CSV Included in AKC Companion Events
 

I was just doing some research and came across something a little surprising. As of 1-1-10, The Czechoslovakian Vlcak is eligible to participate in AKC Companion Events! These events include Obedience, Tracking, Agility, and Rally.

The reason I'm so surprised at the CSV's inclusion in these events (which is great news, by the way!) is the requirements for a breed's inclusion:

I'm curious, has there been a breed standard submitted to the AKC?!? :shock: Either way, the dogs are still recognized, which is really great news. I was just wondering if I'd missed something! :lol:

Yep! I'm training with a local AKC tracking club (with an AKC judge, at that), and eagerly looking forward to getting our certification to go to a trial! Everyone has been impressed with the working style and drive of Bongo and Anthea (even though Bongo has been classifed "deer poop happy") :)

I think AKC felt obliged to admit the "rest of the breeds" once they started the program for mixed-breeds - obviously, we weren't going to spay/neuter our dogs to meet the requirements for that program, so effectively, we were the only owners who had paid our dues and couldn't do anything in the AKC.

Incidentally, I think the lady who originally got the breed admitted for FSS recording submitted a standard way back then. Sadly, she no longer has her dog - she said it wasn't an appropriate breed for her family, and warned against breeding in the US when I had contact with her (she was not originally from the US, but immigrated here).:?

On a side note, Vicky - one of my little boys will be headed to live in Chicago next weekend.;-)

Marcy

Marcy, that's so awesome that you're getting into tracking! That's actually what I was looking up when I was on the site. :) I was thinking I would want to get into tracking in the future when we eventually are in a position to own a CSV, and I realized that it would be a good activity for our dog NOW! He's a husky that we rescued, so although we can't get him fully registered with the AKC, we can get him put on another listing that would let him compete. Now I just need to find a tracking club out here!

Since you're already training your dogs, do you have any advice on where to start? I'm kind of at a loss at how you'd initially get a dog to start following a particular scent or trail. I've seen there are books on the subject, are there any you would recommend?

Also, that's very exciting about one of your babies! :D Think down the line they'd let me visit? ;) haha Do you know if they're planning on working/showing their dog or not?

That puppy is going primarily as a companion, and he seems like a very nice person (I will meet him in person when he flies out here next weekend); I'd imagine once everyone is settled, he'd be fine with you visiting.

My tracking club suggested "Tracking from the Ground Up" (Susan Boyd, I think?) as a book to get started - it was very helpful, but you have to keep in mind (for distances, especially at the beginning) that the authors specialized in Shelties. You use "food drops" - hot dog - at intervals in the beginning for motivation, gradually these are phased out. It's amazing how dogs "get it". Tracking is...like meditation. If you can find a good club even better, trackers are some of the coolest, most down to earth people ever - they - we - really enjoy nature and the elements.

Good luck!
Marcy

We're already planning on obedience (and other) events with this. If you want to talk to a club that has been rather active with this (and is the breed of the first FSS dog to get titled) - speak to the ABLA (American Belgian Laekenois Association). (Laekenois in all other clubs are a "varitey" of the Belgian shepherd (along with the malinois, tervuern, and groenendale (sheepdog)) yet AKC sees them as 4 breeds).

Form what it looked to be the club was quite proactive to get their dogs out in the working field.

I think my wife plans on having Luna out on the shutzhund field this weekend (for puppy play with the helpers).