ABdFC Versatility Program [pdf] in printable form.

ABdFC Versatility Application [pdf] in printable form.

Versatility Committee Chair – Susan Costanzo

ABDFC VERSATILITY PROGRAM – (Revised 11/2014)

The Bouvier des Flandres is a versatile dog and maintaining that characteristic contributes to the health of the breed. The breed’s heritage should be apparent in modern dogs. The ABdFC Board of Governors feels that awarding the titles of Versatile Bouvier Basic (VBB), Versatile Bouvier Excellent (VBX), and Versatile Bouvier Champion (VBCH) will help maintain these breed characteristics. However, award titles are not restricted to just our breed’s “heritage”… we do very little droving of cattle down farm roads today. These titles also represent what Bouviers do in modern times. The focus of these annual award titles is encouragement of owners to train and enjoy their Bouviers in a variety of ways, with heritage venues earning higher point values than activities that are not necessarily heritage in their nature.

OWNERSHIP REQUIREMENTS

The Bouvier named on the application must be owned by an AMERICAN BOUVIER DES FLANDRES CLUB member at the time application for the award is made.
Versatile Bouvier titles are awarded once a year at the ABdFC Annual Awards Dinner, held in conjunction with the National Specialty.
Each Member/Bouvier team will receive an Award Certificate and a medallion of appropriate color, on which the Bouvier’s name and titles are engraved. Medallions awarded will be Bronze-tone for VBB, Silver-tone for VBX and Gold-tone for VBCH. There is no cost to the Applicant.

TITLE REQUIREMENTS:

VERSATILE BOUVIER BASIC (VBB)

• 7 points total required from a minimum of three categories.
• 1 point required from Category I (maximum 1 point allowed from this Category).
• 1 point required from Category II.

VERSATILE BOUVIER EXCELLENT (VBX)

• 10 points total required from a minimum of three categories.
• 2 points required from Category I (maximum 2 points allowed from this Category).
• 1 point minimum required from Category II.
• The Bouvier must achieve credit for at least one 3 point or higher activity (a major) in one of the categories III thru IX.

VERSATILE BOUVIER CHAMPION (VBCH)

• 15 points total required from a minimum of four categories.
• 3 points required from Category I (maximum 3 points allowed from this category).
• 1 point minimum required from Category II.
• The Bouvier must achieve credit for two 3 point or higher activities (majors) in at least two of categories III thru IX.

NOTE

• Only the highest title earned in any Category will be counted for that Category.
• Categories III & VIII each have three event venue subsections. Applicants are not allowed to combine points from the venue subsections. The highest title earned in a subsection will be the one counted, or if a tie exists between subsections, then one of the highest subsections’ titles is to be selected for the Category’s points.
• Non-heritage AKC recognized titles are listed in Category X - No more than 2 points may be counted from this Category.

The categories are listed below, along with the points earned for each activity. The program will try to keep up with newly recognized AKC events (edited) where Bouviers can obtain titles.

CATEGORY I – Owner-Applicant “Community Service Activities”

This Category requires the applicant Member have a certain minimum number of activities oriented toward community service. For the VBB award, the applicant is required to have one Member activity, for 1 point. For the next level VBX award, the applicant is required to have two Member activities, accumulating the required 2 points. And for a VBCH award, the applicant is required to accumulate three Member activities, for the required total of 3 points.

The Member’s activities must be distinctly different in nature. For example, teaching 3 classes at the Member’s local Kennel Club or Training Club would be considered one (1) activity.
Your activities are not limited to the ABdFC and/or to Bouviers. Here are just a few examples of qualifying activities--chairing a committee in your local kennel club or within a local community organization, holding an elected volunteer office or board position, teaching a class for an organization, presenting or attending a seminar that advances one’s knowledge in a canine activity, participating in performance demonstrations such as a Meet the Breeds Day in your local area, volunteering at a local shelter. Once you have documented a Member activity, the 1 point earned for that activity will apply to all of your dogs for the purpose of the Versatile Bouvier Program. If you are unsure as to whether an activity will qualify for this Category, please contact the Program Chair.

Required points from this Category are:

• VBB - 1 point required – for one member activity
• VBX - 2 points required – 1 point each for two different member activities
• VBCH - 3 points required – again, 1 point each for three different member activities

CATEGORY II - Conformation (1 point minimum required)

The purpose of this category is proof that the Bouvier meets, or exceeds, the breed standard, and has no disqualifying faults. International members may count placements, points and titles obtained from the registry of their country.

1 point - Any class placement while competing in an AKC Conformation show towards Championship (must be against competition).
1 point - Obtain a written, signed and dated statement from an AKC judge licensed for Bouvier des Flandres attesting to the fact that the Bouvier in question meets, or exceeds, the breed standard, and has no disqualifying faults other than alteration.
2 points – One or more points earned towards an AKC Championship.
3 points - An AKC Championship.

CATEGORY III - Obedience, Rally & WDS Obedience

The purpose of this category is to demonstrate training, conditioning and behavior in the home, in public places and in the presence of other dogs. All aspects must be in a manner, which gives credit to the Bouvier des Flandres. Points can be earned in any of the three venue subsections, but only the highest pointed title in any subsection will count. A maximum 6 points is earned by attaining the AKC Obedience Trial Champion title (OTCH).

Obedience:
1 point - Beginner Novice (BN)
2 points - Companion Dog (CD) or Graduate Novice (GN)
3 points - Companion Dog Excellent (CDX) or Graduate Open (GO)
4 points - Utility Dog (UD) or Versatility (VER)
5 points - Utility Dog Excellent (UDX)
6 points - Obedience Trial Champion (OTCH)

Rally:
1 point - Rally Novice (RN)
2 points - Rally Advanced (RA)
3 points - Rally Excellent (RE)
4 points - Rally Advanced Excellent (RAE)

WDS Obedience:
2 points - SchH/IPO BH or SchH/IPO UPr Level 1 (UPr 1)
3 points - SchH/IPO UPr Level 2 (UPr 2)
4 points - SchH/IPO UPr Level 3 (UPr 3)

CATEGORY IV - AKC Tracking & WDS Tracking

2 points - Tracking Dog (TD) or Tracking Dog Urban (TDU)
2 points - SchH/IPO FPr Level 1 (FPr 1) or SchH/IPO FPr Level 2 (FPr 2)
3 points - Tracking Dog Excellent (TDX)
3 points - SchH/IPO FPr Level 3 (FPr 3)
4 points - SchH/IPO FH Level 1 Tracking test (FH 1)
4 points - Variable Surface (VST)
4 points - SchH/IPO FH Level 2 Tracking test (FH 2)
5 points - Tracking Champion (CT)
6 points - IPO-FH International Tracking Test

CATEGORY V - Herding

1 points - Herding Tested (HT) or AHBA or ASCA equivalent
2 points - Pre Trial Tested (PT) or AHBA or ASCA equivalent
3 points - Herding Started (HS) or AHBA or ASCA equivalent
4 points - Herding Intermediate (HI) or AHBA or ASCA equivalent
5 points - Herding Excellent (HX) or AHBA or ASCA equivalent
6 points - Herding Champion (AKC or AHBA or ASCA)

CATEGORY VI - Active Duty

Bouviers qualifying in this category must have actively worked in the area for 6 months AND possess certification by a recognized state or national organization.
2 points - Detection (bomb, narcotics, contraband, termites, corpse)
2 points - Street Service (police, military)
3 points - Service Dog (seeing eye dog, hearing dog, assisted living)
4 points - Search and Rescue Certified by a nationally recognized SAR organization
5 points - Search and Rescue (FEMA Certified)

CATEGORY VII - Draft Work & Carting

The purpose of this category is to demonstrate the heritage of usefulness of canines in working with man. All points associated with Draft Work/Carting require a title certificate from an AKC Approved Draft Breed Club. NOTE - AKC only recognizes ND and DD titles from approved ABdFC tests. You must submit a copy of title certificate awarded if title is not on your AKC record of titles.
2 points - Novice Draft Dog (NDD)
3 points - Draft Dog (DD)
4 points - Master Draft Dog (MDD - ABdFC)
5 points - Master Draft Dog Excellent (MDDX - ABdFC)
6 points - Champion Draft Dog (CHDD - ABdFC)

CATEGORY VIII - Agility

Points can be earned in any of the following three venue subsections, but only the highest pointed title in one subsection will count, with a total of 5 points Maximum earned from this Category reflecting Master Agility Champion/MACH or Preferred Agility Champion/PACH. .

Standard:
1 point - Novice Agility (NA, NAP)
2 points - Open Agility (OA, OAP)
3 points - Agility Excellent (AX, AXP)
4 points - Master Agility Excellent (MX, MXP)

Jumpers:
1 point - Novice Agility Jumpers (NAJ, NJP)
2 points - Open Agility Jumpers (OAJ, OJP)
3 points - Agility Excellent Jumpers (AXJ, AJP)
4 points - Master Excellent Jumpers (MXJ, MJP)

FAST (Fifteen and Send Time):
1 point - Novice FAST (NF, NFP)
2 points - Open FAST (OF, OFP)
3 points - Excellent FAST (XF, XFP)
4 points - Master Excellent FAST (MXF, MFP)

Agility Champion:
5 points - AKC Master Agility Champion (MACH) or Preferred Agility Champion (PACH)

CATEGORY IX - Working Dog Sport (WDS)

Points earned in this category require documentation from the Bouvier’s SchH/IPO score book or an AKC WDS Title certificate. A SchH/IPO title requires the Bouvier to qualify in Obedience, Tracking, and Protection tests at one trial.

4 points - SchH/IPO-1 (IPO 1)
5 points - SchH/IPO-2 (IPO 2)
6 points - SchH/IPO-3 (IPO 3)

CATEGORY X- AKC recognized Non-Heritage Events

No more than 2 points may be earned in this Category. Accepted titles for this Category are as follows:
1 point – AKC Coursing Ability (CA), Barn Hunt Association Novice (RATN), or North America Diving Dogs Dock Junior (DJ) or Air Retrieve Junior (AJ)
2 points – AKC Coursing Advanced (CAA) or higher, Barn Hunt Association Open (RATO) or higher, North America Diving Dogs Dock Senior (DS) or Air Retrieve Senior (AS) or higher
2 points – North American Flyball Association Flyball Master (FM), or ONYX, or Flyball Dog Champion (FDCH)

CATEGORY XI - Other Activities

The purpose of this category is to include recognition for an activity not otherwise defined. For example a Bouvier cast in a stage production, used in a commercial, or recognized for an act of valor. Points awarded from this category must receive approval from the ABdFC Awards Chair, as well as from the Versatile Bouvier Chair.

DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED

• The following are acceptable means of documentation for titles:
• Photocopy/.pdf scan emailed/snail mail of AKC title certificates.
• Photocopy/.pdf scan emailed/snail of AKC Points and Title Progression report.
• A photocopy of certificates or awards from organizations other than the AKC or a photocopy of a published award is required in order to receive credit under a particular Category. These must be earned through a local, state or national organization, or affiliation with such an organization.
• Verification for credit for Category I and XI requires the signature of two witnesses, or published documentation.

If you think your Bouvier has met the requirements for a Versatile Bouvier Award, please fill out the Versatile Bouvier Application Form and send it along with the required documentation to:

Susan Costanzo
3703 Rui Cove Ct
Spring, TX 77386-6014

If you have any questions about eligibility, please contact Susan at: 281-350-1003, or email:
SkyBouviers@comcast.net