|
The Dual Breeder: Breeding
for Both Conformation and Performance Part One: Dogs Doing What They Were Bred to Do
Legendary judge Anne Rogers Clark and her husband, James Clark, once bred and owned a Standard Poodle bitch they nicknamed “Horse” because she was very tall and elegant. Ch. Rimskittle Rampant went on to win Best of Variety at the Poodle national, and several Bests in Show, and placed twice in the group at Westminster. Once Horse was retired from the ring, the Clarks cut down her coat and decided to work her in the field a bit that following summer. She learned to retrieve a bumper on land, then to do water retrieves in the nearby river, and by fall was finally ready to be tried on real birds. The first retrieve was a little overenthusiastic, the pigeon a little mangled. But on the second try, “Horsie” dashed eagerly to the bird, picked it up neatly, and trotted back with her head and tail up, her neck arched, and “pride of accomplishment oozing out of every pore,” as Anne would later recount. “She was the picture of what we wanted to breed and perpetuate in conformation and carriage in the Standard Poodle,” she wrote. “I get goose bumps today, thinking of that picture of a Poodle doing what it was bred to do, and loving every moment of it.” For those with a passion for dogs, “goose bumps” are indeed characteristic of the experience of seeing a correct, well-made purebred dog joyfully and wholly involved in the breed’s original function. Many Breeds, Many Jobs
Defining specific aspects of original function may be difficult regarding a few primarily companion breeds. For a few breeds, such as the Bulldog, the original function has either disappeared or largely become obsolete—yet an understanding of how function shaped breed type is as essential with these as for any breed, because function made the breed what it is. The great majority of our breed standards closely relate points of breed conformation to the breed’s original purpose either explicitly or implicitly. In the AKC standard for the Beagle, the “General Appearance” portion consists of one sentence that draws a vivid image of that breed at work: “A miniature Foxhound, solid and big for his inches, with the wear-and-tear look of the hound that can last in the chase and follow his quarry to the death.” The German Shorthaired Pointer’s standard begins: “The German Shorthaired Pointer is a versatile hunter, an all-purpose gundog capable of high performance in field and water. The judgment of Shorthairs in the show ring reflects this basic characteristic.” The standard for the Cairn Terrier notes his appearance as “that of an active, game, hardy, small working terrier of the short-legged class.” And so on, standard after standard describing a dog perfectly suited to a certain purpose. Never Lose Sight of Breed Purpose Whether the breed’s original job was hunting, coursing, retrieving, herding, going to ground, or pulling a cart, many AKC parent clubs have special provisions in place to help ensure the preservation of the breed’s capacity to perform that job. Noncompetitive working tests administered by many parent clubs assess a dog’s inherent—untrained—ability. There are also AKC herding tests and earthdog tests that offer breeders a gauge of their dogs’ natural aptitude in those areas. The Labrador Retriever Club, Inc., the AKC parent club for Labrador Retrievers, is especially committed to preserving natural breed ability, requiring that no member of the club use a “Ch.” in front of the name of a Labrador Retriever that has completed its AKC conformation championship until that dog has received from the parent club a Working Certificate, or its equivalent. The club’s Working Certificate affirms that the dog is naturally able to perform as a retriever: that it is not gun-shy, and that it will retrieve a shot game bird from a minimum distance on land, and then twice in succession in water—the second time to establish the dog’s willingness to not just enter but reenter water. Taking It a Step Further By breeding toward the ideal described in the breed standard and proving their stock in the conformation ring, breeders preserve breed type as shaped by the breed’s original function, and preserve the breed’s unique traits. Dual breeders do this and then take it to the next logical step by testing their dog’s actual performance of breed function against others of its breed. By doing so they prove that their beautifully constructed dog also excels in, as Anne Clark put it regarding a bird dog, “the motor that runs the machine—the brains, desire, nose, and heritage that dwell inside that beautiful head.” Generally this entails involvement in a whole realm of performance competitions separate from conformation showing. Constraints of cost, logistics, and sheer time required are sufficient obstacles to make dual breeding a lofty but daunting prospect for most breeders, who are already dedicating so much of their lives to their dogs and probably already traveling many weekends of the year. What drives dual breeders to set such a goal for themselves? Ann Witte, of Artisan Bearded Collies, has bred more than 85 show champions, four herding champions (including two dual champions), and numerous herding-titled dogs. “For me, as a breeder,” she says, “I seek the dog that conforms to the breed standard in the absolute sense, and additionally shows the natural stock-sense and biddability to become a valuable working dog.” Witte can attest to the obstacles involved. “Aside from the travel time,” she says, “dog shows are quite easily done compared to herding! For the latter, one has to have access to good stock, a knowledge of the breed’s normal behaviors (or access to a trainer with that knowledge), be able to develop an understanding of livestock and canines, then have access to locales where the dog can compete for herding titles.” For some, like dual Gordon Setter breeder Frank Watters, it is a passion that is its own reward. Watters judged the Hunt Test at the Gordon Setter Club of America’s 2007 national, and his dog DC Tarbaby’s Setanta T Rex, JH, is the breed’s 46th dual champion. “It can get expensive, and there are a lot of practical challenges involved,” he says. “But I can’t think of anything I would rather do.” Next Issue Arliss Paddock breeds and shows English Cocker Spaniels and is former managing editor of the AKC Gazette.
|
||
|
PART 2 Part Two: Challenges and Approaches In Part One [our Summer 2008 issue], we looked at how critical it is for the breeder of purebred dogs to understand the breed’s origin. A commitment to preserving the breed’s ability to do the job it was bred for, in the particular conditions of its place of origin, is vital to preserving the breed’s essential character. Noted breeder, judge, and dog trainer Pluis Davern articulates the responsibility of the breeder: “The many different breeds that originated in small geographic areas around the world are unique in their ability to handle the terrain and conditions prevalent in their so-called backyards. As we breed and exhibit them today, we have the tremendous responsibility to nurture and preserve all the qualities that define each and every one of them-and that means putting them to the test in the field.” Preserving all the breed’s qualities thus ideally entails testing or proving somehow the working ability of animals whose superior conformation makes them breeding candidates. But as we touched upon in Part One, the practical realities of proving your dogs in separate realms of canine activity can be daunting. Following, a select group of successful dual breeders share their thoughts on why—and how—they persevere.
Proving Grounds “We want our breed to look like what they were conceived to look like, and act and function in the manner they were developed for. Shows preserve type, which includes breed character, head, expression, movement, coat, and silhouette. (You want to be able to see the silhouette of the dog and know without a doubt it is a German Shorthaired Pointer.) Field trials are proving grounds to test the function the breed was developed for. However, I take exception to the fact the one of the criteria a Shorthair is judged on in field trials is ‘run.’ The GSP breed was developed to be a close-working hunting dog, and should be judged as such.” Indeed, the way some field-competition venues have evolved puts an added hitch in the dual breeder’s mission to test their stock’s performance of original purpose. “Most of the sporting dogs were designed to hunt with a handler on foot,” explains Davern, “thereby moving at a reasonable pace and at a reasonable distance from the gun. Early trials used these parameters. Over the years, however, the tenor of competitions has changed, resulting in speed becoming one of the foremost criteria for successful trial dogs.” This can be the case with events for retrievers as well as pointing breeds; retriever trials have evolved from proving grounds for the gentleman’s shooting dog into intense, training-based competitions. Some breeders have had to accept that maintaining breed type and integrity in their line may put them at a disadvantage in certain types of field event. Fortunately, the AKC Performance Test program has filled that gap, by providing the opportunity for breed-specific, noncompetitive testing of the inherent ability of breeding stock. Breed Type, Breed Ability “The dual English Setter is of utmost importance to me for many reasons. I have hunted upland game birds all my life, and I love to watch a beautiful pointing dog hunt birds. The breed originated in England as a moderate-sized dog with substance, balance, and beauty, and a great hunting instinct. These dogs had wonderful, calm temperaments, and were known as the gentleman’s gundog, yet had the stamina to hunt all day for days on end. It is incredibly important to keep this type of English Setter alive and well. “The original gundog had good bone, moderate angles front and rear, and a tail that came straight off of the back. These traits were for endurance and for the way the dogs were hunted: When the dogs went on point, the hunters threw a net over both the dog and the game, thus could catch the prey without a gun. An Americanized field version of the breed was a dog crossbred to other breeds, resulting in a ‘twelve-o’clock’ tail, diamond-shaped head, lack of bone, and high energy level. Consequently we have some divergence in the breed. “The breeder of the bench English Setter has a responsibility to the breed to produce a dog that exudes birdiness and drive to hunt, with great natural instinct. Many lines of bench English Setters still have great bird drive. Beyond instinct, structure is equally important—the dog must be able to withstand tough terrain and weather conditions, and hunt all day. It is incredibly important that judges put up dogs that are balanced and are effortless in their movement. The breed should never have body roll, or a gay or cycle tail.” Jerry and Kathy Hogan, of Rainbow Ridge Brittanys, likewise have a commitment to dual purpose. “Brittanys have a fine heritage of dual dogs,” Jerry says, “and it is the responsibility of breeders to maintain that heritage. Proper conformation is necessary, not only for performance of the breed’s function but also so that the dog will withstand the pressures of the kinds of activities for which they were bred. We always breed well-conformed individuals, and generally the studs are either All-Age or Shooting Dog performers. We start pups on a wing at 5 weeks, and evaluate them at 8 weeks for conformation. We have used such traits as pointing ability, scenting ability, independence, and range to determine which pup to keep between equals conformationally.” Challenges and Rewards For all the obstacles and challenges faced by the dedicated dual breeder, the sense of satisfaction in helping to preserve both breed type and ability is ample reward. “I think that it is critical for the ‘whole dog’ to keep in mind the original purpose for which they were developed,” says longtime breeder Anne Witte, of Artisan Bearded Collies, home to many show- and herding-titled dogs, including two Dual Champions. “As pleasing as it is for me to get that AKC certificate and display it on my wall,” says Witte, “in the long run it’s those times when my dog takes the hit intended for me from an attacking ram; when my 50-pound Beardie holds back a large flock of very hungry sheep while I put out feed in the midst of a blizzard; when I can send the dog to run some distance, to bring in the flock on his own; or when my dog snuggles up to me for affection—that is what makes it all worthwhile.” Arliss Paddock breeds and shows English Cocker Spaniels and is former managing editor of the AKC Gazette. |
||
