This situation we find ourselves in, brings to mind the famous gangster line, keep your friends close but your enemies closer. I don't think anything is to be gained by fighting the Kennel Club, that is a battle we can win, but will be an unecessarily hard battle to fight. We desperately need to organize ourselves and produce a plan, brief outline should be an alternative registration system, it could be very profitable and provide healthy competition if applied correctly, if this can be achieved then with revenue we can progress. The Breed Council was originally organized by the KC,  for that reason I think would not suite the purpose of organizing anything as an alternative to KC. We need a complete breath of fresh air, 
perhaps a new organization with a new constitution and make up would be more appropriate, i am not suggesting that some of the officers from other organization could not serve on this commitee that needs to remain open. I would suggest a name, The German Shepherd Kennel Club(UK) would bring together all sides of GSD world, working and showing, to organize everything GSD and to promote and represent GSD's in the UK, it should run alongside the KC system if possible but if it has to run alternatively then so be it. Where I agree with the KC, is you can't force people to comply with legislation unless it is introduced by the government, that is a path that we should not take. We can achieve the same objective by making it desirable, enjoyable and creditable to participate. The question is how do we start the ball rolling?

Dave Middleton 

Whilst we have all this talk about what scheme etc should be the best please re-read the KC letter.
The KC have a problem with the unsoundness of the GSD and want that correcting. In their words our Judges should be taught not to promote unsoundness. When asking the KC about the letter and sugested that it was simply about Double handling the explanation came back that it was not it was about the Health & well being of the dogs. When asked why was a paragaraph put in about Double Handling the answer came back that whilst a letter was being written about one thing they might as well bring to our attention the problem they perceive as Double Handling- it is not being stopped by the clubs. This can be stopped very easily ( was their statement) - when asked how the answer came back that Judging is stopped until the double handling is stopped!   I explained that they should attend a Seiger show and watch how they did their double handling - to be told that our KC is in touch with German KC & they too are not happy regarding the Double Handling!!!  Double Handling is considered by our KC as detrimental to the Health & well being of our dogs. Make of that what you will I was at this point lost for words & thought less said the better.
It appears that this letter has also been sent out to the General Champ shows. Now these people are not happy BUT can live without us. They may put entry fees to the other breeds to make  up for their loss - but the ones that could loose out are our own breed clubs who only put on shows for the breed and have no obedience or training club behind them.
The thought then is what happens if the KC kick our breed out?  We need a plan P.D.Q. At the end of the day the CC's are the KC's to give out and not ours by right.  We simply pay for them!










 

Sophie,Please read what videx wrote. I rest my case.



 

I believe now is the time for calm, it is the KC not ourselves which has put us into this position. What are their REAL  motives? Who knows!!??!! At the moment the best we can do it hazard a guess. I say we challenge them in such a way as they will have no way out but to reveal their real motives. By this I mean we continue dialogue, we have already, in my opinion, more than addressed their health issues and it couldnt have been more timely or more perfectly done than an overwhelming mandate from the Breed Clubs at the recent BC Meeting and infront of their own Kennel Club representative. So WE ALREADY HAVE DOCUMENTED EVIDENCE that what the Health Issue request is and has already been more than adequately dealt with and whats more we HAVE MINUTED PROOF!!  The GSD Partnership have already plans to reconvene the yearly Ch Show judges forum and other plans for an Open Seminar on the recommended ABS for GSD's. A letter has already been sent to the KC mentioning these facts and of course we will need to rethink the Double Handling situation with all the clubs and as many exhibitors as possible attending a meeting. 
          With all these things already in the pipeline and proof of that fact already with the KC - WE AWAIT THEIR NEXT MOVE.
Please be patient, nothing is going to happen overnight but one thing is for sure if the KC still dig in their heels and continue to withold CC's for 2012, or even worse in my opinion, decide to grant them to the General Champ Shows but keep them witheld from the Breed Clubs, then we have more than enough time to prepare ourselves for what we will need to do in 2012 to run our own shows even possibly our own affairs. Though I must stress that as the KC (in our BC Meeting) likened themselves to Summerset House they would therefore still have to take our registrations even if we started to managed our own affairs by creating our own registration database and show scene.
            On a parting note, did anyone see the TV Documentary 'SEND IN THE DOGS' this week? I missed it myself but apparently whilst filming two Police Dog Handlers sending in their dogs, the reporter said something like "and there goes ?? sending in his German Shepherd called ??" followed by "and now heres ?? sending in his Alsatian called ??"   If we can get a copy of this it is surely the most perfect example of what we have been saying all along, this multi name confuses the general public, indeed even the media, the KC have created in effect two seperate breeds, they must be the ones to eradicate their folly by removing the FICTICIOUS WORD ALSATIAN from our WORLD RENOWNED BREED OF GERMAN SHEPHERD. Anything less from the KC , especially as the only two abstentions from the BC Health vote was from the Alsatian camp, is proof they support those who least care about our breeds health and that my friends IS WHAT WE NEED TO PARTICULARY RAM HOME TO THE NATIONAL PRESS. 
             Finally I now urge you all to calm, as I said we have not forced this the KC have, let it run its full course, at the end of the day what is the worst that could happen? Well its that we do what so many have advocated for years, like the rest of the world of GSD's we go our own way and managed our own affairs, SV do it, Dutch do it, USA do it, Australia do it, etc etc the only difference is that we do it because the KC FORCED US TO - IT COULD BE THE BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO US AND THEY HANDED IT TO US ON A PLATE. So take heart me hearties, their is always a Silver lining to look forward to. 
Regards
Sue B

Well said and well thought out, Sue!