Question of the Week

Recently, social media was percolating over the news that the AKC Museum of the Dog’s online gift shop was selling Schnoodle and Labradoodle stuffed animals and ornaments. While we understand that the American Kennel Club wants to embrace all dogs, when it comes to the museum gift shop, shouldn’t the offerings be more directed toward the AKC's stated mission of promoting purebred dogs?

Barbara Burns

Freeport, Illinois

I was quite surprised with the AKC Museum of the Dog promoting "Doodle" stuffed animals. I have no problem with people who purchase a mixed breed, but AKC promotes purebred dogs, and "Doodles" are not purebred. I understand money is a big issue right now with the limitations on us all due to COVID-19.  However, we cannot lose our mission of promoting purebred dogs in sacrifice. I would like to see the Dog Museum promote rare purebreds such as Dandie Dinmonts, Kuvasz, Sloughis, Irish Terriers, to name a few. That would make much more sense.  

Leslie Cromer

Shenandoah Junction, West Virginia

I totally agree that if AKC's mission is to promote purebred dogs, this kind of thing shouldn't happen. 

As a breeder of Miniature Schnauzers, it really hurts to see AKC promoting designer breeds.

Sandy Harris

Chatham, New Jersey

With the inclusion of selling mixed-breed "designer dog" toys, the AKC has set a new low!

But it seems to me that the AKC has been following a money trail as ferociously as a Bloodhound in the past few years, and it is only getting worse. It won't be long before "Doodle mixed-breed" dogs will be accepted and will be able to compete in AKC conformation shows! And they will be issuing AKC registrations for these high-priced mixed breeds. Will it be limited to purebreds bred to Poodles or will it soon encompass any two AKC-registered dogs bred to each other? Can't wait to see Great Dachshunds (either Great Pyrenees or Great Danes) or Dober-Chees (Doberman/Chihuahua cross) or maybe a Papil-Rott (Papillon/Rottweiler). The money supply for the AKC would be endless! This is inclusion/diversity at its worst. Nice going, AKC! 

Mariane Herndon

McLean, Virginia

AKC’s mission is to support purebreds, not so-called “designer dogs.” They should not be monetizing mutts.

Johnny Shoemaker 

Las Vegas, Nevada

I agree with Dog News that the AKC Museum should not be selling anything that goes against our mission statement to promote PUREBRED dogs. I am really surprised at this action taken by the Museum. 
Coming from Poodles, we really do not need this type of promotion for mixed-breed mutts, as we as a breed have been fighting this for a long time and this is not helping. Perhaps future orders placed by the Museum should be reviewed by a member of the board or someone who knows the history of Doodles. Give the Doodles to charity!

Bonita Fichtenbaum

Clayton, Ohio

The AKC's stated mission of promoting purebred dogs is getting to be a joke! AKC embraces anything that makes them money. Over the years, I have watched AKC give ILP numbers to dogs that did not come close to looking like a purebred dog. AKC now allows mixed-breed dogs to compete in agility, rally and obedience.

Recently, AKC told the Pug Dog Club of America that the AKC will register white and brindle pugs as purebred Pugs even though our breed standard has a disqualification for any color other than fawn and black. What a disgrace! 

I am not opposed to the concept of creating “Doodle-type breeds” if they are created for a specific purpose by responsible, knowledgeable breeders who, over years and years of dedicated work, properly develop a "breed type” for each Doodle. This breed type must consistently produce recognizable structure, instinct, temperament and movement. The existing Doodle breeds are just a group of mixed-breed dogs with catchy designer names, whose sole purpose for being produced is to make money. Shame on AKC for putting any “Doodle” stuff in the AKC Museum.

Barbara Barnes

Tucson, Arizona

I believe the gift shop should be for purebred dogs only! There is no standard for any of these mutts, which is what they are … and the looks are all over the place.

Why encourage this? Too many of these poor dogs are being bred by uneducated people to make a few dollars for themselves. This should NOT be encouraged!

The process for a legitimate breed to be recognized by AKC is a long and a proven one. Let’s not dilute it!

Lilian Barber

Lake Elsinore, California

Yes, it’s pretty disgusting to old-timers in the dog world like me (50+ years of breeding, showing and mostly loving Italian Greyhounds) that AKC is looking as if they are into Doodles (mixed breeds). It looks like a sign of “anything to make a few bucks.” They could probably look a little more ethical and professional if they added a phrase like “Not an AKC registerable breed” after listing one of those supposedly high-class mutts. That way they could still make some money by selling the toys and ornaments, but without lowering themselves by appearing to promote so-called designer dogs. I just hope that AKC will continue to represent the ethics in the dog world that they have always represented.

Nancy Edmunds

Travelers Rest, South Carolina

I find it horrifying that AKC is PROMOTING the Doodle craze with these “gifts” and toys. They are totally going against their mission statement. And how can preservationist breeders continue to uphold our loyalty and support for an organization and registry that is not doing the same for the dogs they are claiming to fortify!?

Adrianne Dering 

Morgantown, West Virginia 

To honor an intentionally mixed-bred dog not bred to a standard or for a working purpose in a museum created by the very organization we count on to champion our interests and judge our breeding stock is a slap in the face to all preservation breeders. As there is no preservation component in the mixing of Doodles, profit is the only motivation to create a designer dog. For those of us who believe that breeding is a sacred trust that should never be exploited for profit alone, this is a violation in our trust that AKC is dedicated to supporting its mission. 
 

Kaesi Cook

Silverton, Oregon

Yes, AKC should only promote purebred dogs! I can’t believe that even needs to be said – seems like a no-brainer. Who’s running things at AKC these days? 
 

Judith Johnson

Middleboro, Massachusetts

I think we should be outraged as purebred dog breeders. Why am I supporting the Dog Museum? Certainly not to support the sale of mongrels! Rare? Unusual dog BREEDS? Or street-bred, backyard-bred animals bred to make a pretty penny off the years of dedicated, hard, heartbreaking work by true dog breeders. Shame on the AKC for this and their Marketplace.

Sandra Wright 

Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada

There is NO way that the preservers of purebred dogs (AKC and/or CKC) should be promoting mixed breed/designer dogs. To me, this just gives “greeders” the encouragement and validation to continue with their very profitable mutt-breeding operations.  

Renee Schulte

Clyde, Michigan

With the overwhelming population of unwanted dogs, it is a GREAT responsibility to be a breeder of purebred dogs. Breeders invest a lifetime in researching health, longevity, structure, temperament, etc., along with interviewing interested buyers. AKC represents purebred dogs. There is absolutely NO REASON to cross-breed dogs.   

Bob and Sally Futh

Washington, Connecticut

Pretty stupid on the part of some marketing “expert”!

Karen Mull

Lititz, Pennsylvania

I think this is horrible. In the year that the AKC was supposedly acknowledging the “breeders” of purebred dogs, this is a slap in the face. I wouldn’t be offended if they just listed them as they truly are – as All-American dogs or mutts – but to support “Doodles” is unforgivable. Even the gentleman who started the Doodle craze wishes he hadn’t. What does that say? Again, I am disappointed in the AKC’s actions.

Sheri Grossman

King of Prussia, Pennsylvania

I absolutely agree that the AKC Museum should stick to their mission statement, focus on, and only sell items representing purebred dogs. “When it comes to rare or unusual dog breeds, our diverse selection is the very best!” is a LIE, considering that they have very few rare-breed items available. For my breed, Hungarian Puli, they have one item, and it is a Christmas ornament. In the stuffed-toy section where the Poodle mutt toys are, there are very few breeds represented at all.

Leslie Earl

Davis, California 

Unfortunately, it appears that AKC is even more transparent in its unstated but pre-eminent mission to enhance revenue. While I don’t object to non-single-breed dogs being able to compete in performance events, this has been the slippery slope to not only acknowledge but welcoming such dogs and owners elsewhere in AKC.  Promoting “Doodles” or other common (and often very expensive in real life!) mixed breeds in the AKC gift shop and elsewhere only undermines the stated AKC purpose of promoting purebred dogs. Those of us who are judges, exhibitors, breeders, owners and/or fanciers of AKC-registered purebred dogs do have recourse. We can vote by withholding our money for any such action and by loudly voicing our objections to AKC’s overreach against purebred dogs.

Peggy A. McDill

Mission Viejo, California

AKC really needs to focus on its roots when offering items to purchase.

It's important to represent as a club of purebred dog clubs – purebred dogs in every aspect of marketing.

The sale of Doodles cheapens our brand.

Deb Bain

Freeville, New York

AKC, are you kidding me? Don't we have enough competition and issues with all of these designer breeds? Please stop promoting them! 

Carolyn Clarke

Mobile, Alabama

Outraged! If you want a Poodle, buy a Poodle. If you want a Lab, get a Lab, and if you want a Schnauzer get a Schnauzer. Promoting designer mixes is promoting mixed-breed dogs, which encourages more people to see what exotic mixes they can breed.

Brandi T. Hunter

Vice President of Public Relations and Communications

American Kennel Club

The non-purebred items in the Museum of the Dog Store have been removed. For clarity, there were a small number of items purchased by a former MOD manager, and in an effort to not take a financial loss on them, a decision was made to attempt to deplete the limited inventory. That position has since been reversed. 

The images circulating on Facebook and Google are based on several factors including cookies and algorithms that pull images from the MOD store website for some of the digital ads we are servicing via those platforms. These are not in-house designed or agency ads and selection of the images is beyond our control.

These few items are in no way reflective of the MOD’s buying practices or a shift away from promoting purebred dogs. None of these items remain in our inventory, nor will they be purchased in the future.

[If it were up to DOG NEWS, we would have suggested that these few items be given to the women’s shelters that are supported by AKC’s Humane fund for their children’s Christmas gifts – a tax write-off that doesn’t promote an ex-employee’s bad taste. – Ed.]