Dear readers,

A new year started off and we wish you happiness, joy and success. May the traditional wishes of “health” really come true.

This year again, we shall try to keep you informed about different and interesting subjects. As a federative organisation, it is essential that our members, the breeders, the judges, the exhibitors be kept updated with the activities organised by the national canine organisations, with the routine that makes their daily work or with the different working championships as we also want to focus on the work, the missions, the functions that our dogs are able to perform.

We shall keep taking time to make you a bit more familiar with our national canine organisations by allocating them a specific space. In the issue you are about to read, we have chosen to highlight our Ecuadorian member, AERCAN.

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Yves De Clercq
FCI Executive Director
FCI Breeds recognised on a definitive basis vs provisional basis

Our Facebook followers and the people who visited our FCI stand on different shows were asked what articles they would like to have in our newsletter. The top-article which they have been waiting for is related to the breeds that are in the process of recognition by the FCI and some clarifications about how to have a breed recognised by the Federation.

The FCI Standards and Scientific Commissions have studied and revised the applications sent for a couple of breeds. All these files are still being discussed as essential information is missing.

The procedure for applying for the recognition of a breed by the FCI is twofold: a provisional recognition and later (minimum 10 years later) a definitive recognition.

First of all, it has to be emphasised that the FCI would take into consideration only the applications filed by its members, i.e. the national canine organisations (NCO). It is up to the NCO of the country from which a breed originates to apply for its recognition by the FCI. The request is then studied by the FCI Standards and Scientific Commissions which report to the FCI General Committee with a recommendation to adopt or not the breed on a provisional basis. Once approved, a minimum of 10 years will have to elapse before the FCI General Assembly can be asked whether or not they accept the definitive recognition of the breed in question.

The “temperament/behaviour” and the “health” aspects are the priorities; to this end, a significant number of subjects has to be examined in situ on the occasion of a show held in the country of origin of the breed by members of both commissions (appointed by the FCI General Committee), all of them being either judges and/or experienced and confirmed scientists. The applying NCO has to provide the commissions with official information about the general health status of the breed at the time of application. Another basic principle is that the applying NCO has to provide evidence that the existing population consists of a minimum of 8 bloodlines, each with at least 2 dogs and 6 bitches (nuclear herd) from one line to another with no animal in common throughout three generations. A minimum number of 1,000 alive dogs have to be registered by the applying NCO at the time of the application. Some other requirements have to be met before a breed can be accepted on a provisional basis. A breed with such a status is not eligible for the CACIB and this award will only be granted once final recognition has been given by the FCI General Assembly. The minimum of 10 years between the provisional and final recognitions are essential for the FCI to be able to assess the development of the breed since it was given the status of provisional recognition.

As indicated above, the files (provisional recognition) under examination for the time being are the Moscow Watchdog, Continental Bulldog, Prague Rattler (Prazsky Krysarik) and the Bohemian Shepherd Dog (Chodsky Pes).

In addition to that, the FCI Office has received different information and requests about a long list of breeds without, however, any official application for recognition. These breeds are, mostly : Africanis, Alaskan Klee Klai, Boerboel, Zulu (Sica) Dog, American Bulldog, Bali Mountain Dog, Canadian Eskimo Dog, Bulgarian Shepherd Dog, Estonian Hound, Lancashire Heeler, Biewer Yorkshire Terrier, Tsvednaya Bolonka..

Finally, the list of breeds with the status of FCI provisional recognition (not eligible for the CACIB) are the following:

GROUP I Date of Provisional Recognition
349 CIOBANESC ROMANESC MIORITIC 6/07/2005
350 CIOBANESC ROMANESC CARPATIN 6/07/2005
351 AUSTRALIAN STUMPY TAIL CATTLE DOG 6/07/2005
GROUP II Date of Provisional Recognition
353 CIMARRON URUGUAYO 21/02/2006
355 TORNJAK 1/06/2007
356 DANSK-SVENSK GÅRDSHUND 5/07/2008
357 CIOBANESC ROMANESC DE BUCOVINA 26/03/2009
GROUP V Date of Provisional Recognition
348 TAIWAN DOG 9/11/2004
358 THAI BANGKAEW DOG 14/04/2011
GROUP VI Date of Provisional Recognition
354 GOŃCZY POLSKI 10/11/2006
GROUP IX Date of Provisional Recognition
352 RUSSKIY TOY 21/02/2006

Yves De Clercq
FCI Executive Director