Nz Huntaway Is Officially A Recognized Breed!

[Lasareina]

beautiful!I love their ears :)

[Podengo]

I live in New Zealand and only just stumbled upon this the other day while looking on the NZKC website. Very surprised! I know a couple of huntaways in agility here, but they're not really that popular, NZ heading dogs are much more popular in agility! Here are some photos I've taken of them at shows :)

Rough collie x Huntaway

Here's a fabulous looking Huntaway on an advert for a bank, I actually met this dog at the 2012 Obedience Nationals here and he is a sweety and SO BIG! When he came in front and sat for his handler his nose was literally at about her chin level!!

[Leah82]

My Parents dog is a Kelpie cross huntaway. He just looks like a big kelpie though, not sure how much huntaway he's got in him, gorgeous dog though :)

Edited January 22, 2014 by Leah82

[Salukifan]

It isn't recognised in Australia.

Given that they were developed to use their bark to work sheep, I wonder how suitable they would be as pets in the 'burbs.

Edited January 22, 2014 by Haredown Whippets

[brintey]

I'd love to see the ANKC do something similar with Koolies and Murray River Curly Coats to preserve the breeds. It's a shame the ANKC registry seems to be percieved as all about showing.

[BJean]

I think the most interesting thing about this is the breed can't be shown in conformation shows, to preserve its state as a working dog. Is this a first? I wouldn't have a clue. Also interesting to see the Sheepdog Trial people don't recommend them to be kept solely as pets, considering there are many out there kept just as pets and perfectly happy (they do need a lot of exercise and have to be kept entertained in general though).

Possibly a more effective way to preserve workability is for workability to be implemented from the breeders/breeding point of view or club focus.

Traditional working dog breed standards that were not able to be judged (or were irrelevant to) a conformation show, went something like:

head like a brick, heart of a lion, fight like a bear.

But I am guessing the Huntaway breed standard is not like this :D ... *goes to look see*

Edited January 23, 2014 by lilli

[BJean]

Well it is and it isn't -

The New Zealand Huntaway should show great endurance, activity and intelligence with free and true action and in good hard muscular condition. A Huntaway's voice (bark when moving stock) should be deep, loud and able to be maintained all day.

This is helpful (and similar would have helped Anatolian/Kangal understanding)

A Huntaway's colour, coat and size are totally irrelevant as compared to their working ability although it is accepted that a high percentage fit into the mid size, black and tan, smooth haired range.

Only ? is this statement:

Though any size is acceptable the mid range would likely be:

[Podengo]

If anyone is interested, trial videos from Huntaway trials.

1st place, 2012.

Straight hunt videos

[Salukifan]

I'd love to see the ANKC do something similar with Koolies and Murray River Curly Coats to preserve the breeds. It's a shame the ANKC registry seems to be percieved as all about showing.

The door is open for breed recognition for breeds of Australian origin with the Tenterfield Terrier the most recent breed of Australian origin to achieve ANKC recognition.

Its up to the breed fanciers to put forward the request in accordance with the guidelines. Sometimes they don't view ANKC recognition as being in the best interests of the breed and that's their perogative.

Given that all the gundogs that compete in field and retrieving trials are ANKC registered and that there is a register for Associate dogs (non-pedigreed) to compete in obedience and agility and a Sporting Register (working breeds recognised by non-ANKC registries), perhaps perceptions that the ANKC registry is "all about showing" need revisiting. Most of the dog sports in this country are conducted under the auspices of the ANKC. Only a fraction of ANKC registered dogs compete in the show ring. The overwhelming majority are pedigreed pets.

Edited January 23, 2014 by Haredown Whippets

[piper]

The Sporting Register is open and at the moment is predominantly working sheepdog registries. I believe the Murray River Curly Coats are looking into how to be accepted onto the Sporting Register. They have had DNA testing done that shows they are a distinctly different breed to other retrieving breeds and if I recall from what I read of the study they were closer to the Portugese Water Dog than the Curly Coat Retriever. They have excellent records on the development and history of the breed.

I do hope they succeed in gaining Sporting Register recognition so that they can participate in ANKC dog sports while remaining entire if the owners wish.

Edited January 23, 2014 by piper

[D_mentias]

The Murray River Curly Coated Retriever Association has applied to the ANKC for recognition of the Murray as a sporting dog. I believe the application was supported by Dogs Victoria. This was in late 2012 but we still have not heard anything back. DNA testing is continuing and on the original testing I didn't see anything about a Portugese Water dog.What it did mention was that they were a unique and diverse group falling in the gundog spectrum but not closely aligned to any other gundog.

I hope this applictaion proceeds as without some recognition the Murray may die out. Many councils now will not allow owners to breed unless they belong to an approved body. Hunters also need recognition to use their Murrays on ducks. Currently in Victoria they are not an approved breed for this or any other hunting.

The Murray continues to be popular. The Facebook group has 330 members and we estimate 1400+ Murrays are on the ground. They are the ones we know of. It is Australia's only home developed retriever.

Murray FB

For more info

Murray info

[brintey]

Good luck D-mentias I hope they are accepted onto the sporting register soon!