The future of the Bouvier des Flandres as a serious working breed is dependent on one thing, and one thing only, putting dogs with the senior titles, be they Schutzhund, Ring or Herding, on America's trial fields. The reason for this is very simple: the future of our breed hinges on the breed choice of the young dog sports enthusiast, and they, exactly because of the culture that they strive to participate in, value above all else proven performance as a breeding prerequisite. In this world a dog is what he does on the field, and a breeder or handler is in turn what his dogs do on the field. The young trainers, the only people whose votes really matter, must not only see good Bouviers, they must see organizations which reflect and endorse this heritage. The credo of the German Shepherd, placed before the world almost a century ago by von Stepinetz, is "German Shepherd breeding is working dog breeding." Faithfulness onto this credo has served well, so well that those breeds which fail to emulate it are predestined to failure. Look to the Boxer in Germany.
For the young trainer, a "temperament test" is a tell tale sign of weakness and insincerity, a strong inducement to select a German Shepherd or Malinois instead of a Bouvier, much as they might otherwise be attracted to the breed. This is especially true of a test promulgated and promoted by those who can not or will not put out the personal effort to produce a dog with a senior title as a badge of their personal seriousness, indeed, the dues necessary to merit an opinion worthy of consideration. How can an organization by and for those who have accepted personal failure, pay only lip service to the advanced titles, be taken seriously?
So we see that low level titles do not matter, for they only bring forth the question of the lack of a higher title. What pet owners do or think, or how they vote, in the long run does not matter. Temperament tests do not matter, except to the extent in which they detract attention and effort from the primary objective.
The people supporting the proposed temperament test by and large do not matter; not because of their support for this test, but because for one reason or another they can not or will not make the personal commitment to excellence.
Erik Johnson says he has a fine dog; and I believe him. The dog has the bloodlines, and the dog appears to exhibit the correct drives. Erik belongs to a fine, supportive training club. So why is his dog not Schutzhund III today ? The only factor left is Erik, his failure to commitment, his failure to make the effort necessary for training. Perhaps we will hear excuses, but Vernon Crowder is flat blind, and he put a Schutzhund III on his dog. Erik has ridden the back of the pet owners, show breeders and play trainers into NAWBA office, but in the long run, what does it matter? What, indeed, does NAWBA matter?
Chris Redenbach has been the Mother of the temperament test, and a staunch supporter of the French Ring as a superior sport for the Bouvier. During a short period when her business partner was a French Ring Sport judge one or two dogs got half way to ring one, passed one time, but apparently never passed under the second judge which would have advanced a dog to the second level. These were certainly worthwhile accomplishments, but this is rapidly fading into the realm of ancient history. By failing to take a Bouvier to the top, in the long run Chris is irrelevant, simply in the over all scheme of things does not matter.
The younger Mr. Hollinger professes disinterest in formal titles, says he wants hard Bouviers and does not care about tracking, obedience or the other training necessary for a title. He says he wants such dogs for himself and if others are interested in his breeding, fine, that is their decision, the fate of the Bouvier is beyond his ability to influence. There is a certain logic in this, for we all know that dogs with titles, even KNPV certificates, can be inferior, or because of treatment after certification degrade and lose their edge. But by eschewing the personal effort necessary to aspire to a high title Bill is avoiding personal responsibility for the future of the breed. This is all well and good, but how can he reconcile all of this with an endorsement of a temperament test?
Tim Motley says he believes in the Ring Sport, but for how many years can belief substitute for accomplishment ? What young man or woman will be recruited to the cause because Tim Motley is a nice guy who offends nobody if he never actually takes a Ring III Bouvier on the field?
The younger Mr. Hollinger has had much to say, and many of the sins he points out are indeed causative factors to our problems of today. But as serious as our errors were, Erik Houttuin, Martha Hochstein and the rest of us knew one thing: Excellence starts at home, the price of credibility, the rite of passage to adult standing in the working dog world, was and is taking a dog to the III.
So I say this to Mr. Johnson, Mr. Motley, Mr. Hollinger, Ms. Redenbach and anybody else who thinks there is a short cut to excellence: Show us your dog. Show us the III, in your choice of sport, and then tell us about temperament tests and working dog breeding and the fate of the Bouvier des Flandres.
Jim Engel, March, 1999