Peace in Our Time?
Jim Engel February 2014
In 1938 Neville Chamberlain went to Germany to concede the Sudetenland to Adolf Hitler, and went home to claim peace in his time.
In 2014 Frans Jansen led the FCI Utility Dogs Commission in replacing the FCI-IPO World Championships with a new play trial without the stick.
Is Jansen our Neville Chamberlain, our champion of appeasement? Is IPO without the stick going to satisfy the Euro nanny state? Will this bring peace in our time, or only endless retreat?
The Commission has asserted the intention of permanently removing the stick from IPO within two years, declaring IPO only a sport rather than a breeding certification. There can be little doubt that the gun test and the courage test will be the next to go, for why should gun sureness or courage matter in a play sport? How can it be a utility dog commission if it is only for sport rather than actual breeding certification?
Is it now to be Frans Jansen, President of the FCI Play Dog Commission?
Does sending a team to Sweden, or personally competing, endorse this repudiation of the heritage? Is a chance to stand on the podium more important than our integrity? Why should the AWDF send teams to Sweden, endorsing this abomination? Why should individuals go?
Fig leaves have suddenly become fashionable. It is said that each nation is free to establish their own breeding certifications, that this is somehow not really a problem. Does this mean that Germany is going to unwind the integration of Schutzhund and reestablish it separate from IPO? Will the attack on the handler or the real courage test be reestablished? Will Belgium, the Netherlands and France independently establish their own breeding tests, or will there be a new "International Schutzhund" with its own structure in parallel to the FCI? Will IPO judges automatically hold a New Schutzhund judging license? What will be the name of this new international organization? Will the AWDF be included?
Will the trials be combined, that is, on the entry form will you have the choice of IPO or New Schutzhund? What about the short fat dogs, if it is only a sport should there not be a special 24 inch high jump?
If the WUSV endorses a New Schutzhund, why should USCA remain affiliated with the AWDF or the FCI? If the WUSV does not endorse a New Schutzhund, why should USCA continue to participate? Who believes that the SV has the courage to do it? Or even wants to do it?
Or is it just a smoke screen, talking points to appease while we gradually cave in, emasculate the heritage one step at a time? Our leaders talk about retaining stick hits this year, or for right now, or for as long as possible. They reassure us that others are opposed, we are not alone.
General Sherman, when asked about running for the American presidency, demurred, famously saying "If drafted, I will not run; if nominated, I will not accept; if elected, I will not serve."
When will our leaders stand up and say "We will never hold any trial without the stick; we will never, ever send teams to such a trial and we will repudiate any organization, national or international, which does such things?"
Or, to cut to the chase, when are we going to stand up and run our own working dog affairs for Americans and by Americans?