My Final Thoughts on USA By-law Change - Page 2

Bob-O,

I'm with you and many others that I have spoken with regarding this issue. My membership is due to renew next month......I am sending what my renewal fee would have been for USCA to the next WDA show for trophy sponsorship!

It is really sad that politics has to be considered more important than the breed it is founded and funded by!

A sad day indeed, that one area that allows people from all walks of life, religion belief systems etc.. that truly love this breed and actively get involved are being strong armed into one organization or another! I have enjoyed showing my dogs under both but will not support an organization that makes "either or else" mandates. I suppose the only thing that can explain this move is the USCA is trying to one up the WDA as opposed to being the better organization by way of quality work in the field, causing a natural influx of membership vs. forced membership. If they were not willing to listen to the opposing input from the membership prior to this vote then what makes any of us believe they will listen to any input of members once we are under forced membership????

"I know that we all have problems with the A.K.C.'s interpretation of the GSD, but the latter organization is more closely connected to A.K.C. than U.S.c.A. could ever be. And if change occurs it will start with the G.S.D.C.A.-W.D.A. and filter through the G.S.D.C.A. to the A.K.C."

Thank you, Bob! This is what I have been trying to say forever!

If you don't like the AKC version of the GSD, change it, people! Find the biggest AKC shows in your area and get out there. So what if your dog doesn't win in confo. Show in obedience, show in rally, show in agility, show in confo anyway, show in something! There are still BIG AKC spectator events out there. I go to the big one in Chicago in February as often as I can and you would not believe the crowds german dogs draw. Even average folk who are not dog people can see my dogs look and behave completely different than the ones winning in confo a few rings down, and are drawn to them. And once you educate someone on the differences between a german dog and an akc type dog, they often don't look at the akc type again.

AKC show people are just like us- most of their puppies go to pet homes. What happens when the public doesn't want dogs like that anymore? Who breeds a litter when they have gotten 0 puppy calls in months? Who breeds again when their last litter sat for months because no one wanted them? If an AKC conformation ring has more german dogs than american, don't you think they'll start putting up some german dogs? Of course there will always be fluffy pretty AKC show dogs. The work vs. show war is prevalent in many other breeds, too, but getting the AKC to see the working type GSD as the correct type would not only be a dream come true for us, but an inspiration for other breeds as well!

I apologize for this somewhat off topic rant, but the message is the same. as the saying goes, be the change you want to see in the world.

KCaja, That would be awesome if the AKC ring became dominated by German type dogs. I hope we see it oneday.

We'll only see it when we do it!  No one will wave a magic wand over the AKC GSD ring.  As someone else said- it took years to ruin them, it will take years to fix them.  Rather than spurn the GSDCA for what they have done to the breed, why not join them and be part of a push to change them back? Again, if there are more members who support the SV GSD than the AKC GSD, pressure can be put on the GSDCA to change their ways! German dogs will never outnumber American ones, in the breed ring, or in GSDCA membership, unless we take it upon ourselves to outnumber them.

The situation with USCA sucks, but as it has been suggested, the change in the long could be for the better if we make it so!

And since it's bound to come up...I'll reiterate again the AKC really can't get its claws around schutzhund with any real success. The SV decides the standards for which a dog is eligible for a koerung, if the AKC tries to change the sport it simply will not work. No one will show in an event that is not accepted for a KKL. SV breeders will remain SV breeders.

I think it would be great if SchH clubs got a handler to teach them AKC show handling and entire SchH clubs turned up at local AKC breed shows for confo en masse. I'd seriously pay money to see the looks on exhibitors and judges' faces. Maybe I'm still too young, an idealist, maybe I'm just dreaming, but if the working GSD community unites, it can be done. If you don't think so, you underestimate the popularity boom in German dogs.

Bob, I sincerely understand your feelings on this matter. And as I said, it was not an easy decision for me to choose to not renew my membership. Please know that it was not just the outcome of this vote to change the By-Laws; moreso it is a build-up of issues that have occurred during the past two (2) years where U.S.c.A. seemed to look the other way or chose to not look at all. First, negligence, then spite. Damn it; what could be next? Failure, I guess.

Is switching to the G.S.D.C.A.-W.D.A. the solution to this matter? I cannot say for sure that it is. I put it this way - they have not done anything (or failed to do anything) that really pissed me off during the past two (2) years. That is a hell of a way to judge the performance of an organization, I agree.

So, the challenge now falls to Danny Spreitler, et al. If G.S.D.C.A.-W.D.A. is to use the outcome of this decision as a means to pick up the pieces of fallout and support the GSD as it is intended to be; now they have the chance to do just that. There can be no exclamation of  "we won" from anyone in the two (2) groups, as no one has won anything yet and at the moment we are all losers to some degree.

So, I placed my money where my mouth is - I just completed a membership application to G.S.D.C.A.-W.D.A. and enclosed a cheque. The U.S.c.A. will not feel the petty sting from me until January 2010 when I will fail to renew my membership. At that time I will explain my reason to them - should anyone care enough to read my letter. Perhaps in time U.S.c.A. will see the error of its ways - perhaps not. The only change that will be effective is a complete replacement of the executive board, and that is much easier to say than do.

Best Regards,
Bob-O

It is just plain wrong, from every angle. ethically and professionally, to require that membership in the USCA be the only such membership one holds. IF people do not speak out about this in a way that is definitive, then I can guarantee that this same group of people will be emboldened and dictate additional measures that will be grievous to the average person in the membership.

I urge people and clubs to withdraw NOW, insist on a prorated refund (of course, they will refuse to do the right thing here and refund money paid), and not wait until membership is due once again. IF USCA sees people leaving in droves NOW, perhaps something will change. If they see people leaving a few at a time over the course of a year, they will justify it by saying it was to be expected and is just normal attrition. A statement must be made, loud and clear. The ONLY thing that will count with them is a loss of income and clubs and memberships, not simply posting here or there that one is upset with the decision made by a small group of people.