The American Farm Collie: Tuesday, October 12, 2010

What is an American Farm Collie?

American Farm Collies are a land-seer race of dogs developed from dogs brought from Europe to America. The origins of these dogs were mainly from various "collie" type dogs from places like Scotland and England. Long before the AKC came into existence, the term collie was a generic term for a type rather than a breed of dog. As the decades came and went, there came to be a standard dog you would expect to see when arriving at a typical small family farm. Dogs with certain features that carried across multiple breeds, they were hard to categorize. These dogs were bred by farmers who didn't bother keeping records written down, but rather through word of mouth. If a friend had a dog who did a good job, you'd ask them to mate with yours. The surviving pups would seldom be sold, but traded among the farmers and their family members.

As much as the farmer had to 'multi-task' so did their dogs. The average mid-west and western farmer had to be self-reliant, and so did their dogs. These dogs were not bred for looks but for deeds. No matter how beautiful the dog, if it chases chickens, eats chicks, barks at the livestock, or snaps at children his life on the farm will be short. Losing a beloved dog is a very common childhood memory for the children raised on farms. In today's world it seems harsh, but for a small farmer a dog who doesn't perform is a burden often to big to bear.

American Farm Collies have had to be able to earn their keep. They have had to thrive with little to eat provided by the farmer. They are expected to hunt down vermin. Track and kill small animals that may be harming crops or livestock , yet still stick close to the farm. Dogs with a tendency to roam would never do, neither would dogs who showed little interest in humans since they could be called upon at any moment to help out.

For family farmers from the 19th to the 21st centuries, the needs have changed little. As we enter the 21st century, family or 'homestead' farming is making a comeback in America and the need for American Farm Collies is on the rise again. Even today, for a farmer to justify the luxury of a dog there are several factors that have to be met. Just a few of these would include:

- stay at home without being prone to roam
- know the difference between wild prey and the farm chickens/rabbits/ducks/geese
- find and kill ground dwelling vermin that could destroy crops and grain/hay stores.
- alert to animals in danger
- alert to predators nearby
- alert to humans anywhere nearby, both friend and strangers
- track, hunt and or retrieve during hunting sessions
- herd when it was needed
- protect livestock when needed
- bring in the chickens to roast and protect the hen house at night
- bring in the rest of the livestock, and watch over the animals in the barn at night and in winter
- be gentle with babies and children
- pull a wagon filled with firewood or small crops
- lead a goat around to graze on a rope

One thing is certain, these dogs have to be energetic, smart, responsive, gentle, tough, calm, and always waiting help. They have to know when it's time to work, and time to rest. They can't be obsessive like a modern Border Collie. They must be responsive to whatever is happening around them at any moment, from catching and killing snakes to herding the chickens. These dogs have to think for themselves, yet be able to take directions. They have to learn fast and have the desire to please.

It takes several years of investment of time and energy to get even the best dogs to learn what their jobs are, so just finding the right puppy is a major project. A good farm dog is often loaned out to neighbors as an assist during hard times. Finding the dog who relishes the farmer's lifestyle is a lifelong hunt, and some are never privileged to find their 'perfect' dog. Those who do, spend the rest of their lives telling tales of their feats and acts of bravery.

These dogs have to be physically able to handle these varied chores, as well as handle the climate. Their coats have to clean itself, without grabbing foxtails and burrs. American Farm Collie coats can be light to medium in length, with a double or single coated depending on the pedigree line. The coat is always low shedding, and seldom, if ever, need brushing. Thick bushy coats are impractical for a multitude of reasons, and dogs with such coats are not usually bred.

The gentle expressive eyes of American Farm Collie dogs are a key trademark, and there are plenty of oil paintings and prose which celebrates those eyes. Unlike the appearance of the Modern AKC Collie, American Farm Collies get their looks from the landseer European collies of the Victorian era. Their eyes are medium to large and expressive. Queen Victoria sung the praises of her collie "Noble" on his tombstone:

“That liquid Melancholy eye
From whose pathetic soul-fed springs
Seemed surging the Virgilian cry,
The sense of tears in mortal things.”

What did Noble look like?
Noble: Queen Victoria's Prized Collie
He was born of what was then called a Scottish Collie which was again, a general term for a type of collie known to come from Scotland. Her love of these dogs brought them to the public's attention.

Victoria loved her common man's dogs, yet they were considered "mongrels" by the aristocratic elite and far too common to be worth the cost of a breeding program. There were a couple of breeders who sought to take the collie dog, and and "class it up". Around the turn of the century one very popular breeder felt it was their duty to 'improve' the breed and make it more regal, and to fit in with the fashions of the European aristocrats. A breed that was fashionable and in demand at the time were the Russian Wolfhound/Borzoi. There were lines of Scotch Collies that had similar elegant traits of the Borzoi, and they chose to breed them to the Borzoi to increase that elegance about them (and therefore more exclusive and valuable).

Despite these efforts, and without a wealthy group of philanthropists to sponsor their development, the common collie dogs still flourished. They didn't need anyone to sing their praises for them, their popularity was undeniable.

When the AKC arrived at the turn of the 19th century, all Collies were lumped into a single generic standard. Rather than break up collies into separate 'types' like the retrievers and terriers, they established a single standard. This left out a considerable population of the collie dog as it was then known. The standard that the AKC chose was not based on popularity, uses, nor on the existing land-race of dogs in existence. Instead, they arrived at a standard arbitrarily based on a very specific 'look'. Not all of the existing Collie pedigree lines fit into that "breed standard" and collie dogs who had floppy ears, lighter coats, hard stops, medium to large eyes and were on the small side were left out of the AKC's breeding pool.

The "common man's collie" have always been popular choice for a pet dog, as well as with family farmers. As the decades have flown by and family farms and homesteads have become a novelty, so have the dogs that were so often seen on them. In my opinion, it's because the general term Collie has specialized itself into a very specific dog breed, rather than a type. Unlike the term shepherd or terrier...the word collie has come to mean a single dog breed.

It's my wish to widen that term, to encompass dogs that ARE collie dogs but have never been supported by keeping a registry of pedigrees an have been excluded from the breeding pool. The only solution realistically is to form a NEW breed club that supports these efforts. A breed club which supports inclusive rather than exclusive traits, and keeping the stud book open. It's in preparation for opening such a breed club that this blog is dedicated.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Why the AKC is responsible for Puppy Mills

I just received an alert in my email from HSUS seeking legislation in Missouri to manage the thousands of puppy mills. Click to see their message

It's got me all worked up and I have to vent.

In my highly-opinionated opinion, the AKC should be charged a tax for every registration, and this fee would go toward paying for a national regulating agency. While the retail sales (aka pet store) of puppies is the lifeblood of puppy mills, the AKC is the also major contributor to puppy production facilities. The AKC supports their breeding practices by registering dogs bred and sold by anyone and without proof of parentage. The ability to claim they are selling AKC registered dogs is what drives these pet sales. If these dogs were not promoted as AKC Purebreds, they would not command thousands of dollars in pet stores. It's the engine that drives the whole thing. Yet, the AKC puts the onus onto the consumer with the old adage "buyer beware" as their excuse. Even the simple act of banning registrations from pet store sold dogs would at least alert the public that there is a concern on their part.

IMHO: The AKC was created to preserve and promote "well-bred" dogs. It was created by breeders who wanted to not just have a club, but show off their skills at breeding solid, healthy dogs. They wanted to preserve the breeds that men had invested money, energy and time to develop. It very quickly became a business. Instead of standing for stamp of a quality dog, the AKC has come to mean nothing to anyone with experience working with lots dogs. Dogs who are AKC are seldom healthier, and more often far less healthy on average than a so called mixed-breed dog. Just ask your vet who spends more money on vet bills.

What happened?

The AKC is simply a whore for the dog-breeding industry. I did not know this until I started researching dog breeding. I belong to of a couple dog breed forums where one would think discussions of how to assess healthy dogs would be a hot topic. I expected to learn a lot, but instead I continue to be shocked at the lack of education on basic animal husbandry shown by the majority of these breeders. On occasion, someone puts up an "ALERT" and sends out out an APB about the apparent devil, The HSUS. They get all riled up about privacy and start posting legal tricks to use to stop any agency from entering their property. Mind you, these are breeders claiming to be small family operations. Rather than being concerned at the reasons why the HSUS can get public support for it’s efforts, they focus on trying to defame them as being extremists looking for excuses to shut them down. Even the people who I had come to believe were 'reputable' appear to support these discussions. I can't help but be appalled at how worried they are about being legislated out of business, yet not a thing is done to self-regulate their own industry. ANY other industry would be scrambling to establish regulatory guidelines to avoid government regulation. Rather than showing leadership and setting an example, the AKC excuses themselves away. Why? I'm guessing the amount of money generated from the registrations from these puppy mills is a huge contributor to their bottom line, and helps them meet self-imposed growth projections. I am quite sure these puppy-mill-kennels are also involved politically and financially within the AKC itself.

Since it's left to the public rather than the industry to regulate these unscrupulous business practices I propose that retail puppy sales should be banned nationally. It would stop puppy mill style kennels. All kennels putting out a certain number of litters per year would be charged significant fees per litter to PAY FOR THEIR OWN regulatory agency. Regulations would require the AKC to report all kennels with new registrations. If it ups the price of an AKC dog, all the better.

I'm also disgusted with the AKC's breed groups who don't take leadership roles within their OWN breed! These breed clubs have the ability to completely control this problem, all they have to do is require that dogs can only be registered by breed club licensed breeders and kennels, and DNA proof of parentage would be required.

Dogs would have provisional registration until 2 years of age; dogs showing proof of genetic disorder clearances as well as DNA parentage proof would then get a breeding registration. Puppies bred from dogs under the age of 2 could never be registered. Those that are not cleared of genetic disorders would have to be spayed/neutered to clear their provisional status. These dogs would still be considered AKC, and be able to compete in showmanship, agility and obedience classes. The AKC would blanket the national airwaves with educational videos, tv show appearances and PBS documentaries teaching the explaining the need for these changes in their policies. Advising the public not to pay money for ANY purebred puppy without PROOF of provisional AKC registration by the breeder, and (rather than the breeder putting it up to the client to do, which allows for the current typical breeder policy allowing falsifying AKC pedigrees). The REPUTABLE breeders and breed clubs would support this by repeating it over and over again to anyone talking about PURCHASING (no, it's not adopting) a purebred dog. In addition they would be in the forefront of informing the public of the horrors of puppy mill operations, and pet store puppies. By educating the public, the breeders would be PROTECTING their industry by increasing not only the perceived value but also supporting the price of their own product. As you can see, it makes sense not only on a moral level, but just as importantly on business level.

This seems so simple to me, and I'd always assumed that they already did something like that.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not a member of PETA and I'm not a vegetarian. I feel as a society we have a stewardship over all the creatures in our care. As a nation we need to hold each of ourselves to the highest standards of humanity. It's not just important to hold our human caretakers responsible for their actions, but our animal caretakers as well. As our society has evolved, our respect for the sanctity of all life has become a hallmark. It's that respect for life that other nations may claim is our weakness, but I believe is our strength.

End of Rant.