2017 Nov Dec

Stockdog Corner
Terry Martin • Bryan, Texas
History continued . . .
I
am going to continue this article on from my last Stockdog
Corner, where I offered an Aussie and ASCA history lesson.
That column led to where we were at that time. A five-member
majority of the board had decided to offer an instinct test
(calling it by another name) to ASCA’s Stockdog Program. The
Stockdog Program is a totally unique program in the dog world.
It was introduced in the mid-1970s for the purpose of identifying
the competent and outstanding
Australian Shepherd and thus
to help preserve traits unique
to the breed. The concept of
an instinct test, by whatever
name one tags it with, had been
avoided by ASCA Stockdog
Committees and ASCA Boards
for over 40 years. At the time I
wrote my last column there had
been overwhelming opposition
to this new idea promoted by a bare majority of the board, and they
had withdrawn their motion.
Things change fast when a majority wants to override the other
four as well as the input from the members involved in a program,
ranging from committee members, judges, course directors, to the
exhibitors themselves, as well as members who see the decline
in credibility this would bring to an ASCA program. The Board
majority sent it to the Stockdog Committee with instructions of
what they expected and a very short timetable. Next, they made a
motion to accept their chosen program with a two-day discussion
period and passed that motion 5 to 4. Within days, and before
any instructional material had been written, three Affiliates had
sanctioned an event. All three judges of these events voted in favor
of the motion that became effective immediately and was not yet
in the program rules.
At this point in time there is a new program called Introduction
to Stock – or Introduction to Stockdog Program (I have seen it
written both ways).
During a lot of persuasive and sometimes heated discussion
on ASCA’s official discussion list, the ASCA-L, the Board voted
to take ASCA’s name and their “official status” off of the group
that had existed for 20+ years. It now has a new name and is no
longer a part of ASCA, so there is no official place to discuss Board
motions and activity. The discussion list does exist under another
name, but no longer has any official capacity.
I am going to continue this article
on from my last Stockdog Corner,
where I offered an Aussie and
ASCA history lesson.
For ASCA to protect this single breed we all love through a
unique program developed to identify the dogs and bloodlines who
retain these instincts and abilities, the ideals must be kept high. New
people and new dogs have always been welcome into this program
as they should be. Clinics and playdays put on by private entities
and by affiliate clubs should and always have been available for
folks to see if their dogs have the talent to handle livestock. They
are a great way for people to see
if it is something they want to
do with their dogs.
Sanctioning such events
and having ASCA judges give
out evaluations for what a
dog does when it sees stock is
not in the best interest of the
breed or the club. This new
activity requires sanctioning
and also requires the club to
use an ASCA Stockdog Judge as clinician. The qualifications for
becoming an ASCA Stockdog Judge does not include experience or
expertise in teaching or in dealing with novice people. Instructors
in any venue must have have those abilities. Many clinicians in
the stockdog world are not ASCA judges and many ASCA judges
have no expertise or desire to be a clinician.
There is a reason why ASCA gives titles to dogs earning them
in the Started Division. It is an official indication that this dog may
have some instinct to do a job unique to stockdogs. No more and
no less. I have competed in and watched many Started classes and
in fact would rather watch it than Advanced. A dog with a minimal
amount of working instinct that can be called off or stopped, can
earn a STD. It’s as low as a program instituted to identify a specific
instinct and talent should go!
AUSSIE TIMES November-December 2017 83