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North American Working Bouvier Association


 

NAWBA today is a derelict ship floating on the sea of irrelevance, having conducted no events, published nothing for a decade.

Beginning with the 1980 inaugural Bouvier Working Championships in Labadie, Missouri under the auspices of Erik Houttuin the American Bouvier des Flandres working movement prospered until the early twenty first century, when the wheels came off and NAWBA collapsed. How did this come to pass? Read all about it:

NAWBA in Retrospect Sept 2011

This historical chronicle, remnants from my commentaries, provide some background:
Yet Another NAWBA Debacle
2012

The Fat Lady Sings!   NAWBA goes belly up.         Sept 2007

After years of abuse and decline NAWBA just hit bottom.

NAWBA was founded in the nineteen eighties primarily as a national level organization to support serious working people, those engaged in the new to America protection sports such as Schutzhund and French Ring.

This year there will be no Ring trial, no Schutzhund trial. Basically, nothing more than the little old ladies afternoon play herding, some carting demos and I suppose the pathetic character test.

Oh yes, and the conformation show with a real live French judge.

What an irony, the working dog organization founded to break free from the grip of Mickey Mouse dog shows reduced to nothing but a pathetic Mickey Mouse dog show.

In the end, the events foretold in this ten year old article
have come to pass:

Bouvier des Flandres: Destined to Die
1997

Previous:

The Heilenman Dilemma: is Play Training Enough?
March, 2003
The Rifkinson Experience, new NAWBA Spokesman Feb 2003
Resurrection Plan: Heilenman's New NAWBA July, 2002
Heilenman admits "serious doubt" of NAWBA viability May, 2002

November, 2001:   The long planned AWDF conformation show has been cancelled,  placing the future of the Federation in serious doubt.  Prior to the cancellation,  the Catalog for the Beauty show in St. Louis had confirmed that the Bouviers would  have been allowed to masquerade as working dogs on the basis of the Temperament test.  Other breeds, including the Doberman, also would have had similar requirements, rendering the whole thing a farce..

Johnson Throws in Towel on 2001 Championships Aug 2001
What is a Bouvier? Sept 2001
Bouvier des Flandres: Decline and fall June 2001
The Time Has Come to Stand Aside Jan 2001
"Temperament Test" for Select Designation? Jan 2001
Year 2000 NAWBA Membership Plunges! April 2000
NAWBA Secretary AWOL ? March 2000
Schutzhund trainer: Something to Think About March 2000
Time for a change? The Hail Mary Play March 2000
Is there to be a Bouvier field of Dreams in Virginia ? Nov 1999

Temperment test

In the spring of 1999, the NAWBA board conjured up a
"temperament test" as a shameful shortcut for those
whose dogs can not earn real titles or whose owners
are unwilling to do their work. Read all about it:

NAWBA Temperament Test: the Real Agenda 1999

So who are we going to see popping up as "Official NAWBA Temperament Testers" ? Perhaps some of the same committee members who know how to verify working dogs even though they never demonstrate relevance by training a serious dog ?

Rite of Passage: Who is worthy to judge? March 1999
Saga of Justin Chastel
Temperament Testing: Panacea or Nonsense? April 1988
Internet TT Exchanges 1999
McEniry implodes as NAWBA president 1998
Various 1998 Memos to NAWBA Board 1998

Documents:

Breeding Certification 1996
Competitive Event Rules
KNPV Certified Bouviers
Bouvier FCI Standard
The NAWBA Constitution


  
Jan 20, 2020