The AKC’s Big Plans

It’s apparently been in the works for years and announced more than a month ago but I only became aware of it recently. The American Kennel Club is considering some pretty big plans for reorganizing the AKC group system, certainly the biggest change since the Herding Group was split off from the Working Group in 1983 and possibly the largest reorganization since the Non-Sporting Group was divided in 1925. The details are here.

Essentially, the plan, to be made effective in 2015, is to recognize several dozen additional dog breeds, divide the present Sporting Group into a group for pointers and setters and a group for retrievers and spaniels, divide the present Hound Group into a group for sight hounds and a group for scent hounds, and divide the present Working Group into three groups, a utility group, a Molosser group to include mastiff-type dogs, and a Spitz group for Northern breed and related dogs. There would be a total of eleven groups, an increase of four from the present seven groups (plus the Miscellaneous Class).

The effect of this plan would be to put the AKC’s organization into better alignment with international clubs both in the breeds recognized and the group organization, to recognize a number of distinctly American breeds, and to enable the AKC to compete more effectively with other U. S. registration organizations.

Overall I’m in favor of the changes. Some obvious classification issues have been resolved, some close calls have been made prudently, and in my view the new organization at least opens the possibility for judges with better, more specialized expertise. It will certainly require more judges, which may present a challenge to the AKC.

The one criticism I would have of the plan is that I think the AKC should grasp the nettle and divide the Herding and Terrier Groups as well. By my count they include 30 and 31 breeds, respectively, more than any other group.

I admit that, prior to reading the proposal, I had never heard of Drentsche Patrijshonden, Koolkerhondjen, Azawakhs, Cirnecco dell’Etnas, or Rafeiro Do Alentejos.