AF vs AKC

[cody]

I have pretty much decided on a English pointer for my next dog and I just read in another thread that there can be quite a difference between AKC and AF lines of EP. Anyone like to enlighten me

[slistoe]

Do not look at AKC Show Pointers if you are wanting a top shelf hunting dog.

[Wagonmaster]

Field bred pointers have been AF registered since there was an AF, and that was over a century ago before the AKC even started. Although they could run in AKC trials if registered AKC, one never saw a pointer or a setter for that matter in AKC trials, until the last fifteen years or so. They were all AF registered and if they were trialed they ran AF, all of them.

A show club for pointers was started up within the AKC. They are an entirely different dog from the field pointers and setters, large, blocky, low tail, little run and no nose. They are a sorrowful thing to watch in the field. Makes you want to cry to see a pointer that way. And I am not kidding about that.

However, everything changes. There are quite a few more weekend AKC trials in most places in the US than there are AF trials. So in more recent times, some people have begun to cross-register field pointers and setters as both AF and AKC. This is more true of the setters from what I have seen, than the pointers, but there are a few field type pointers now registered AKC. So if you choose carefully and knew what you were doing, you could find AKC registered pointers today that are good dogs, just not very many, and the good ones will invariably also be registered AF.

There were no rules preventing cross-registration, it was just the way things were always done. The good pointers were AF registered. This included the grouse dogs, horseback dogs, NBHA

[dan v]

John,

A point of clarification.

American Field started in 1873, AKC started with the use of FDSB studbooks, in 1884.

Dan

[Wagonmaster]

Know that. According to the history books, AKC was allowed by AF to use the FDSB to start up the AKC registry.

[cody]

Thanks for the info

[ElhewPointer]

I live about 20 miles from our local grounds(branched oak), which is used mostly for AKC events. I am the pres. of our local AF club and we run there two times a year. I decided to run a pup out of my Ch. male dog both in AKC and AF since i'm so close to the grounds. There is a difference for sure, but both still want an good, honest bird dog. I've placed her twice in AKC and once in AF and those were the only three times i've ran her. What i'm getting at is, you can play both games and be successful at both.

Vagas

[NE Vizsla]

Congrats Vagas with Ben in Michigan. On the other deal, you need anything let me know.