Breed Preservation
Looking Towards the Future
The Breed Preservation Committee was formed in 2020 in response to AKC statistics showing that both the number of PBGVs registered with AKC and PBGV litters declined precipitously from 2008 to present. The PBGV was deemed a ‘low entry breed’ by AKC and seemed at risk of extinction if the trend continued.
The goal of the Breed Preservation Committee is to help implement strategies that may result in increased AKC registered PBGV litters per year while preserving the health and character of the breed.
The Committee Chair is Jo Anne Hacker; committee members are Helen Ingher, Veronica Scheer, and Robert Sweeney.
To achieve their goal, the Committee aims to develop tools that will support new PBGV breeders, inform the PBGVCA membership about breed preservation issues, enhance communication about the breed, and suggest ways to safeguard the breed for the future.
They have made tremendous strides towards realizing their goals.
Develop tools that will support new PBGV breeders
Encouraging and educating new breeders is critical for expanding the population of healthy PBGVs that adhere to the breed standard.
Towards that goal, the Committee has done the following:
• Identified experienced PBGV breeders who wished to mentor new breeders;
• Identified Club members who are interested in becoming a breeder and put those individuals in touch with PBGV breeder mentors; and
• Developed the Breeder's Tool Chest because there is no substitute for the extensive experience available from our breeder community. The Tool Chest provides a wealth of resources on selecting breeding stock, health testing, whelping, placing puppies and much more. The underlying goal is to encourage new breeders by breeders.
• Developed a Puppy Packet of information on socializing, crate training, housebreaking, grooming, and health care;
• Suggested that a new section be added to Saber Tails entitled ‘Puppy Talk’ to engage possible new breeders and introduce our breeder mentors;
• Improved the Pedigree/Health database and entered pedigrees of PBGVs that comprise the founding population of our breed; and
• Determined the availability of frozen semen.
We hope that any PBGV owner who is thinking about becoming a breeder
will use these tools and contact a breeder mentor.
The declining number of PBGV litters came as no surprise to those Club members who are deeply invested in breed health, but this threat to our breed needed to be conveyed to the general Club membership along with strategies for reversing the trend.
Towards that goal, the Committee has done the following:
• Published four Saber Tails articles that covered why the Committee was formed and their goals, a breeder’s experiences whelping PBGV litters, how all PBGVCA members can be PBGV Ambassadors, and how one Club member introduced the breed to a wider audience; and
• Wrote a Saber Tails article that explained the concern about the reduced numbers of PBGVs being bred and how this may signify, or lead to, a decline in the breed’s genetic diversity.
Inform the PBGVCA membership about breed preservation issues
Enhance communication about the breed
The Committee implemented several ideas for increasing the flow of information to PBGVCA members and to those who we wish to recruit to the Club, including the following:
• Recommended changes to the letter sent to new members to make it more welcoming;
• Redesigned the PBGVCA website to make it more appealing to those who are interested in welcoming a PBGV into their family;
• Communicated with PBGV breeders who are not currently members of PBGVCA to invite them to join the Club, share their experience, and benefit from being a part of our community;
• Established a Breed Ambassador program featuring PBGVCA members who could answer basic questions to help an individual determine if a PBGV is a good fit for their family and put people in touch with breeders who are expecting a litter;
• Created the PBGVCA Help Desk so that questions were sent directly to the appropriate Club members who could answer;
• Suggested design and graphics changes to the ‘Meet the Breeds’ booth;
• Published articles in Saber Tails on Keeping the PBGV a Healthy Breed, Maintaining and Improving Breeds, Once Lost Genetic Diversity is Gone Forever, and Business Cards for the PBGV owner;
and
• Established an extensive archive of professional photos that can be used in brochures and on the website to tell the story of owning a PBGV.
PBGVs hunt!
The Committee raised the funds to hire a videographer to produce a video that showcases the hunting skills of the PBGV. Members of the hunt community were a tremendous help in this project. Video footage will be used in AKC promotional events and during the National.
We thank all of you who contributed the funds to hire the videographer. Special thanks to the handlers and enthusiastic PBGVs who participated.
Planning for the future requires, not only great ideas, but also the funds to implement them. The Committee thanks the PBGV Health & Rescue Foundation for being a sounding board for the proposals and for brainstorming ways to make them a reality.
• Drafted a plan to develop a PBGV Reproductive Bank, following interviews with breeders and other breed clubs that are facing declining numbers;
• Drafted a plan to carry out a genetic diversity analysis of a representative sample of the worldwide PBGV population. Questions that we hope to address include: Is the PBGV a genetically diverse breed in which the average dog is a product of random selection? Or is it highly inbred due to a population bottleneck or popular sire syndrome? How does the genetic diversity of the PBGV compare to all other breeds tested? Armed with information on the current genetic diversity of the worldwide PBGV population, we can track and stabilize diversity of the breed.
The plan for a PBGV Reproductive Bank was embraced by the Foundation but did not garner support from the Club Board and is currently in abeyance. The plan for a genetic diversity analysis of our breed is under consideration by the Club and Foundation Boards.
Good stewardship today ensures a good future for our breed.
Suggested ways to safeguard the breed for the future.
What can you do?
The work of the Breed Preservation Committee is not done. They feel fortunate that the PBGV community has many dedicated breeders and owners who are concerned about the breed’s future and want to help
If you would like to participate in the breed preservation initiative, have questions, or ideas, please contact a committee member.
Thank you for your support. And thank you for all you do for our four-legged friends.