Editoral: September 20, 2024

Last week’s editorial was a look at some of the founding history of the American Kennel Club. This week we fast-forward to a more current time.

Some of the problems that the sport has faced are still hot topics, just as they were in the past. Judges, qualifications, suspensions and favoritism are some of the issues that have been discussed for decades. Today in a modern world, we face more pressing issues: The uneven popularity of dogs adopted from shelters compared to the purchase of a purebred dog. The negative attitude of the public and perceived notion that mixed-breed and crossbred dogs are healthier than purebreds. The lack of national awareness of the good works of the American Kennel Club — i.e., the Humane Fund and the AKC Canine Health Foundation — that the public should be made aware of.

The proliferation of days-long clustered dog shows week after week and the bundling of shows held at one venue. The Big E in West Springfield, Massachusetts, hosts more than 50 all-breed dog shows; others, like Doswell, Virginia, and Vallejo, California, also host a large number of shows. When these show-giving clubs desert their communities, the public in those areas is deprived of being exposed to purebred dogs, while the local shelters and animal-rights promoters remain in those areas and neighborhoods, and we are left defenseless. The three-, four- and five-day weekends (not counting the two shows in one day) are hard on the exhibitors and professional handlers, who spend less time at home; lastly but most importantly, there are the dogs that travel week after week and spend less and less time at home.

Plainly said, as most have, there are entirely too many dog shows, and the American Kennel Club gets on approving more back-to-back, two-in-one-day events. Of the dog shows being held this weekend, Austin, Texas, and Deland, Florida, are the only two sets of shows that drew more than 1,000 dogs; all the others range from under 1,000 to 300 entries. We are diluting the dog shows because of the number that are being held (a recent weekend offered two shows in one day, three days of single shows followed by another show that offered two shows in one day) and the ever-increasing ease with which a dog can earn his championship. We have suggested this before, but maybe those directors should travel with a professional handler for a month on the road and see the toll it takes on them, their families and dogs. When someone posts on social media that they have been on the road for several weeks, shouldn't that sound an alarm that things are getting out of hand?

The American Kennel Club needs to address the dog-show scene in present-day terms and adjust it accordingly.