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THE CANINE CHRONICLE ®
All rights reserved.
Copyright© 2008

Publisher/Editor
Tom Grabe

k9chron@aol.com


4727 NW 80th Ave.
Ocala, FL 34482
352.369.1104 [Tel]
352.369.1108 [Fax]


 


 

 

 

The Terrier Group: August - 2008

I have written on more than one occasion about the proliferation of dog shows across the country – most of them in the form of three, four and five day circuits – and the potential damage it does to the sport.

Everyone I talk to mentions their concern about a decline in entries. This decline, whether real or perceived, is blamed on gas prices, entry fee rate hikes, poor judging panels, etc.

There is no doubt that higher gas prices will contribute to a decline in entries at dog shows since some people will either choose to wait for larger circuits that are closer to home or choose not to attend dog shows at all. However, I really don’t think that energy costs are the underlying cause of a perceived decrease in dog show entries.

I keep saying ‘perceived’ because if you study entries across the country, it seems that there really isn’t a decrease in entries at all. There seems to be a shift from region to region and there also appears to be a slight increase in entries for obedience, agility and field trials.

So, are entries really declining? Probably not. Not when you look at the average. Some shows are up and others are down. This is a typical cycle that is evident year to year. As mentioned before, there is a combination of factors that can contribute to a particular show’s entries being down.

That being said, I am more concerned about how the increase in the number of dog shows is affecting certain clubs as well as the industry as a whole. Too many shows too close together has resulted in decreased entries for small clubs that were struggling to survive in a much stronger economy. Many were living on the edge and were only a poor show away from shutting down as it was. Then, as numbers of shows increased, and multi-day circuits proliferated, some small clubs putting on only weekend shows have been forced out of business.

Beyond that, many clubs have been allowed to change dates, change locations, and join forces with other clubs to form a cluster. These allowances were made due to clubs losing their site, having internal conflicts with their partner clubs or, in some cases, simply because they wanted to change.

Unfortunately, AKC’s easing of the most fundamental rules of putting on dog shows has resulted in large geographic areas that do not shows within them now. Dog shows are concentrated in metropolitan areas while the more rural locales have been abandoned. The irony of this is that the people who live in the more rural sections of their states are generally the ones who are breeders and exhibitors at dog shows. By moving the majority of our shows to population centers around the country, we are abandoning the very people we should be catering to. By allowing clubs to change dates and move out of their geographic area without a very good reason, we are losing exposure to large numbers of potential new breeders and exhibitors. This was the reason clubs were granted specific areas in the first place. Now, much of that coverage is gone.

So, what do we do to solve this problem? First, we need to carefully and cautiously evaluate every application to change dates, move locations, or form new clusters. Next, we need to determine whether clubs are truly servicing their geographic area. Then we need to find out how many weekends are littered with too many shows that are too close together. Once that evaluation has been done, efforts should be made to rebalance shows in various areas across the country. We must do this in order to help save the small clubs that are left. For every large, famous club there are several small ones. These are the backbone of AKC; they have helped build one of the most famous registries in the world and they can’t be forgotten.

 

 

T.G.

• • • • •

 

 

:: August 2008 Issue ::

Multiple All Breed Best In Show & Multiple Best In Specialty Show Winner

Ch. Woodside's Pacino
he #3 Dog In America*

CS_Tony TONY
 

Sporting arenas around the world are always mesmerized when a prodigy takes the stage. You know what I mean, a youngster who is so obviously destined for greatness that everyone in the crowd recognizes it. Tiger Woods comes to mind as does Lebron James. At just over 2 years old, “Tony” has been turning heads since the moment he stepped in the specials ring. His classic German Shepherd traits, passed on from his sire Dallas, remind everyone who sees him of the great dogs from his pedigree.

Tony’s specials career began in earnest a couple of months into 2008 and in just a few shows he already has numerous all breed Best in Shows and Best in Specialty Shows. He has been dominant in the best of competition and held his own at major shows across the country while being campaigned sparingly.

With the rugged good looks of a leading man, the graceful and powerful movement of a supreme athlete, and the ability to perform under pressure, Tony is well on his way to upholding the tradition of the great ones who have come before him. He and teammate Jim Moses have quickly established themselves as the ones to watch in the herding group.

We are proud to present this outstanding German Shepherd to the fancy. When you see him, we think you’ll agree that the future of this young dog is without limits.

 


*CC/Royal Canin All Breed & Breed Systems, 08/08 Issue