History : Some four years ago after the 4th Afghan Hound World Congress was allotted to Sydney, Australia, the Australian Afghan Hound National Breed Council suggested Victoria undertake the update of the Pedigree Book Afghan Hounds in Australasia. This was to coincide with the 4th Congress. The Afghan Hound Club of Victoria agreed to undetake this publication. I suggested a Digital Edition be considered and after some deliberation, a sub-committee was formed. As the Prime mover of this project I have long been interested in the evolution of the breed, and having been involved during the halcyon days of the seventies when Afghan Hounds were at their pinnacle of popularity, I am acutly aware of the impact of -handling, presentation and promotion in determining the direction of this breed. Technology and Computers have provided a means to capture the evolutionary process and an opportunity now exists by which we can consider and evaluate its development over the last four decades. Credit should be given to our early shutterbug and 8mm video recordists, from their costly and devoted endeavours this program has evolved, and I thank those who have made this project possible.

Development : As the project evolved, the original concept changed, it became apparent that it should be programmed differently. Twelve months out from the Congress, It was suggested we enlist programmer Mr Alex Ip to build a fully functional relational database and an innovative interactive multimedia viewer. This arrangement being accepted by the executive of the Club then chaired by Stephen Wheeler (Jacosta Afghans) who fully endorsed our aspirations. The database is the property of the Australian Afghan Hound Breed Council, the program being the Property and Copyright of Alex Ip. The Breed Council has privileges in the use and sales of the program in Australia, with Victoria, having initial financial opportunities in the distribution at the 2000 4th World Congress.

New Directions : As the current program evolved from its original concept, new developments have taken the project from a viewer and rendered it into a breeder's evaluation tool, now you can look both backwards or forwards. It allows owners of the multimedia module the opportunity to consider contentious issues such as asymmetric gait versus symmetrical gait in the Afghan, and more importantly ascertain those lines which have one or the other. Pedigree Plus is a new generation pedigree program based on phenotype in lieu of text; this is the beginning of video images in place of well crafted promotional photos. 20 seconds of moving video will expose more about the qualities of a hound than any crafted photo could ever provide. Gone are the days of- "I breed for movement photos", video is hard to fool. Welcome to the new Millennium.

What Else : you will need to look at the program, tell us what is missing.. There are many blood percentage proposals etc, out there, frankly the numbers are too great, history tends to show, what you see is what you get. Tell us your views ............

What to Do : within the next few days a secure site will occur and for the sum of $60.00 Australian , plus postage, the Inaugural Australian Database will be available until sold out. This first edition is a read only-module with the ability to purchase the various additional modules as required.-If you register your copy you will recieve a key which will allow you to employ two more features by unlocking the bi-directional search feature. All funds from the sale of this edition go to the Afghan Hound club of Victoria Inc. With the add on module sales going to Pedigree Plus of which 30% Royalties go to the AHCV.

International Database : currently we are looking to seek the assistance of other countries to help build an International Database. As the world shrinks and we enter a global diminishing gene pool, the advent of advanced technology, scrutiny, and greater understanding of -breeding along with photographic history's assists us all in the making of informed decisions on breed type and its major progenitors?. Our intention is to provide a self-funding system to help build the first global phenographic database of Afghan Hounds.

How to Contribute to the Database : We will be providing information on how to best prepare images for inclusion into this database.We want to promote each and every country to build there own photographic history. There are many ways to compress files for the Internet and the database, some are better than others, we will provide the techniques used to produce this database. however, we are open to suggestions if superior techniques are known. let us know - Ema il : terry@pedigreeplus.com.

Copyright Issues : It is our intention that due credit be provided to any work that is subject to copyright. We have accepted in good faith many photos without the identity of their origin being disclosed. If any photo is displayed and any person is aggrieved, we will remove that photo and or acknowledge its creator. We have provided provision to give due credit to any professional or other person who has created any particular photograph. Where Collections of photos are provided, we acknowledge as such, we gratefully thank those members of the Afghan fraternity for their assistance with this database.

Who Owns the Database: I hold the view that it is the responsibilty of each Country's Breed Council or equivelent body charged with the responsibility of accurately maintaining archival records of the breeds development. Most Countrys have Champion Registers of some sort, this database is another way of complementing this function by providing a photographic pedigree. This information should be controlled at a National level where possible, and apart from being a repository for generational images, the low cost of CD ROM production presents a effective means of revenue generation at minimal risk exposure for Governing bodies, whilst carrying out their primary archival functions..

Additional Waffle :Nowadays over 50% of -house holds have computers and inkjet printers, this affords a possibility to produce where required, quality graphic image pedigrees in colour. I make this point as it leads me to my next abstract concept of DNA profiles. I touched upon the global kennel and the impact of major showring progenators. If-lessons are to be learnt about flooding the gene pooles Internationally, then perhaps it is time to begin to look at setting up a International DNA profile banks. If history is not to reproduce itself as in other breeds , we should begin to at least to discuss the practicality of a DNA profile database. Let me ask one question , does DNA profiling have its place in the history of this breed.? Should it be kept by a International repository ? or by whom ? Lets at least ask and begin to address these issues?.

How big is this Database? : The whole Australian database and the UK( up to th 1960's) with a scattering of American lines is included on this CD, occupies 62 of the 640 megabytes available on each CD. By the time the CD runs out of room, DVD disc's with there 16 Gigabyte capacity will be the norm, this is equivilent to 25 CD Roms in one DVD disc.

Let the Best Dog Win : As we progress forward may the stock we use be good in type and their progeny be sound in both temperament and structure. This is a simple plea for the sake of the breed, all breeds.

Check It Out : at www.pedigreeplus.com

Email to : terry@pedigreeplus.com

Other emails : support@pedigreeplus.com

Registration :registration@pedigreeplus.com

Sales : sales@pedigreeplus.com

The photos of the cover are a compilation of photos by Christine Anderson and Terrence Wilcox the dogs employed are Jalalabad Afghans (Barry & Margaret Muir) and Alaqadar Afghan Hounds

 

 

 

 

TO A NEW WAY OF CONSIDERING PEDIGREE'S..