Page 248 - ShowSight - January 2020

Candid Candidates - Part Two BY LINDA AYERS TURNER KNORR continued
“WE NEED TO MAKE IT OUR GOAL TO GET THE YOUNGER GENER- ATION INVOLVED OR WE WILL BECOME A MINOR LEADER IN THE PROMOTION OF OUR SPORT.”
— DR. MICHAEL KNIGHT
we succeed. That can only be done with the help and the encourage- ment of the American Kennel Club and its Board and Staff.
2. Do you feel that AKC’s traditional sports are consistent with the interests of the younger generation of dog owners? If not, what can be done to attract the younger generation to engage with AKC?
AKC offers an amazing amount of options when it comes to dog activities that most people do not even realize exist. Conformation is the most widely known as people have seen Westminster and the National Dog Show plus others on TV. The AKC also offers, for the people and their dogs, activities such as Obedience, Rally, Agility, Tracking, Field Trials, Hunt Test, Lure Coursing, CAT and Fast CAT, Earth Dog, Scent Work as well as Family Dog: CGC, AKC Star Puppy, Responsible Dog Ownership, Well-Mannered Dogs, AKC Community Canine Dog, Advanced CGC, Trick Dog, AKC Therapy dog, AKC Fit Dog, AKC Temperament Test and the list goes on and on. There is literally something for everyone but the problem is that people don’t know about it. How do we get the pub- lic to know about these activities? First we must get the word out about our sport! How do we do this? We must invest the money and resources to promote these activities. We have the money to accom- plish this. Making this happen is done through constant PR work on many fronts simultaneously including print media, television, radio and social media, nationally. We could have local club mem- bers working with the local media venues to promote the activities of their clubs. In the national media, AKC can hire a spokesperson to go on the national TV programs and we can hire a Public Rela- tions firm to handle the print and social media venues. I promise to promote this this if I am elected. We must also promote and work with the local children and young adult organizations in our communities to promote the Junior Showmanship and the Pee Wee programs. The 4-H is a perfect example of an organization who already works in this direction. We need to make it our goal to get the younger generation involved or we will become a minor leader in the promotion of our Sport.
3. The AKC performs/supports many activities that benefit dogs and their owners. This support is limited by the financial resources that AKC has available. How can AKC increase its revenue in order to further benefit the world of dogs?
The pet owner industry is a multi-billion dollar industry and growing. We are even seeing insurance plans for pets now becom- ing available. The answer to this question and many other issues that AKC is facing is Marketing and Public Relations. The general public and dog show people alike may only know about their area of concentration. AKC needs to specifically target television, social media and print “Ad buy” campaigns outside of the conformation ring. Showing pictures of dogs doing what they were bred for such as hunting, retrieving, herding, protecting, therapy, companion lap dogs, etc. Target market those specific activities in their magazines such as Hunting, Farm and Ranch, Field & Stream, healthcare, etc. These are untapped markets whose owners are very proud of their dog’s abilities and like to show them off, talk about and promote them.
The conformation world is shrinking so we need to think out- side the box and reach out to groups already doing things that AKC is supporting. Awareness is the key. If we don’t promote it, people
can’t know about it. The only time that the general public really ever sees information about the AKC is during televised dog shows. One of the most watched dog shows airs immediately following the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the National Dog Show/Phila- delphia Kennel Club on NBC), the AKC/Royal Canine Dog Show which is a compressed dog show on cable TV, Westminster Kennel Club and others. These are great avenues to advertise AKC and all that we offer to new markets while we already have their attention.
4. The AKC is a not-for profit organization while all of the other competing canine sport organizations or registries in the U.S. are for profit. Yet, it is a common belief that the AKC “is all about the money”. What are your thoughts about the apparent inconsistency?
Public awareness is the answer. People only know what they see and are told. There are misperceptions about many things, not just AKC. The only way to change public opinion is through educa- tion and visibility, which takes me back to Marketing and Pub- lic Relations. Our society is changing. Look at some of the things the younger generation is focusing on, climate change, cleaning up of our oceans, healthcare for all, the environment, etc. They are much more society focused and more anti-big corporation so being a non-profit organization is right in line. Educating through Social Media, Television, print ads, radio ads, billboards etc., is key to the evolution of AKC and purebred dogs.
5. Do you feel that ventures like the LINK collar and the Doggie Day Care are consistent with AKC’s mission?
I feel that much more research is needed about these types of ventures going forward. We need to study more and most impor- tantly include the delegate body in large promotions such as these. Including the entire delegate body promotes inclusion and is a good litmus test for all of our ideas. If the delegate body as a whole can get behind something, then the chances of it succeeding are raised exponentially.
6. There are 75 breeds in the AKC Foundation Stock Ser- vice program, 64 of them are in three groups. What are your thoughts on bringing new breeds into full recognition and their impact on our current Group structure? What is your opinion of how this recognition may be simplified or improved?
I feel that it is currently being done properly with AKC support- ing new breeds as they come up through the FSS system. Between January 1, 2018 and January 1, 2020 there have been six new breeds added in conformation while there have been two breeds added in both the Earth Dog Events and the Pointer Breed Hunt Tests since January 1, 2016.
As is evident in the numbers listed above, the increase has been slow and the impact manageable to-date. We must keep in mind that while there are 75 breeds in the FSS program and others being added regularly, the new breed must go through many steps before being fully recognized. There are administrative requirements, judges’ mentoring/education, sustained breeding and attaining the 150 individual dog level, as well as many other requirements, all before they are eligible to be moved into the miscellaneous or regu- lar status. We cannot focus on the 75 breeds with 5-10 dogs that may never meet all of the criteria, viability or popularity to warrant inclusion as many will not make it.
240 • ShowSight Magazine, January 2020