Questions on NAWBA's "Woof,Woof" Select Program

In the working dog world, the select designation, or the top "V" ratings which are more or less equivalent, are designations intended for those dogs which best fulfill the criteria for excellence in their breed, and are by tradition and fact strong breeding recommendations.

In a working breed such dogs of course must demonstrate a strong propensity and capacity for their work, that is, hold the senior working title such as Schutzhund or Ring III.

It is true that in the German Shepherd world, for instance, the V or select dogs are at times not the dogs at the top of the working competition, even though they all hold the Schutzhund III. This has been a subject of concern, and recent years have seen efforts to tighten up on the ties binding structure to working character. No system is perfect, and every breed must be forever on guard against those, usually "show" breeders, who want to lower standards.

One would think that an association dedicated to the working Bouvier would be especially stringent, while recognizing the need to encourage breeding for correct structure, stride and conformation, would above all things demand working character of the dogs to receive the highest honor, and, more importantly, the breeding recommendation.

But in fact the current NAWBA board has seen fit to substitute a "temperament test" for a real working title, and in fact opened up the role of judge to members with no working credentials, rather than using the many available Ring, Schutzhund or KNPV judges.

Where a Shepherd or other dog must obtain Schutzhund III to be select, within NAWBA a Bouvier can become eligible by doing little more than going "woof, woof" in the presence of a helper.

As enumerated elsewhere, this play dog agenda was pushed through without the board or temperament test committee ever actually stating the purpose and rationale, totally consistent with their imperial mode of operation.

Do they really think that show breeders are going to come and be so enamored that they will change their breeding habits and suddenly start producing Bouviers capable of Schutzhund III ? Is there an untapped reservoir of working stock in the show lines, just waiting to be discovered and appreciated ?

The show line Bouviers, world wide, are rapidly evolving as an entirely separate, and lesser, breed just as the Americanized German Shepherds have become a deviant variation of the original in the homeland, seriously deficient in working character.

Why, as a working dog association, are we setting up mechanisms to anoint and endorse those lines most deficient in the working character we say we value? Why, indeed, are we contributing to the poisoning of our own well?

And why, exactly, have they opened up the role of judge to those who have never been able to train a dog to the senior level? Is not a major reason for this test the creation of a venue for Chris Redenbach and Tim Motley to pose as "working Bouvier experts" without actually producing the dogs which would indicate practical knowledge at that level ? Would they actually trot out the shopworn nonsense about "understanding the special character of the Bouvier" ?

When you think about it, a temperament test judge has a much more difficult job, demanding much more insight, than a trial judge. The trial judge just has to know the rule book and make a determination of the fact of the performance. Did the dog start correctly in the track, did he indicate the articles, did he show discipline. In obedience, did he clear the high jump, did he come directly on the recall. In protection, did he go directly to the sleeve or offered suit, did he release on command. Yes, there is judgement here, but these are relatively black and white decisions compared to a "temperament test."

Because in the temperament test the judge is in effect deciding what the dog could do rather than what he actually did do. If such a thing were possible in any sort of reliable sense, which I doubt, would it not be much more difficult, and require much more insight, than that required of a trial judge?

Yet rather than raising the standard, using a trial license as a base and seeking out men and women with the extra knowledge and insight, they have lowered the standard, practically to nothing at all except the opinion of the mysterious committee.

Why is this ?

Is it simply a matter Mr. Motley and Ms. Redenbach inventing a role for themselves ? If they want to be judges, why don't they buckle down, title a dog, do their work and qualify for a license? There is a Ring judge program in America, open to everyone who can qualify, why don't they do it the old fashioned way by earning the honor rather than inventing a back door?

The deeper question of course is the future of the Bouvier as a working dog. If we have Bouviers worthy of being declared "select" by a "working dog association" then let us implement a program worthy of such dogs, one meriting respect in the working dog culture as a whole.

If we do not have such dogs, or have them in insufficient numbers, let us withhold the select designation until we can rise to that level, so that when we do confer the honor it will mean something.

Jim Engel   Jan, 2001

 

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