Letters and Messages
To & From the
ARF Registrar
An E-Mail from a unnamed ARF Supporter
Re: The ARF and the Australian Shepherd
He writes: “I e-mailed them and told them that the ARF was still very much ALIVE
- - - this comment that they made is VERY bad for your business, maybe it would
be better if you e-mailed them and told them the registry was in business!
Thanks! The web site is:
http://www.abquisto.com/history/
and
their e-mail address is info@abquisto.com .”
ARF Registrar’s answer to the above
e-mail: “Here is what was shown on the above web site; apparently, the author
didn’t take time to research her material thoroughly, and has distorted the
true historical facts regarding the original ARF Registration of the Australian
Shepherd by Mr. Tom D. Stodghill, 1903-1989, Founder of the ARF.
Further, her error in stating that “his registry died with him” has
influenced many, I’m sure.”
The original web site’s comment, forwarded
by the unnamed ARF supporter via e-mail:
“Although the dog’s recorded
history has only been for a short time, since 1952, [by] a private registry
started by Mr. Tom D. Stodghill of Quinlan, Texas, called Animal Research
Foundation or ARF. Mr. Stodghill died in 1988 and his registry died with
him. The
first official meeting to organize the Australian Shepherd Club of America,
known as ASCA, was June 9, 1957. For a time ASCA used the registration numbers
to register the dogs from National Stockdog Registry, or NSD, a Division of the
International English Shepherd Registry, Inc.
There were two other Registries in the old days.
The International Australian Shepherd Assn., or IASA, they started
registering the breed in 1966, but by 1979, IASA and ASCA merged their
registries under the one Name of the Australian Shepherd Club of America. The
Australian Shepherd was accepted to The American Kennel Club, or AKC, in
1993.”
ARF Registrar’s answer to the above web
site’s historical record:
“Dear
Sir/Madam:
“The attached e-mail was forwarded to the ARF office, Quinlan, Texas,
August 5, 2002, regarding Mr. Tom D. Stodghill, Founder of the Animal Research
Foundation [ARF]. After reviewing your web site, I regret that some of your
published statements about Mr. Stodghill and the ARF are false, i.e., “MR.
STODGHILL DIED IN 1988 AND HIS REGISTRY DIED WITH HIM”. Mr. Stodghill did not die
in 1988, and his registry did not die with him, either. Mr. Stodghill passed away June 14, 1989, and the Foundation [ARF]
has never lost a day of operation since his passing away.
Therefore, as President of ARF and ARF Genealogist & Registrar, I am
providing you this NOTICE to remove your false data from your web site.
In addition, since your web site is for public viewing, we will require
that a public announcement be made, to read as follows:
“On
this 5th day of August, I/we, ________, have been informed by Mr. Al
Walker, ARF President, Genealogist & Registrar for the Animal Research
Foundation, 11182 Highway 34 South, Quinlan, Texas, 75474, that our historical
data is incorrect, where we state:
‘MR. STODGHILL DIED IN 1988 AND HIS
REGISTRY DIED WITH HIM.’
“Therefore,
your data on Australian Shepherds should have read:
‘Mr. Stodghill died in 1989, and his
registry is still in the business of registering Australian Shepherds, along
with 250-plus other breeds of canines. For
more information on the ARF, you can view their web site at www.animalresearchfoundation.com
.’
“CAVEAT:
If this is not done from ten [10] days of this notice, further legal action may
be taken, plus punitive damages for claiming that ‘HIS
REGISTRY DIED WITH HIM’.”
“I
would appreciate your confirming the receipt of this e-mail, and if you have any
question regarding this message, you can call me, fax me, or contact me at our
e-mail address.
“Sincerely,
“Al
Walker, ARF President, Genealogist & Registrar
ANIMAL
RESEARCH FOUNDATION”
Ms. Barbara Applegate responds to the ARF
Registrar’s E-mail on August 7th ; she writes:
“I now have the information
corrected on the index page on Australian Shepherd History.
Take a look and see if the changes meet your satisfaction.
http://www.abquisto.com/history/
“If
there are any other changes let me know. I
appreciate the heads up on the incorrect information and glad to have it
corrected. I only had some
newspaper clippings to go on. So thanks again.
“I
had moved and was off line for a month so I am playing catch up, so sorry for
the delay in the fixing of the site.
“I
would like to add a page in the year 1957 or 1958 as to the first Aussies that
were registered with your registry. Such
as their registered names and numbers, sires and dams, color and date of birth
and maybe their owners names. It
would make a nice addition to keeping the history straight.
Thank you so much for your help and I’m glad for the corrected
information.
“Have a great day…….. Barbara Applegate”
ARF Registrar’s answer to Ms.
Applegate’s e-mail:
“August
8, 2002
“Dear
Ms. Applegate,
“Thank
you for a fast response and for your attention in making the ARF corrections.
However, before I make any further suggestion, let me take a moment to
introduce myself to you. Again, my
name is Al Walker; I am President of the Animal Research Foundation, a/k/a the
ARF. I am one of Mr. Stodghill’s three sons-in-law, having
married the youngest of his three daughters, Nora Jean Stodghill, in 1964.
As a result of Mr. Stodghill’s untimely death, I was elected to the
position I hold today, and this past June completed my 13th year in
office. We have made many policy
changes since you last did business with Mr. Stodghill in the 1980’s, and we
are very grateful for what we have been able to accomplish for all our members
since that time.
“As
an international animal registry, having ARF-registered animals on every
continent, we promote and record the following procedures, i.e., OFA and
Pennhipp evaluations, DNA mapping, etc. Further,
we are very proud of Mr. Stodghill’s accomplishments – he was the first to
organize the English Shepherd Club of America and promote the breed.
He was the first to recognize and register the Catahoula Leopard Cowdog
in 1951, the Australian Shepherd in 1959, the Australian Cattledog Queensland
Heeler in 1965, and the list has grown from there.
In 1983, Mr. Stodghill published the first book ever written on Catahoula
Leopard Cowdogs, and, weeks later, AKC purchased it for its library.
“As
a result of ARF’s work, many have assumed they can just take over what has
taken us decades to accomplish; therefore, we have seen many so-called
“registries” come and go. And,
because we have been interested in preserving many rare breeds, and developing
new breeds of canines, again, many think that they can register just any animal
by profiling the breed, i.e., as customary by the Continental Kennel Club [CKC].
Therefore, before we will allow anyone to double-register a
‘pure-bred’ animal with the Foundation, they will need to present at least
an authentic 5-generation extended pedigree from a bona fide “Club”, and/or
“Registry” that have been ARF-approved.
“Now,
in regards to the history of the ARF-registered ‘Australian Shepherd’: No
later than 1952, Mr. Frederick Preston Search, of Carmel Valley, California,
then-President of the English Shepherd Club of America, Quinlan, Texas,
long-time friend and co-worker with Mr. Tom D. Stodghill, researched many
California canines for the Animal Research Foundation. As a result of Mr.
Search’s efforts, he tracked down the history of the ‘Australian
Shepherd’, the name that was given to this breed during the 1849 California
Gold Rush days. As he talked to the many California ranchers, he encouraged
Mr. and Mrs. D. R. Breazeale, of Modesto, California, to register their first
‘Australian Shepherd’ with the Foundation [ARF], which they did on September
3, 1959. ‘Lady’ was the first
of many Australian Shepherds that were ARF-registered by the Breazeales.
In the ‘Stodghill’s Animal Research Magazine’, Winter Edition,
1959-1960, Mr. Stodghill published the first advertisement for the Breazeales.
The ad read:
“ ’TRUE TYPE AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERDS:
Natural Bob Australian
Shepherd Blue Heelers. Long Tails
Permissible, but not desirable. One
of the oldest breeds of purebred stock dogs from the mountains of Australia. REGISTERED AND APPROVED BY THE ANIMAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION….
Mr. & Mrs. Don R. Breazeale, Modesto, Cal., Route 8, Box 816-A
- Phone LA 2-8270 or LA
2-8237’ [On the same page of the ad, the ARF defined the breed with a short
detailed breed standard.]
“In
the 1965 Christmas edition of the ‘Stodghill’s Animal Research Magazine’,
Mr. Stodghill wrote an article on the ‘Origin of the Australian Shepherd’.
For those who are interested, we will make Mr. Stodghill’s article
available on our web site.
“From
1957 thru the 1980’s, many ASCA members were registering their dogs with Mr.
Stodghill; they agreed with his philosophy about the dog’s history, the way
the dogs were to be bred, and the way they were to be trained.
Therefore, on February 1, 1970, Mr. Stodghill was presented a letter from
the AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD CLUB OF AMERICA, Inc., announcing that Mr. Stodghill had
been awarded a LIFE-TIME HONORARY MEMBERSHIP in the Australian Shepherd Club of
America, Inc., and that the award would give him full voting privileges, and
that he would receive the ‘AUSSIE TIMES’, and all Special Notices and
Ballots.
“Today,
I have the AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD CLUB OF AMERICA’S presented letter hanging on
my office wall as a reminder of Mr. Stodghill’s trusting nature, and those who
failed to give him credit, when credit was due. [I’m not sure that he did not
turn over in his grave when the ‘Australian Shepherd’ was accepted into the
AKC. I know this, if he were alive
and had an ASCA voting privilege, AKC would have never gotten his vote.].
“However,
as you take people down memory lane, Mr. Stodghill’s work and the Animal
Research Foundation’s historical record have more substance than just a
footnote, i.e., if it had not been for Mr. Stodghill, there would have been no
‘National Stockdog Registry’ [a division of ‘The International English
Shepherd Registry’ – created by Mr. E. G. Emanuel, Butler, Indiana, 1954 –
a faction that sprung from the ‘English Shepherd Club of America’, Quinlan,
Texas, 1950-1954. Therefore, no
‘Australian Shepherd Club of America’, etc. would have existed without the
work that Mr. Stodghill and Mr. Search put forth.
“We
regret that so many young people have no idea of the real players, those who
were responsible in making the ‘Australian Shepherd’ what it used to be.
Again, we are saddened by the fact that the ‘Australian Shepherd’ is
now an AKC recognized breed. Why? Two
reasons. 1.) Popularity of the
breed, and 2.) Conformation. Therefore
if a breed is bred for popularity sake, many breeders will have no scruples in
breeding for appearance only. When
this happens, the working ability disappears, and, more often than not, due to a
lot of inbreeding, canines can become aggressive in their nature as their usual
mild temperament declines. [If a
breed has a propensity towards any genetic condition, inbreeding will just
exacerbate the problem.] Then on
top of this, you have AKC politics with which to contend.
How many breeders do you know that are showing their dogs themselves, in
the AKC show ring? Generally, to
get any recognition, you have to hire an AKC handler, and you better have plenty
of money to put into the AKC coffers before you will receive any championship
titles from them. As a result of
AKC’s program, the ARF has been monitoring the AKC for more than fifty years
– we know of AKC hunting dogs that cannot hunt, we know of AKC dogs that
cannot retrieve, we know of AKC German Shepherds with notorious hips, we know of
AKC St. Bernards that have attacked children, we know of AKC Australian Cattle
Dogs that cannot even heel a cow, etc. It
has been the philosophy of the ARF that all working breeds need to earn a
working title, before they can earn a title in a ‘beauty contest’.
AKC does not see fit to perpetuate that philosophy among its breeders;
therefore, we are seeing the working qualities disappear, but they have a
‘pretty’ dog to show off – which in most cases is worthless for the
intentions of which it was originally bred.
“Now
that I have given you our official position on the AKC, may I suggest that you
revise your ‘Welcome to A Historical Trip Down Memory Lane’, to read:
“Mr. Tom D. Stodghill, Genealogist,
Educator, Founder of the English Shepherd Club of America and the Animal
Research Foundation, researched the Australian Shepherd from 1952 to 1959.
ARF registered the first Australian Shepherd in 1959; in 1970, the
Australian Shepherd Club of America presented him with a ‘Life-Time Honorary
Membership Award’. Mr. Stodghill
passed away in 1989 after directing the Foundation for 42 years.
Today, the ARF continues Mr. Stodghill’s work by researching and
registering Australian Shepherds, plus 250 other standard and rare breeds, along
with educating its members on breeding techniques.
To learn more about ARF and its mission, you can view the web site at www.animalresearchfoundation.com
.
“If
you have any questions about the ARF, or any of the many breeds we recognize, I
will do my best to assist you. Thank
you for your time and your work, and for what you are doing for the Australian
Shepherd.
“Sincerely,
“Al
Walker, ARF Genealogist & Registrar
ANIMAL
RESEARCH FOUNDATION”
ARF
/ Common Law Copyright - 2002
All Rights Reserved, UCC 1-207
June 13, 2002
Dear Mr. Walker,
We are in the process of
getting a female Catahoula puppy for Boone. Breeder of the litter is Mary
Longevin, Hawkestone, Ontario, Canada. My question - what is your take on
breeding a dark blue leopard like Boone to a brindle? There's a lovely
brindle in the litter, I like her deep (strong) chest and her head is like
Boone. What color(s) do leopard/brindle produce? Of course I realize
background comes in here, especially whether Boone carries red or not. Any
contraindications for leopard/brindle matings?
Another question - in your opinion, is the Southern Cur a less dog - aggressive strain than the Catahoula? In the future we may want a second female and consider looking for something slightly more gentle with other dogs. Any suggestions for bloodlines?
As always, I value your opinion and thank you sincerely for your help now and in the past.
Sincerely,
| Rachel Lapp Silkgrass Kennels 3333 Cassadaga Road Cassadaga, New York 14718 |
Sweetwater Boone |
|
June 19, 2002
Dear Ms. Lapp,
Thank you for your letter, concerning a mate for "Boone", and as to what colors leopard/brindle Catahoulas produce.
The Ideal mate for Boone would be a solid-colored Catahoula, to help avoid tendencies to "deafness" and "blindness". As in the case of other breeds carrying the "Spotted" or "Merle" colors, problems have sometimes occurred with "deafness" and/or "poor eyesight" when Catahoulas of the "Leopard-spotted" color are bred together.
In regards to the
brindle pup you are considering, is he/she a "solid" brindle puppy? Or,
does the pup's coat also contain some "white" spots, or "merle" coloring?
(Hopefully, you have had an opportunity to see the parents of this pup, or
photos. Keep in mind that four-tone "leopard-spotted" color is preferred
by most people, with blue or red background with black spots, tan trim, white
markings, and blue eyes.)
Regarding future breeding, your spotted leopard and brindle addition will carry dominant and recessive genes. Therefore, according to the laws of genetics, 50% of future pups will be like the dominant parent, but who really carries a "recessive gene", and 50% of the pups will be like the recessive parent. That is, all the puppies carry either one or two "recessive genes" for the color (characteristic) in question.
In regards to aggression in dogs (Southern Curs or others), this is the serious behavior problem any pet owner must contend with, and it is largely preventable if the dog owner understands canine growth periods and the factors that influence the development of aggressive behavior.
There are many factors that will determine aggression in a dog, e.g., genetics (protective breeds such as Dobermans, Rottweilers, etc.), inbreeding can create unstable temperament, environment (living conditions, lack of socialization, teasing, etc.). It should be obvious that dogs are not people. All dogs have a pack order that determines their social rank - some dogs occupy a dominant (alpha) status, others have a low rank (omega) status. When dogs live with people, they look at "man" as members of the pack, and try to establish their place in the social order by challenging the more submissive family members, particularly children. Therefore, if a dog displays a dominant gesture, such as growling while guarding his food bowl, and is not corrected for this behavior, they have established a dominance to build on with any or all the family members. Little by little, the dog gains in "status" over one or all family members.
To become the dominant leader of your pack, consider the following:
Puppies should be purchased at 7 and 8 weeks of age for proper socialization.
8 to 10 weeks, the puppy should be handled gently by both you and your children.
14 weeks of age starts the dog's juvenile period that ends when the pup reaches sexual maturity (14 to 16 months). During this time, they begin to bark at strangers and become more protective (especially females - males become more aggressive, and begin lifting a leg to urinate). The introduction to strangers - other adults, children and dogs - on the home property is extremely important, especially if the pup has missed out on an early socialization with the family. However, if a puppy has not been socialized by the time he is 14 weeks old, he may never be trustworthy around people or other dogs.
Further, if a pup/dog has been kennel raised, the chances for dog aggression is at a higher risk than a pup/dog that is raised as part of the family.
I'm sorry to hear of Boone's elbow problem; however, with good nutrition he can build bone mass and muscle. Also, thank you for sharing photos of Boone - he is such a handsome male.
Sincerely,
Al Walker, ARF Genealogist & Registrar
ANIMAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION
