Posted on 07/10/2006 8:41:39 AM PDT by girlangler
AKC dog registry welcoming coonhounds to purebred world
By Coke Ellington Associated Press
Raleigh | The American Kennel Club is trying to make coonhounds couth.
The nation's largest and most recognized dog registry is in the early stages of a major push to add coonhounds to its prestigious rolls, hoping both to increase its membership and to assure these sad-eyed symbols of country life stick around a while longer.
"We're interested in the registration of these dogs and their litters, but we're most interested in preserving these dogs for the future," said Steve Fielder, who moved to Raleigh in late 2004 to launch the club's coonhound initiative.
To meet its targets, the AKC has found itself negotiating with governments to assure there's ample hunting land for the dogs, setting up competitive hunts and working to enlist more of the estimated 1.2 million coonhounds in the nation.
It may seem like unlikely work for a club with headquarters on swanky Madison Avenue in New York City and more closely tied to images of pouffy poodles than howling hounds, but Fielder insists it's right in line with the club's mission.
"The AKC wants to be all things canine," said Fielder, one of about 300 people at the AKC's operations center in Raleigh.
To help with its initiative, the AKC began offering free registration last year to coonhounds already enlisted with two other national clubs. The move resulted in about 10,000 registrations, up from about 500 the previous year. The club expects to have another 10,000 registered by the end of this year, pushing the total number of AKC registered coonhounds to 22,000.
Still, coonhounds make up a tiny part of the club's registry. Labrador retrievers were the most popular breed in 2005 with nearly 138,000 registered by the AKC.
Registration costs just $15, but acceptance by the AKC is invaluable to breeders and others who need or want to prove their dogs have pure bloodlines.
For coonhounds, registering also opens the way for the dogs to compete in AKC-sanctioned hunts and competitions that offer titles, trophies and cash prizes of as much as $25,000. Just in July, the AKC is sponsoring about 70 coonhound competitions across the nation, including contests for youth, field trials, water races and night hunts.
Night hunts tie most closely to the tradition of the coonhound owners across the South who once led packs of dogs on late-night winter hunts, forcing the raccoons up trees where the hunters could get a clear shot at them. The raccoon hides fetched $20 to $30 each in the late 1970s, according to Perry Sumner, a biologist with the state Wildlife Resources Commission. With demand dwindling, a raccoon hide today is worth about $5, he said.
A good coonhound can sell for $4,000 to $5,000, with some bringing up to $100,000, said David Gardin, the president of the North Carolina Coonhunters Association..
The AKC first registered black and tan coonhounds - one of six coonhound breeds - in 1945, but during the past 60 years there had been little mingling between hound owners and the AKC. Coonhound owners were more likely to register with the Professional Kennel Club or the United Kennel Club and the AKC didn't seem to mind. Now, their interests seem to have merged.
"The coonhound has been kind of like a subculture in the world of dogs," Fielder said, "but with the AKC involved the spotlight is shining on the breeds."
Speaking of rabbits, what is the best rabbit-hunting dog? My property is being invaded by rabbits and I'd like to keep the population under control.
Check this out. The Hack Smithdeal mentioned in the story shot Roy Faircloth (big car dealership) in the early fifties in Johnson City. Was acquitted on self defense.
There is a book, written by his daughter and she mentions a good deal about bear hunts that her daddy would lead. There's a picture of Roy Acuff eating a can of pork and beans and, iirc, one of about 8 bears they got.
Not only NO! But, Hell NO!
I wish more people who get involved in the working aspect of their breed, there is nothing like the bond you get working with a dog.
My English pointer puppies will never tree a coon, but they'll certainly be introduced to the working aspect of their breed come quail season...
Check this out:
http://www.coondawgs.com/
Bernie was also happy!
You don't know the Verien fur Deutsche Schaferhunde, then!
The parent (in the true sense) club of the German Shepherd REQUIRES all GS gunning for conformation titles finish work in SchHI at least.
As much work as that involves (alot more than just obedience), many people manage to get these titles by the time the dog is 2yo, and then he can go on to conformation TITLE (judgements can be made before then, but cannot have a title).
They are also very stringent about who get to breed - i.e., who is registrable. If your dog is not titled, or has poor hips, etc., his pups cannot be registered.
AKC doesn't need to be as anal as Germans are, but they SHOULD have some minimum for every breed, like a simple Novice Obedience title. It might help better ensure the dogs have some kind of mental/emotional capability.
The American Shepherd does not have a "sloped back", as implied here. Rather, their legs are so long that when they pose for the extreme 3-point stack, their butts end up near the ground.
GERMAN Shepherds are currently the 1s who have deformed not the hips, but the back. They have roach backs like greyhound breeds which they should NOT have! They also even when they trot look as if the butt is plowing the ground.
Both sides of the ocean have screwed up the GS - but there is still greatness out there (thanks, no doubt, to its unparalleled popularity in the world - there's a huge gene pool in reality). The "working" (i.e., working sport) GS in Europe are generally excellent in conformation - old-fashioned. But they have temperament/character (often way too high-drive and prey-driven, for a dog that's SUPPOSED to be a herding dog) and possibly other health issues.
AKC is not the only 1 who screws up things. Depends on what CLIQUE is ruling the roost.
I think your girl actually looks pretty good. Then again, I like a little leaner dog, a little more up on leg. From the photo she doesn't look weedy, just not overdone.
susie
Yikes. I can't imagine trying to get a 110 dog into a boat! Of course, I have hit a point (age) where I wonder why I didn't fall in love with a smaller breed. My other breed is even bigger.
susie
Have you thought about another coon hound? Maybe not the exact same type, because you hate to put unrealistic expectations on a young pup. . . .
They didn't call him L.A. for nothing.
I posted that in response to someone asking of hounds were all scent tracking dogs.
I've never seen an Azawakhs. I'll have to look that up.
I don't care for hounds so much myself. They are rather indepenent. I like to look at them, just don't want to have to train one! A friend of my husband's had a pack of dogs that were catahoula mixes (I think there was some airedale in there, and who knows what else). He hunted bear and pigs with them. OOOO those were well muscled dogs, but they didn't seem real friendly!
susie
It won't, as long as there are breeders out there who care to use them for their intended purpose and breed for that. And, I think labs are probably the most popular retrieving breed in the US (at least it would appear so).
susie
OO cute! BTW I had a pointer (spinone) who spent alot of time treeing the squirrels in the back yard. THEN he would point the tree! I wish I had gotten a photo of it.
susie
Perty dogs! (I love that color).
susie
I simply disagree with you. And, I'm quite aware of the German system. We looked into getting a Munsterlander before we settled on spinoni. But, the whole breed club warden thing seemed rather unAmerican to me!
susie
Looks like agility is definitely a possibility . . .
. . . here's a similar expression and pose on my baby . . .
Just add weave poles, and you'll be in business!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.