Posted by Stu West on June 18, 1998 at 15:06:15:
In Reply to: IPLA posted by John Ode on June 14, 1998 at 22:56:21:
Joe--
Thanks for the chance to talk a bit about the history and differences
between the IPLA, the first group, and the APLA.
The IPLA was formed, not as a MEMBER group, but as a CERTIFYING
organization for professional breeders.
Back in '85, when I had to secretly start breeding PLs, no one would even
admit that labs would point. The retrieve editor of Gundog Mag even
told me it wasn't genetic... NAVHDA wouldn't run em (altho Bodo got a
couple in), AKC wouldn't run em; AFSDB and NSTRA just laughed at me.
But, the public's interest in a versatile labrador was high. The time
for a Tractable Water, Upland AND Family dog had come. No matter what
the AKC or NAVHDA thought.
So, in '88, I and Mayo Kellogg of Ducks Unlimited, with the help of
Larry Mueller of Outdoor Life started the IPLA, the original certifying
organization.
Having studied at a kennel in Germany and a kennel in England in '69, I
patterned the first test, the Novice Pointer, after the European tests
similar to NAVHDA's puppy hurdle. The idea was to eliminate all but the top pups so
that only the early-developing high quality stock would be used for
certified breeding.
Well, this didn't sit too well with some breeders. Those folks chose a
different direction in about 1991 and formed their own organization, the
APLA.
The differences are primarily between a "Joiners" organization and a
"Certifying" organization. You can't join the IPLA. There is a board that
sets standards and a group of judges that test the dogs to the standard by
appointment. Many consider the standards too tuff as most dogs do not get a
Breeders Certificate, altho they pass the base standard. The IPLA is NOT
interested in becoming a large group. We want to test a few dogs to find
the best dogs.
So, if you are interested in a dog professionally tested for TRACTABILITY
and NATURAL ABILITY, give us a buzz. We were the first and we do it
better. The dogs that DO pass go on to throw pups that can be nearly
guaranteed to point.
Stu West
Gen Secy, IPLA