62 Saber Tails Fall 2018

Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen Club of America

ters produced in one year.  This table of 188 breeds was divided into three subgroups of approximately 60 breeds based 

on the number of registered litters for a year.  For discussion purposes, the three sub-groups are called: Top, Middle and 

Bottom groups.   The bottom group of 60 breeds are discussed later in Table 4. 

Table 3 displays the 90 Low Entry Breeds (LE) which are 47% of the stud book.  The term LE refers to those breeds whose 

entries at conformation shows fall below a threshold of 3,500 dogs in competition from the previous year’s events.  The 

LE list serves as a tool that signals the low frequency of entries at conformation shows, the potential size of a breed club 

and the estimated number of exhibitors and breeders. The data for the LE breeds show there is little breed movement 

on and off the LE list from year to year. The important statistic about LE breeds is that the LE List continues to grow. 

Table 4 shows a list of the 60 breeds considered at greatest risk for extinction in the conformation sport. 

Table 5 by year the frequency of Limited Registration use by the breeders and the frequency by year of their willingness 

to revoke their decision to limit a registration. 

Conversion Rates.  The conversion rate is the statistic used to show the number of pups that are AKC registered each 

year. It serves as a signal about the direction a breed is taking to maintain itself as a recognized breed of the AKC.  In 2016 

the conversion rate for all breeds was 43% which means that 57% of all purebred pups born are not being registered. 

This troubling statistic suggests that there is an ongoing slow melting away of the stud book which is affecting many 

breeds, their entries, club membership and judges.

This statistic also reflects breeder and buyer attitudes about the value and use of an AKC registered dog. Low conversa-

tion rates also suggest that breeders do not encourage or follow up to see if their puppy buyers register their new pup. 

Part of the problem is that some buyers believe that their “blue slip” is a registration. Others may not register their pups 

because they do not intend to breed or show their pup. Those who own a LR puppy are not given incentives or compel-

ling reasons to register their pup. When low conversion rates are coupled with LE breeds status the cumulative affect 

contributes to the decline in registrations and show entries. More will be said about this in Recommendation No 1. 

Low Entry Breeds (LE). The low entry breed list originated in 2005 based on prior lists found in AKC records.  The LE list 

was created for the purpose of a consideration for provisional (now permit) judges who had difficulty completing the 

requirements for regular status. The LE status was also used as a consideration for the availability of educational oppor-

tunities on applications for new breeds.  It was also used as a guideline when considering waiving part of the require-

ment to judge new breeds before granting regular status, or for the acceptance of an application.  Waiving any part of 

the requirements was subject to review on a case-by-case basis with several other factors influencing any decision.

Data for breeds listed as LE serve as a rough measure of a breed’s gene pool size and its genetic diversity.  To better un-

derstand the seriousness of the LE list of breeds, a review of the actual number of dogs being bred and actually entered 

in shows are shown in Table 3, columns 9 and 11. When only a small number of dogs are spread over the 1,424 All-Breed 

and 2,667 Specialty shows, it is easy to understand the frustration felt by breeders and exhibitors seeking competition.  

Unfortunately, the number of breeds being added to the LE list continues to grow. By 2016, the LE list reached 90 breeds 

or almost half of the stud book (47%) which can be seen in Table 3d. By 2017, other developments were noted.  For ex-

ample, Table 3a shows that most LE breeds are now significantly below the threshold of 3,500 entries per year.  

The data for LE breeds from 2015, 2016 & 2017 show that five established breeds that did not appear on the 2015 LE list 

moved onto the LE list in 2016 or 2017 (Airedale Terriers, Bloodhounds, Lhasa Aptos, Norwegian Elkhounds & Parson 

Russel Terriers). Five other breeds that appeared on the 2015 LE list moved off of the LE list in 2016 or 2017 (Bull Terri-

ers, Kerry Blue Terriers, Manchester Terriers, Miniature American Shepherds & Wirehaired Pointed Griffons). Since these 

changes are small they do not alter the direction of the data. For example, newly recognized breeds usually appear on 

the LE list during their first year of recognition and most remain on the list in the following years.  

According to Jerold Bell, DVM, most breeds lose about 35% of their genetic diversity through breed formation and only 

a small percentage of dogs will actually become involved in the creation of the next generation. He also says that breed