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THE Doberman
Pinscher CLUB OF COLUMBUS OHIO
a history and perspective
By: David Polk
The Doberman
Pinscher Club of Columbus Ohio is a non-profit
organization, incorporated under the laws of the
State of Ohio and is an official Chapter Club of
The Doberman Pinscher Club of America. Its
origins date unofficially to 1968 and it became
operative under a functional constitution in
1977, but recognition and endorsement by the
American Kennel Club was not granted until 1985.
The young
specialty club (i.e., the Doberman Pinscher Club
of Central Ohio as it was originally named) was
established because a group of conformation and
obedience show enthusiasts were interested in
the betterment and advancement of the Doberman
Pinscher breed. Recognition as a Club was and
continues to be a rather involved process which,
for those “founding fathers” of the 1970’s and
1980’s, involved extensive tracking of any and
all dog-related activities as well as Doberman
ownership, training, exhibition, coordinated
meetings and a series of puppy and fun matches
as well as several years of organizing and
conducting AKC Sanctioned Matches.
The membership,
though primarily “show folk” during the
fledgling years, has evolved into an
organization of pet owners, Doberman lovers,
breeders, dog rescuers, judges, and of course,
fanciers and participants in the numerous
exhibition and assistance disciplines including
but not limited to conformation, obedience,
agility, schutzhund, good citizenship, guide dog
therapy, rescue, helping dog therapy,
companionship-therapy, and search-and-rescue, to
name but a few. In other words, the “total
Doberman” is complemented by the “total Doberman
lover.”
To preserve and
protect the Doberman Pinscher and to strive to
bring the breed’s natural qualities to
perfection are the loftiest of club objectives.
To accept both the AKC’s breed standard
(structure and temperament) and to adhere to the
DPCA’s Code of Ethics (conduct and
accountability as a fancier) are equally
important club parameters. Sportsmanship as it
pertains to the various competitive exhibitions
and the actual sponsorship of AKC-endorsed shows
and trials round out the Columbus club’s ongoing
objectives.
The Doberman
Pinscher Club of Columbus Ohio held its very
first puppy match in _____, 19___; the first AKC
Sanctioned B match was ______, 19___ and the
first Sanctioned A match was _______, 19____.
These annual events were the activities that
served as the catalyst for national recognition.
The Club then sponsored its first specialty show
in conjunction with the Central Ohio Kennel Club
in November of 1985 and its first
independently-held Specialty Show and Obedience
Trial on April __, 1986. In the interval since
that time, the DPCCO has held over forty shows
and trials, most in conjunction with the Central
Ohio Kennel Club as part of the Mid-Ohio Cluster
in the fall and an independent specialty as part
of the Associated Specialty Club shows in the
spring. Two sponsored show events each year have
become the trademark of the Columbus Doberman
club, with most of them enjoying most
respectable or major entries. Specialty and
all-breed judges of the highest caliber have
honored the DPCCO with their talents.
As the decades
have progressed, the club focus has evolved
somewhat. The Rescue Program was launched in
1979 and always has enjoyed the spotlight and,
coordinated with the Doberman Pinscher Club of
America’s COPE program, has enjoyed the highest
levels of commitment, recognition and
effectiveness. Over the years, hundreds of
Doberman Pinschers that, for a variety of
reasons have found themselves to be “homeless,”
have been rescued and placed in loving and
caring homes. The rescue program now functions
as an independent entity in terms of both
administration and fiscal responsibility, but
remains an integral venue for many members and
is supported by the Club through both referral
and donation.
Annual DPCCO
activities include two AKC dog shows and
obedience trials and monthly membership meetings
(many with special educational, informational or
entertainment programs). Special activities over
the years have included such events as agility
trials and sponsored WAE events, handling
clinics, consumer research testing and lobbying
for dog legislation, to name a few. More regular
occasions are the annual picnic, an autumn
bonfire, a holiday party, a year-in-review
Awards Banquet, a monthly newsletter, and
numerous other committee and club activities all
designed to enhance and promote the purebred
Doberman Pinscher as the total-working-dog it is
intended and bred to be.
The Doberman
Pinscher Club of Columbus Ohio is structured
with leadership positions that include a
President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer,
a DPCA Delegate and a Board of Directors
comprised of the past president and two
independents. All are elected positions as the
Club remains participative in nature and
encourages maximum involvement and
volunteerism.
A history of any
organization usually includes records of
recognition. This is not possible in the case of
a breed club that has enjoyed some of the
Doberman breed’s top winners and literally
dozens of AKC champions-of-record as well as
producers and achievers in the multiple avenues
endorsed, sponsored and promoted by the DPCCO.
Never a large
organization, the Columbus club is proud of its
history, enjoys its robust health and continues
to be open to new and exciting activities and
events. Membership affords many benefits. Who
benefits the most? The Club’s hope is that the
answer to that question is “the Doberman
Pinscher.” But the intangible reward offered to
members and guests is that the focus of the
Doberman Pinscher Club of Columbus Ohio remains
the camaraderie of individuals from all walks of
life and from all imaginable professions brought
together by the love and appreciation of a very
special purebred dog whose natural qualities
makes it the very best of “man’s best friends.”
Page Design © Karen Mills
2007 |