Our provocative subject title is both educational —— and incorrect. It is a title that came to us after a little digging into the Treeing Tennessee Brindle, a breed that is currently part of the AKC’s Foundation Stock Service.
More specifically, the post title was inspired by the screenshot below:
How can AKC breed not have a breed standard. Can a breed even be AKC recognized if it doesn’t have a standard? And does it make a difference if the breed is an FSS breed?
We have answers.
A breed cannot be AKC recognized without a breed standard. A standard is a crucial component of the recognition process for the American Kennel Club, the key words being “recognition process.” As an FSS breed, the Treeing Tennessee Brindle is not considered fully recognized AKC breed because it’s not yet eligible for AKC registration. The whole point of the Foundation Stock Service is to allow rare or very uncommon breeds to continue developing while maintaining reliable records, and while the FSS is a stepping stone towards full AKC recognition, it is not guarantee of full registration. Why? In part, because to move from the FSS to the Miscellaneous Class (the final step before full AKC recognition) it must have a viable breed standard that has been reviewed and approved by the AKC.
A reminder for some readers that a dog show is not a beauty pageant, it is a evaluation of “breeding stock,” historically speaking, and a breed standard serves as a blueprint for the ideal specimen of a breed. Without a standard, there would be no consistent criteria for judging a breed in conformation events, let alone a guide for for breeders in their breeding programs.
We pivot back to the Treeing Tennessee Brindle and mention that it isn’t a breed without a home, so to speak; the TTB was recognized by the United Kennel Club in 2017. It is in the UKC’s standard that we noted that the TTB is one of the few breeds with a standard that not only includes “voice” part of its “blueprint,” but specifies the way it gives tongue: From the UKC standard: “Voice: They are open trailers, with changeover at the tree. A coarse chop is preferred.”
Photo of Treeing Tennessee Brindle by mokee81