St-Faustin-Lac-Carré, November 1rst, 2007

Mr. Charlie Price
NAWBA president
New Market, TN

Dear Sir :

I wish to voice my dissatisfaction towards the organization of such an event, which in the past was once prestigious.

1.    There was no indication or advertising set up along the road to direct the visitors towards the competition site: we made it to Purina Farms and asked information to the guard at the gate. He directed us towards a site where there was nobody in sight; there wasn’t even a banner or sign up confirming that we were at the right place

2.    There was no greeting at arrival organized to welcome foreign participants: we went to the herding site and asked someone if there was at least one NAWBA responsible there but she didn’t know. As we got closer nobody bothered introducing himself/herself or even greeting us….

3.    There was no translator hired: when we got there for the practice of the character test, we realized that there was a communication problem between the French judge and the participants. Consequently, you requested my husband to help you in order to allow the judge to better understand all the information being given by the organizers. Then my spouse translated for other people needing help to communicate. He did accept to help you out with pleasure. However, at the end of the practice, you offered a drink (not to say a “Smirnoff”) to the judge, to the ringleader and finally in the end to everyone there, but yet no drink was offered to my spouse who acted as your translator, to me or to the French visitors who traveled from France especially to attend the NAWBA.

4.    The character test was done under the directives given by the NAWBA members who did not respect the French rules… Furthermore, was the French judge certified by the French Bouvier des Flandres’s Club? Is this test official? So if I show my dog in France, is the title “TEST” good in France?  So if you wish to offer a French test, shouldn’t you be following the rules? If not, anyone can get a dog to bite on a training field.

5.    There was no kiosk set up for selling dog-working articles. We went with the intent of making some purchases of specialty items such as training tugs and protection sleeves, etc. and we were greatly disappointed.

6.    There was no atmosphere of exchange, no comradeship from the moment we arrived at the practice of the character test on Friday. We felt left out like unwanted strangers… Unlike what we had just experienced 3 days prior at the American Bouvier des Flandres Specialty, where people took advantage of every minute enjoying themselves, discussing and laughing, where there was a warm welcome. And despite the difference of languages, people did not limit their conversations.

7.    What about cancelled activities: we had planned to get there early in the morning in order to attend the schutzhund, RCI, IPO practices because they are activities practiced by our French guests who were thrilled to be able to meet those handlers and the working dogs, but the activities were cancelled and we were informed by some exhibitors from the Illinois American Specialty not the NAWBA Managers. Our French guests had wished to bring their dog to participate in these activities but due to unexpected circumstances with the airlines companies, fortunately, they had to give up this idea. After this experience, they will never bring one of their dogs to the NAWBA fearing the discrepancy between the published program and the actual follow-up of it and chancing to pay a trip for their dog and themselves for absolutely no good reason.

8.    Hesitant banquet invitation: at 5 p.m. my spouse was invited to the banquet given that same evening, meaning on the Saturday night, but the woman who invited him quickly continued by mentioning to him that « if one didn’t go there, there was a discussion which would be held in a room later if we wanted to join them”. Was the message transmitted the following: “do not come to eat with us, but we would need a translator thereafter?”… It was so awkward that we did not hesitate to have supper together in another restaurant.

9.    Lunch on Sunday: we noticed that a table was set up in a pavilion with a light lunch and that several people were walking around with their well-garnished plate… However, nobody bothered inviting us to help ourselves or to share a lunch with him or her.

10.    Number of hours of activities: We have calculated 4.5 hours of activities over 3 days after a trip that took us 23 hours of driving. The herding did not interest us much and there was no other activities planned for other people attending. We wrongly believed that a well-known event like this would provide more organization for the participants. So it is pointless to tell you that once again we were greatly disappointed.

11.    No price for the winners: Only one « little » ribbon was offered to the winners of the two planned activities… no gift, no plate memory, and no prize… Don’t tell me that the inscription fees were not expensive enough to do better than that?

12.    Obedience: You have categorized obedience with agility and fly ball??? Did you ever do high level of obedience? Surely not… or else, you would never accept to compare this activity to a game. To do obedience activity, you need many hours of intense training, practices, a dog but above all a bouvier of great qualities with adequate aptitudes. An obedience championship is work.  You didn’t even have an obedience competition scheduled!!!

13.    Conformation: according to your rules, a bouvier in the working class wins automatically. No matter the titles even if he has no biting test done. Even if a bouvier does not resemble to a bouvier. That’s horrible! Firstly, all winning bouviers in their respective class should had been shown again to the judge to determine the winner in the “Open Class” and then, the latter should have been shown against the best in the “Working Class”. At equal standard, the judge could have chosen the one with the best working titles including the biting…

In your definition of rules:

Herding Dogs. Any first level or higher trail title(e.g. HTD 1, ASCA Started, AKC/CKC Started – all titles to be earned on sheep, goats or cattle) PLUS PASSING THE APTITUDE TEST LEVEL OF THE CHARACTER TEST

To be awarded Select from the Open Class, a dog must have any of the titles listed for Working Class dogs OR a performance title (e.g. obedience, agility, tracking, BH, SAR certification) PLUS HAVE PASSED THE COMPLETE CHARACTER TEST WITH THE FULL COURAGE TEST.

So, explain to me why a dog enrolled in Working Class with a title (and not a championship) in carting is considered as a working dog without having even done a successful character test, comparatively to a bouvier which possesses its Obedience Championship and has passed his character test?

We quickly understood why most participants ran to my spouse to find out if my male dog had working titles or not.

We also understood that you privilege less work in conformity. You are the NAWBA and none of the dogs shown were shown in the schutzhund, RCI, IPO, etc. rings, and none in obedience ring either. Very few bouviers have passed successfully the character test but most have obtained the TAN (Natural Aptitudes Test) and a herding dog (no matter what it looks like) is being honored.

So the old popular French adage that says: “le chien de travail est automatiquement un chien laid » which means « the working dog is automatically an ugly dog” is proven right. The belief will carry on as long as the NAWBA does not prove the contrary.

The goal of our trip was to share our passion of the bouvier des Flandres in a working activity including the biting because it is an integral part of its race, a bouvier without character is not a bouvier des Flandres!

Our goal was also to check the participants’ list, see their dogs in order to determine if one of them could have been corresponding with my dogs’ pedigrees in an eventual breeding with one of my bitches. As for our French friends, they had the intention of bringing back with them to France a good working dog… but in no vein! Except for the little Texan female, Tim, which they did appreciate.

Once upon a time, the NAWBA Championship was very popular and grandiose!!! This renown explains my great disappointment… and have you thought about the image you are conveying in France?

In summary, I am repeating what I have already told Kathy: “that the trip in Missouri was not justified”. I won’t do it again and most of my friends who have been wishing to plan some vacations to attend this event, will more likely give up that idea!

You now have the choice to either ignore my letter or use it as a positive criticism and work towards achieving an event called a working dog « Championship », otherwise you will have to change your association’s name to “North America Herding Dog Association”… up to you to make the choice!

Carolle Caron & Réal Lapointe

c.c.  Sunny DeYoung
        Robin Henner
        Julia Head
        Karen Trimble
        David Evans
        Nathalie & Raymond Nicolas
        Bouvierdesflandresdelawallonie.com