Bakersfield 1993 A USA Sieger Show With "An Attitude"

By Ricardo E. Carbajal

With the successful completion of the fourth annual USA Sieger Show, in Bakersfield, California, the momentum of the USA breed program has imbedded itself as a permanent institution in this country and given American breeders a true and reliable breed standard.

"And this year, the judge will award the titles of VA to the first three dogs…" the voice of the translator was drowned in a sudden murmur of surprise and excitement and a prolonged session of cheers and applause. It was the first time in USA history when three males and three females of the working dog class and achieved the highest title of Excellent Select (VA).

This decision made by the judges means a great deal more than the prestige and recognition it brings to the breeders and owners of the VA animals. It speaks of the judges’ perception of the depth of quality presented this year at the show, it is a vote of confidence in the future of our breed in this country, but above all, it constitutes a reward for the efforts of a nation struggling through the painful process of coming into the mainstream of world competition – something we have done so well at the working level, and now, finally, we begin to see glimpses of in breed events as well.

"It is a ridiculous thought," Johannes Grewe, chairman of this year’s Sieger Show, said, his face red with emotion and the effects of a blistering desert sun after the first day of competition, "that a Sieger Show would be canceled because there is no one in the country willing to take on the responsibility." "This can never happen in the history of our country…And if next year no one can do it, bring the show back to Sunland Schutzhund Club and we will do it again, and the year after that, and the one after that too." The standing ovation at the end of his speech, delivered before a large crowd at the banquet on Saturday night, left little doubt of the commitment of USA members to the perpetuation and growth of breed events, especially at the national level. But an even stronger sign of this commitment was the announcement that for the first time we know a full year in advance where the next Sieger Show will be held

The Greater Washington D.C. Schutzhund Group is fired up and ready to go. In their extremely well presented proposal they write: "With your approval, our group will offer a show we believe will rival all others." It would be a turning point in our development to have this event planned and prepared with ample time, and it is, above all, a strong indicator of the new direction we have taken.

The road has been arduous, and it has not been easy to keep the flame alive, but at this year’s show it was apparent that the flame was burning stronger than ever in the hearts and minds of participants. Yet there is much to do and much more to learn, and in that spirit, instead of giving a step by step account of the event, let me rather give you an impression of the lessons learned at this year’s Sieger show and some information that will be useful to the betterment of the breed.

The "Too Large to Handle" Syndrome

Once again the show was a success, and once again only a handful of people made it possible. In fact, in retrospect there has not yet been a Sieger show that has not been managed by a reduced group of strong and dedicated individuals. This year was no exception. Johannes Grewe, a "master of magic," pulled off what at first seemed impossible—a very good, and well organized show in a very short time. With only four months to put together and event he went to work with enthusiasm and determination. With my curiosity mounting and the impending deadlines coming near, I would call Johannes to ask how things were going and whether I could help. The answer was always the same "Everything is under control, Ricardo, don’t worry." Having been on the organizing end the year before, I became very puzzled by his nonchalant approach. When I finally arrived in Bakersfield, things finally became clear: The key to the success of a show which had all odds against it was contained in one word: simplicity.

I was reminded of what my favorite soccer sportscaster always says: "Things always appear simple when done by those who know." This difficult "simplicity" is the result of experience and an understanding of what is essential, and Johannes’ group did not miss anything of essence: Large and comfortable rings, a very nice hotel, a fun, well-catered banquet with professional entertainment, good food and beer, incredible trophies, beautiful collector’s shirts, the nicest show catalog I have yet seen, and plenty of good laughs and camaraderie. I am sure the hours were long and the efforts great, but you wouldn’t know it by watching the organizers sitting down, beer in hand, laughing and having a great time with the rest of the group.

The idea that a show of this size requires a huge group with vast resources was once again challenged. However, "rainmakers" like Johannes are few and our organization should not need to depend on such individuals year after year. Our new area rotation system will send the Sieger Show from one part of the country to another and it will be important that groups know that hosting such an event is rewarding, profitable, fun, and always possible, as long as at least a small group of people are willing and dedicated. Much has been done already to instruct potential hosts and minimize efforts. Recently a complete manual on how to organize a Sieger Show and conformation events was produced and made available to future hosts through the USA office was furnished with a computer program designed to make Sieger Show and breed event management much simpler. Let’s take advantage of these new resources.

The Washington DC experience must be duplicated from now on. Every year at the time of the Sieger Show we must be able to announce the location of next year’s event. But this can only be done with area support and by leaving aside the "too large to handle syndrome" which has hounded us for so long.

State of the Breed(ers) in America

As I have mentioned in previous articles, the main barometer of progress in a country is the quality of the home-bred dogs. As crucial as it is to import high quality stock in the beginning stages of development, it is futile unless followed by skilled and sensible breeding. The importing game is usually won by the best connected, the richest, or those who constantly seek good opportunities. We are all indebted to those who have the means or the luck to bring solid building blocks to our nation. However, the future lies not in the hands of skilled importers but in the efforts of the artful breeders.

To encourage such breeding, USA has established a new program presented for the first time at this year’s Sieger Show: The "Born in the USA" award. This is a prestigious award given to dogs bred in the US who attain high honors at national working or breed events. This year a breeder would receive the award at the Sieger Show if their dog received a 1st through 3rd place win with a rating of SG in the Young Dog or Youth Classes, or a V or better rating in the working dog class.

The recipients of this award this year were:

These number show that American breeders are alive and well. Three quarter of all the young dogs presented this year (some of which took high honors) came from our own breeders. This suggests that there is a force of young, upcoming stars that should eventually work their way up to the adult working classes and do well. However, that is still only a promise. Only 4 home-bred dogs (out of 30) were registered in the top class, and only one took the rating of V (Excellent).

Another disturbing statistic is that only 30% of the American-bred dogs entered, were registered with USA. This speaks loudly of our members’ lack of commitment and understanding regarding the value and importance of our own breed registry.

The Progeny Groups:

Finally Done Right

The backbone of a country’s breeding program is the utilization and evaluation of the top producing sires. This is why every Sieger Show’s main event should be the presentation of the progeny groups. This is where sires are showcased, where they show their strengths and, yes, just as importantly, reveal their weaknesses.

This type of evaluation is a foreign concept to the culture of our country. We think in terms of being "owners of a dog" rather than "keepers of a breed." We think in terms of "winning" rather than perpetuating." We go to great lengths to protect the "image" of our dog, often hiding potential problems and genetic flaws. We are aghast at the idea that someone would interpret our dog’s potential and shortcomings, and worst of all, make those results public! This concern with image rather than substance brings tremendous negative consequences to the breed.

The epitome of a system of "nondisclosure" has produced the current American German Shepherd show dog (sponsored by the GSDCA), and also the distortion of many breeds through AKC show procedures. These organizations’ greatest pitfalls are their lack of a standard criteria for evaluating breed quality and type and, most of all, the non-existence of detailed, technical record-keeping, especially regarding stud dogs. One of the most common phrases heard in American show circles is, "I don’t show under this judge because he doesn’t like my dog’s type," as if this were a matter of personal taste and interpretation. Breed correctness is not subject to personal opinion. But to achieve and retain consensus we must have a highly technical language able to describe such characteristics as proper angulation, length and placement of croup, upper arms, shoulder blades, strength of ligament, secondary sex characteristics, coat color length and texture, pigmentation, proportions, and correct character (to name just a few). A breed organization will guard breed quality through the publication of breeding in formation , such as breed surveys, show critiques, trial results, and stud dog producing capabilities.

This philosophy requires that we see things in a new light: every dog (including our own) is just another link in the pursuit of the ideal, and not and end in itself. Good breeders are always concerned with the next generation, not the current one. Every stud and dam is a "filter" of genetic information. They are a friend, but also an enemy. They must be highly regarded, but also guarded against. The greatest breeders around the world always impress me by one single characteristic, their strong "breed guardian" attitude. They speak of every stud dog as if they owned it. When an important animal appears on the scene or is imported to the country, it automatically becomes patrimony of the breeder’s community. They are thrilled to have it, they use it immediately, they tear it apart, evaluate it, praise it, criticize it, but the one thing they will never, ever do, is ignore it or dismiss it.

So far, our Sieger Shows have depended on the stud-owners’ initiative to present a dog in a progeny group. This approach (contrary to SV rules, by the way) resulted in a meager showing at the first three Sieger Shows. This year the organizers made a bold move which I think will be remembered as one of the historic turning points in our breed. They requested that any male dog, (whether shown or not, whether in this country or not), who had three or more sons and daughters shown, present a progeny group. "This is how it is done, Ricardo," Johanness passionately explained on the phone. "People need to see what all these dogs are producing, not just the ones that the owners think are nice enough to win. We must see them all, the good and the bad."

The results were excellent. Eleven groups were featured in the catalog. Five of them were shown. (Those that were not were mostly due to the absentees that dropped the group below three). Here are the results of this event: