh god were they good dogs! So good that they were finally registered as purebreed.
At this rate, they’ll be moving in next door and going to the same schools.
I see what you did there. Well played, good sir!
Maybe the AKC just needs to move their headquarters farther south?
It will work so long as the Mischrasse-Hunde don’t have gonads.
I’ve been watching too many of those Hitler rant parodies.
Hey guys, My Bluetick coonhound/Plott hound/ German Shep dog easily earned her Rally Excellent and CD, with all placements except for one nq- and is now getting her CDX. Of the purebreds in her class, none of them learned all the Open exercises in the first 8 weeks of class, except for my mixed breed dog! Only thing is, I’ve had to wait practically all her life to be able to compete with her. She is an older dog and I may not be able to get her UD, due to jumping at old age. She’s also excellent Tracking dog. May get her TD, as well.
CLICK! ::thumb-up::
Congratulations, Jenny, i hope she gets to Utility – if she’s fairly
lean, jumping shouldn’t be a strain, even if she’s past 7-YO.
Wading in water at least halfway up her legs, above her hocks,
is a terrific low-impact way to exercise & build muscle.
10-minutes of such half-depth wading is the equivalent of the
same dog running on dry-land for 30-minutes: 1/3 the time
for equivalent aerobic exercise, minus the joint & soft tissue
impacts & strains, as water is supportive.
It’s also cooling, carrying off the dog’s excess body-heat to
keep them comfortable as they exercise – another plus.