Some of you know that I wrote a letter to the AKC, complaining that in their CGC congratulatory letter they write that they hope people will continue on with training but exclude mixed breed dogs from any further activity.
Here's what I wrote:
Dear AKC team,
on April 17th my mixed breed dog Quigley passed the Canine Good Citizen test and by June 9th I received the certificate and an accompanying letter, pointing me to more advanced training.
I had great fun training in preparation for the CGC and was pleased when my dog did well.
Since then we have completed Novice Obedience and are currently working towards competition level. I would love to compete with him in Companion events (especially Obedience and Rally) but was sorely disappointed when I found out that I am excluded from participating in AKC events due to the fact that my dog is not purebred and does not qualify for an ILP.
Are there any plans to open any Companion Events to spayed/neutered mixed breed dogs in the future? I was prepared to spend quite a bit of money participating especially in Rally since my dog loves working on obedience and it looks like a fun new sport that I enjoyed when I was watching at two recent shows in my area.
I am looking forward to hearing from you on this matter.
I can't say I like the AKC as an organization all that much (not just because of the mixed breed issue, I just don't agree with much of their philosophy as a registry), and I didn't expect to hear anything positive in reply, but I figured people would be interested in what they replied:
This letter is in response to your correspondence received by this office on October 24th, 2005, regarding AKC Companion Events and spayed/neutered mixed breed dogs being able to compete.
I can tell you that you are not the first to proposition the AKC about letting mixed bred dogs compete in the companion events areas of obedience, rally, tracking and agility.
I can not tell you at this time if mixed bred dogs will be able to compete in AKC companion events in the near future, the distant future, or not at all. Our current regulations as you know do not allow them to compete.
A copy of your letter will be forwarded to our Internal Consultant Group - Research for inclusion in any files they may have regarding your question.
I realize this is not the immediate answer that you would like to hear, and wish you the best in all of the training avenues you are able to take with your dog Quigley.
Sincerely,
Curt A. Curtis
Director of Companion Events
I'm not getting my hopes up for anything in this regard and will continue to pursue my goals with the UKC, which allows mixed breeds to compete in performance events, including qualifying for titles under AMBOR (American Mixed Breed Obedience Registry), and other alternatives, but if you own a mixed breed and are interested in making your point, please send a letter to:
AKC Operations Center
c/o Companion Events
5580 Centerview Drive,
Raleigh, NC 27606
Little strokes fell big oaks, as they say, and maybe someday they'll realize that our entry fee money could amount to considerable profits too.
Here's what I wrote:
Dear AKC team,
on April 17th my mixed breed dog Quigley passed the Canine Good Citizen test and by June 9th I received the certificate and an accompanying letter, pointing me to more advanced training.
I had great fun training in preparation for the CGC and was pleased when my dog did well.
Since then we have completed Novice Obedience and are currently working towards competition level. I would love to compete with him in Companion events (especially Obedience and Rally) but was sorely disappointed when I found out that I am excluded from participating in AKC events due to the fact that my dog is not purebred and does not qualify for an ILP.
Are there any plans to open any Companion Events to spayed/neutered mixed breed dogs in the future? I was prepared to spend quite a bit of money participating especially in Rally since my dog loves working on obedience and it looks like a fun new sport that I enjoyed when I was watching at two recent shows in my area.
I am looking forward to hearing from you on this matter.
I can't say I like the AKC as an organization all that much (not just because of the mixed breed issue, I just don't agree with much of their philosophy as a registry), and I didn't expect to hear anything positive in reply, but I figured people would be interested in what they replied:
This letter is in response to your correspondence received by this office on October 24th, 2005, regarding AKC Companion Events and spayed/neutered mixed breed dogs being able to compete.
I can tell you that you are not the first to proposition the AKC about letting mixed bred dogs compete in the companion events areas of obedience, rally, tracking and agility.
I can not tell you at this time if mixed bred dogs will be able to compete in AKC companion events in the near future, the distant future, or not at all. Our current regulations as you know do not allow them to compete.
A copy of your letter will be forwarded to our Internal Consultant Group - Research for inclusion in any files they may have regarding your question.
I realize this is not the immediate answer that you would like to hear, and wish you the best in all of the training avenues you are able to take with your dog Quigley.
Sincerely,
Curt A. Curtis
Director of Companion Events
I'm not getting my hopes up for anything in this regard and will continue to pursue my goals with the UKC, which allows mixed breeds to compete in performance events, including qualifying for titles under AMBOR (American Mixed Breed Obedience Registry), and other alternatives, but if you own a mixed breed and are interested in making your point, please send a letter to:
AKC Operations Center
c/o Companion Events
5580 Centerview Drive,
Raleigh, NC 27606
Little strokes fell big oaks, as they say, and maybe someday they'll realize that our entry fee money could amount to considerable profits too.