How many members are there within the USA? - Page 2

Susie,

Yep.

And the SV recognizes the club doing it.  In fact, they are hosting the WUSV this year.

Strange world we live in.....

Best to you,

Kevin Nance
 

susie,  got these numbers from someone well placed in one of the organizations to know:

3500 USCA

1350 WDA

Under 3000 GSDCA

Crossover numbers between WDA and GSDCA are impossible to ascertain.

so, well less than the 10,000 I guessed.

WDA and UScA require dogs meet SV requirements for breed surveys, V ratings, etc. But that doesn't mean all members do. Other than these 2 clubs, there are no mandatory requirements at all.

 

USCA 3000 members .. source USCA Facebook page  (membership $100)

GSDCA 4500+/- 500  (GSDCA has low membership fees ie $37 and may have a higher rate of paper only members than some other organizations)

GSDCA-WDA 1500+/- 200  ( membership $60)

SV at large members in the USA is not known ( USCA judges recognized by the WUSV/SV must join the SV) but may be in the hundreds

At the last WUSV meeting in Ulm 2012 the following vote numbers for each US WUSV member groups were used
Each member has 1 vote plus 1 additional vote per 1000 members so I expect they are all inflated somewhat
GSDCA and GSDCA-WDA had a combined 7 votes (6000 members plus 1 vote)
USCA had 5 votes (4000 members plus 1 vote)
SV had 64 votes or as reported 63,000 members plus 1 for 64 votes as per the WUSV constitution.

At the WUSV meeting in 2010 Nuerenburg
GSDCA and GSDCA-WDA 8 votes
USCA 6 votes
SV 68 votes

Membership dues to the WUSV are based on number of members reported so it is possible to pay for more if you can afford it.

Most GSD in the USA are not a member of a WUSV member club organization such as USCA, GSDCA, or GSDCA-WDA.  Many GSD are AKC or other kennel club registered but do not belong to any breed or sport club.  Many SV or WUSV GSD are imported from WUSV member club nations and are registered with the AKC (or not) and are not part of any USA based WUSV group or club.  I believe the VDH as approximately the same membership as the AKC ??  If so the level of registration and breed certification in the USA is much lower than Germany and many other European nations.  All of the WUSV GSD breed and sport clubs have lost membership during the last 10 years.  In 2003 USCA claimed 5000 members in their General Board Meeting.  The ownership of GSD interested in IPO and the other biting sports is aging out and is not being replaced with younger membership fast enough to maintain stable membership levels.  The GSD maintains it's top 5 rating in AKC registrations behind the Labrador retriever but apparently the vast majority of AKC registered ( and non registered ) GSD in the United States are purely family and pet dogs or participate in no sports or alternatively these dogs are more likely to participate in AKC sports and obedience. 

Also DVG and MondioRing as well as French Ring and KNPV GSD may possess WUSV recognized registration and US AKC registration but not be part of the WUSV member organizations in the USA.  The GSD in these organizations and sport groups has maintained or grown in the last ten years in totality I would estimate but I have no numbers to confirm this.  There are several much smaller GSD "working dog" groups that are not allied with anyone as they feel all of the other GSD groups are ruining the GSD breed.  Working GSD police dogs from KNPV, Ring and IPO backgounds may or may not be part of any organization represented by WUSV membership as some police groups have their own trials and championship competitions.  The number of GSD owners in the USA with WUSV recognized pedigrees or FCI recognized pedigrees not allied with GSDCA, USCA, or GSDCA-WDA is significant. 

Thanks a lot Lineage, Rik, Kevin, Dawulf, and Bubba.
This gives me some idea what we are talking about.
The loss of membership seems to be on the same level.
AKC and VDH seem to be almost the same, but in Germany VDH only organizes the clubs, the SV itself is responsible for the breed standard and the breed book.
Only German Shepherds out of SV ( and for a couple of years RSV2000 ) do count for the total VDH amount.
I don´t know how many RSV2000 dogs are registered yet (not much), but like SV they have their own breed book.

 Even with the USCA/SV "registration" (which is simply a supplemental), AKC registration is required.   Yes, the vast majority of GSD-owners in America are pet-owners or AKC show-owners with no interest in SV-style shows, much less breeding practices.   The GSD has for years been among the top five breeds registered with the AKC every year.  That is thousands upon thousands of puppies registered with no health and/or temperament clearances of any kind.  

Please go to the AKC website-- you will find that there is no restriction on close breedings of any kind--mother to son,  father to daughter, siblings, etc.  are all registrable equally with 4-5 line-breedings.   AKC will also register any color, including Panda, liver and blue,  for the same fee and with the same ability to breed.   That is how and why we have gsd breeders who "specialize" in the "rare" ( blue/liver/cream/silver, etc) colors of gsd.   That is the GSDCA end. As Kevin noted, the strange world we live in.