NORWEGIAN ELKHOUND FORUM

I was recently speaking with some (non-Elkhound) breeder friends after a training class and the subject got round to what wins we had had in the ring of late. I mentioned that the previous week we had made up (or “finished” as we would say here in the U.S.) the Championship on a bitch who had boomeranged back to us due to the death of her previous owner and who was now very happily in a new home with a co-owner she adores and is doing wonderful things in the agility ring as well. I also proudly mentioned that all of her wins to her title had come from our Bred By Exhibitor class – a class designed here for breeders to “showcase their wares” if you will – and one which if you make up a Championship solely from this class, you are awarded a medallion from the American Kennel Club. It is a very revered class here – one in which you are saying “I bred it, and I’m proud of it!” – and not always the easiest one to win from, thus the recognition from the AKC.

My friends wanted to know if The Kennel Club in England offered rewards for wins from this class as well at which point I had to tell them that such a class was (at least to my knowledge) not offered in the U.K. ...which got me to thinking – I wondered why not? and what our U.K. friends think about this situation? Curious to know if it were on offer, would it be a class you would support?

Note: This is unlike your Breeder's class which you hold after tickets are awarded and have multiple entries. The class I speak of is one for a single dog in which the winner would qualify to come back in for the dog or bitch Challenge.

Good point; I know people who are really proud of their wins inn the "Bred By" class in the USA. Would it work here? At this moment in time I doubt it very much since we have hardly anyone breeding AND showing. If I were breeding it's a class I would be proud to enter. What are your entries like generally in this class? We're generally only getting one person in the Breeder class we have now which I know is very different but I can't see entries in a bred by class being much different.

Interesting comments all. To answer Diana’s query, there are generally only one or two in this class at local Championship shows in this part of the U.S. (keeping in mind that our breed entries have been very low… many shows having no entries at all). However, at specialties, this class is well supported and many times (particularly with a breeder-judge) the eventual Winners Dog or Winners Bitch will come from this class. Yes, Barbara, I am always very proud when dogs of ours who have gone to other owners in this country or abroad have done themselves and their owners proud in the ring… we share in their joy. But I also think it is important for people to have a visual in what a breeder keeps for themselves in a continuing line and improving their stock in doing so. This should be a learning exercise for aspiring breeders in how others combine bloodlines, minimize faults, accent the positive and condition their dogs in general.

Here it is not necessary to completely breed/own/show the individual. You can be a co-breeder and have a co-owner as well. I find that many times the co-ownership is the best solution as it allows the breeder to still present an individual they are proud of. Many times the co-owner is someone who is not capable to presenting a dog due to physical challenges, stage fright, other commitments, etc. So overall, I find this to be a win-win situation for all and the dog earns their “just desserts” as well. And maybe… just maybe… with a little cooperation between breeder and owner it might add another entry or two to each show. Knowing the situation of the number of shows losing CC’s each year, I ponder what can be done to try and get the breed back to popularity once again.