About Working Dog Standards

Who I Am

I’m William Hayes, and I’ve spent the better part of three decades ringside. Not as a breeder. Not as a handler. As a journalist who believes the world of purebred dogs deserves the same scrutiny we apply to any institution that shapes living things.

I started covering breed standards professionally in the early 2000s, writing for trade publications that most people outside the dog world have never heard of. Back then, the stories were straightforward: breed profiles, show results, kennel club announcements. Safe copy that offended nobody and informed nobody either.

Working Dog Standards began in 2019 because I got tired of pulling punches. The breed standard world operates on relationships, and relationships discourage honest reporting. Parent clubs grant access. Kennel clubs grant credentials. Judges remember who wrote what. The incentive structure rewards flattery and punishes criticism.

I chose criticism.

What We Cover

This publication focuses on the intersection of breed standards and working ability. We examine:

• How FCI and AKC standards produce fundamentally different dogs from the same breeds
• The divergence between working lines and show lines across multiple breeds
• What happens when structural soundness is sacrificed for aesthetic preference
• The politics behind breed recognition and standard revisions
• How working programs preserve breeds more effectively than show programs
• The mechanics of conformation judging and what actually determines outcomes

Our Approach

Every piece published here meets three standards:

Sourced. Named sources where possible. When sources request anonymity, I verify their claims independently. No rumors presented as fact. No speculation dressed up as reporting.

Evidence-based. Claims about health, structure, or temperament differences cite published research or documented testing data. Veterinary studies, breeding requirement data, and orthopedic evaluations form the backbone of our analysis.

Independent. Working Dog Standards accepts no advertising from kennel clubs, breed clubs, or dog food companies. We have no financial relationships with breeders, handlers, or judges. This independence costs us access sometimes. It’s worth it.

Based in Bristol

Working Dog Standards operates from Bristol, United Kingdom. The location gives us access to both the British kennel world and the continental European breeding community, while maintaining useful distance from the American show circuit that dominates much English-language coverage.

I travel extensively for reporting. The pieces published here reflect observations from show rings, working trials, breeding kennels, and veterinary clinics across four continents. Understanding breed standards requires seeing their consequences in person.

Contact

For press inquiries, tips, or story suggestions: [email protected]

I read everything. I respond to most things. I protect sources absolutely.