Getting it right, yet soooo wrong

I have a lot of dealings with AKC during the course of the year. Local all breed club stuff and of course being a show chair/cluster chair, I'm always talking to them about that.

Yesterday a website was forwarded to me. I won't post the link but all you gotta do is google MI blue merle pembroke corgi and well, you'll see what I wish had been labeled as a spew alert email.

Blue merles are not a recognized color in pems. Period. Yes the two breeds were bred together for a short period of time in the early part of the 20th century, then people realized that both breeds were distinct, different and it was stupid to continue. At no time, were blue merles accepted in pemmies at that time--if you can find information contridicting that, please forward it to me. So plain and simple, blue is a cardigan color.

Back to this website. Over the years, I've seen this crop up but not nearly as much as lately. Lots of cardigans with docked tails being passed off as pemmies. And with the advent of the "other registries", getting papers and passing them off as the real deal, is much easier. First red flag, unaccepted color. 2nd red flag, a standard posted on a registries website but with the acception in it's registration information that states as long as it looks purebred, even if the color is not as listed, it is purebred. 3rd red flag-why the "breeder" is doing that color-cause it's cool. Let's just say I did a little more digging and found more interesting things.

Getting it right----granted AKC isn't perfect, registrations are forged and litters are falsified, but they do a damn better job of policing them than any other registry I know. A standard is a standard for a reason. Parent clubs are formed for a reason. If you want cool, go to the shelter, there are tons of great "cool" looking colors and breeds there.

Also interesting to note which "other registries" AKC allows to transfer information from. Check it out if you get a chance. The sad part is that too many people get suckered in with the official looking papers of the other registry. I get them coming up to me at shows or events, wondering how to get involved in AKC shows as they have papers on their dog. To which I have to be honest and say the only way to do AKC with your dog is to alter it and file for the mixed breed or ILP registrations and do performance events. Shock, dismay and sadness goes across their faces at the same time. But it's papered!

Now the wrong part of AKC. I'm dealing with it today in the show chair function. Our premium list is up, with an event missing as well as we are adding a feature to the show that won't be in the premium list. I'm to forward a copy of a permission letter to a person to forward to AKC with her application for the event. We are also offering a herding instinct test at our show, same procedure had to happen--I have to give permission for the event to the person filing the application. Heck, every year I have to give that to Tri City, Cedar Valley Boxers, and QCDC. This time they needed my official signature. Scanned in and sent to them. Seriously? For a match? For the shows, tests and other events, they've been good with the standard letter with out the signature-never questioned, never doubted. Why now???

Ugh, just another hoop to jump through.

Calgon, take me away!!
Later gators....
C