Memo to: The AWDF Leadership
From: Jim Engel, Founding AWDF Secretary
Date: March 16, 2012
Subject: The Way Forward
In the middle 1980s I was an advocate for a national level American working dog organization, primarily through my monthly Dog Sports magazine column. At the founding meeting of the AWDF in St. Louis I was elected secretary and served a number of years, writing most of the original documents. Paul Meloy was the key figure in all of this and although I understand that his working dog involvement did not end well, I nevertheless remember him as a friend, an able leader and a good man. Over a number of years I worked closely with Paul, in my role as Bouvier club president as well as AWDF secretary; he legitimately did want to provide a good way of the "other" breeds to prosper, and he also as USCA president needed the FCI affiliation. Power does corrupt, and the final chapters of this saga are intensely melancholy for me personally. The ongoing Govednik scandals, seemingly with endless new chapters, are sadly reminiscent of these old events.
There are new realities to face. The United Schutzhund Clubs of America, USCA, is no longer primarily a working dog organization at all, but a German Shepherd organization under increasing direct German control with primary focus on promoting the SV conformation lines, the famous banana dogs. USCA was a German Shepherd organization for thirty years, but one with true focus on working character and a membership about thirty percent advocates and trainers of other breeds. For thirty years I was one of these members, with no objection to supporting a German Shepherd organization that was truly devoted to the original working heritage; I have always admired and respected this noble breed. This was on the whole a situation that worked for everybody. This is no longer true.
With the support and acquiescence of the SV, Schutzhund has been subjected to ongoing pussification as it has morphed into IPO. It will continue to degrade because the real power is in the hands of show breeders, especially those controlling the SV. In order to serve its original purpose, the advancement of serious working dog breeding, sport and service in America, the AWDF needs leadership and planning to adapt to these realities.
The German Shepherd community has always had the lion's share of the power and influence, and for many years wielded it with wisdom, discretion and a light touch. This is no longer the case. In the Roetemeyer era the classic downward flow of leadership by manipulation and coercion has emerged; as the SV tightens its grip on the USCA inner circle they have in turn adapted these ways to their own membership and other, weaker, organizations; behind every bully you will ultimately find another bully.
When you step back and look at the big picture, the problem is not that the GSD organization is so large and powerful, but that the other breed organizations and sport-oriented entities have withered on the vine. Only the GSD, Malinois and Dutch Shepherd are eligible for US military patrol dog service, and with the exception of a few odd situations have become the universal police dogs. The secondary breeds beyond the GSD and Malinois, including my own, are incessantly marginalized as serious patrol level dogs. This cannot be changed by political manipulation or broader organizations, remedies must emerge from within these communities. This is a worldwide problem, and not one that could have easily been overcome in America, but it is a reality.
The power of USCA has been used blatantly to place members of their inner circle in high AWDF office; Roetemeyer is USCA president and AWDF vice president, Govednik is a prominent judge and influential USCA politician and O'Kane is treasurer of both organizations. This may in a narrow technical sense be legal, but it is unwise and onerous flaunting of power, if for reasons of appearance if nothing else. This of course presents the question of financial integrity and transparency; how much lavish expense money has passed into these sets of pockets with no visibility or accountability? The immediate situation may abate depending on the outcome of the ongoing Govednik scandals, but the long-term outlook remains problematic.
The membership of USCA has also been poorly served by this elite inner circle of power, seen plans moving forward for the purchase of an elaborate, multi acre facility in the Midwest, convenient to the home of Roetemeyer, dubbed the "field of dreams" by the cynics, while membership dues have almost doubled. As a business operation USCA has remained mired in the past, run like a mom and pop toy store, ignoring the application of computer and network technology that could implement much more cost effective and convenient member services. The underlying reason for this might well be the fear that increased transparency has the potential of bringing to light things Roetemeyer would rather be kept in the dark.
The AWDF, and the American working dog movement as a whole, is at a turning point. It is falling into the grasp of the European show dog community, through the domination of USCA by the SV, and will become increasingly irrelevant. There is an emerging dissatisfaction in both European and American police canine communities; and this disconnect, this widening chasm between the police community and the breed and sport organizations, is the fundamental worldwide problem of today. The SV cannot be part of the solution because it is a major part of the problem, and SV control of USCA projects this divisiveness into America.
Ultimately, the overriding problem with USCA running the AWDF as agents for the SV is that the priority at the top becomes increasingly show dog rather than working dog oriented and ultimate priorities are according to German agendas and interests rather than American needs and priorities.
The real problem is not the Roetemeyer cabal in and of itself or even overwhelming USCA power, for such things are in ongoing flux in any political environment. The real problem is that two hundred years after the American revolution the AWDF is rapidly evolving into a colonial administrative body representing the commercial interests of the German SV show breeders.
Some facts concerning the supposed "theft"
of Al Govednik's dog Hex and related matters:
http://angelplace.net/hex/
Although it has not been updated recently,
a lot of AWDF history is covered here:
http://angelplace.net/awdf/
See the last section of this document for more AWDF history:
../Book/Ch17.pdf