Richard L . Reynolds
QUESTIONS
1 . Name , kennel name , city and state , breed for which you are best known . 2 . When and how did your involvement in rare breeds begin ? 3 . Did you have prior experience in breeding and showing an AKC-recognized breed ? 4 . What were / are the greatest challenges in working toward AKC recognition ? 5 . What were / are the greatest rewards ? 6 . How difficult is it to guard against generic judging ( e . g . rewarding dogs with
TRAD , overgroomed exhibits ) and have judges abide by your breed standard ? 7 . What are the pros and cons of having total novices come into your breed vs experienced exhibitors from other breeds ? 8 . Do breed club politics ever hinder rather than help a breed move forward toward AKC recognition ? 9 . Is the AKC ’ s process of moving breeds from Miscellaneous to full recognition too fast and superficial ?
years and have enjoyed meeting the “ new ” breeds as they appeared in those rings . About 10 years ago , I was approached by a neighbor and asked to help manage a breeding of her two Spanish Water Dogs . I whelped the 10 puppies resulting from that litter and was subsequently asked to breed and whelp several more litters . Having had as much “ hands on ” experience as anyone , I then got involved in the formation of the parent club , development of the standard , Judges Education and the initial appearance of SWDs in the AKC conformation ring .
3 . I have bred and shown Beagles , English Foxhounds ,
Norfolk Terriers , Smooth Fox Terriers and Dachshunds . I have shown Bedlingtons .
4 . When a new breed is seeking recognition , there is
usually a core group of folks interested in the breed wherein many may be totally unfamiliar with AKC or the actual breeding or exhibiting of dogs . The development and incorporation of a parent club , the development of an acceptable and workable breed standard , and learning the art and science of actual breeding are learning objectives that can be daunting to anyone who doesn ’ t know the ropes . Although there were
a few dedicated breeders and exhibitors of Spanish Water Dogs , many owners had never attended an AKC show .
In the case of the Spanish Water Dog , there was a great deal of outside influence from other countries , including Spain , to simply adopt and carry forward the beliefs , traditions and standard ( word for word ) despite the very recognizable differences in the dogs and standards in the US .
5 . Despite Spanish Water Dogs making their presence
felt in the Herding Group , there is still so much left undone that there are no real rewards . While a major effort is being made to import new breeding stock , the few available bloodlines remain an impediment to stabilization of type . The standard needs revision in order to be useful , and the parent club needs organizational improvement . There are too few competent mentors for Judges Education , and an illustrated standard remains a work in progress . Publication of existing pedigrees in an accessible data base would provide a useful tool for breeders without extensive knowledge of individual dogs and bloodlines . Actual rewards and laurels will have to wait a few years .
6 . Actually , as the breed moved toward recognition , I
was hoping for a bit of generic judging . I have always felt that American judges were very well qualified indeed to translate the written word to what they could see and feel in front of them in the ring . Standards are short , necessarily broad and sometimes vague . It takes judging experience to get any breed right . Many very experienced judges were gracious and cooperative in giving us detailed feedback as to what they found in the dogs they judged . That feedback went into an expanded Judges Education effort . Some judges , though , missed some important points of the standard in their early assessments of exhibits . One would hope that the new Canine College will address and obviate that problem .
7 . With all due respect to the many former total novices ( now experienced exhibitors ) among the Spanish Water Dog community , lack of experience is a major deterrent to the advancement of any breed and the infrastructure that supports that effort . Sometimes attempting to apply the common sense that comes with naiveté to dog shows and AKC rules , regulations requirements and procedures is the root of all evil . At other times , restatement of a personal preference as opposed to the breed standard can create a misimpression . Many of the more recent new breeds have had the benefit of experienced breeders and judges to help chart the way . That is surely an asset of indescribable value . On the positive side , the more experienced members can work very hard and bring their particular skills to bear , in moving the breed and its parent club toward recognition .
8 . Many , if not most , new breed clubs have a greater or lesser political undercurrent . Because clubs are , in essence , democratic bodies , the desires or agendas of a
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