The Future Of Dog Breeding.
Following the recent ban by Norway on the breeding of Bulldogs and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Holidays4Dogs asks the question whether other countries should take the lead. Should we impose a ban on breeding un-healthy dogs? Or, does such a move risk the eventual loss of some of our best loved dog breeds? What is the future of dog breeding?
In 2022, Norway imposed a ban on breeding un-healthy dogs. The ban included no further breeding of two pedigree breeds of dog – Bulldogs and Cavalier King Charles spaniels. Both these dog breeds suffer from chronic health issues, due to artificial selection.
The connection between pedigree dog breeds and poor canine health, is regarded amongst experts to be an important animal welfare issue. In recent years, the breeding of purebred dogs has come under much scrutiny.
And, for good reason. There has been much less influence from kennel bodies such as , the UK Kennel Club. Many more dogs are being bred without being registered with these associations. Whereas, in Denmark, mandatory I.D. and registration of dogs has been in operation since 1993. Many would say, other countries fall way behind the times in this respect.
To add to this, the breeding of cross-breed dogs has increased, but they are not exempt from worrying health and behaviour issues either.
The Norwegian court case.
The Norwegian case was driven by the Norwegian Society for the Protection of Animals against the Norwegian Kennel Club, Bulldog and Cavalier Clubs, as well as six individual breeders. The NSPA claimed that, since there were no healthy bulldogs, or cavaliers that existed in the country, there was no ethically sound reason why any of these dogs should be bred from.
The courts supported and upheld the claim by the NSPA. This situation is very likely to have ramifications which will impact on other countries. Breed clubs, dog breeders and animal welfare activists, welcome such an historical decision.
Animal welfare.
Animal welfare experts in the UK have, for some years now, commentated on the extreme breeding practices of some breeds of pedigree dogs.
In 2008, a television programme called “Pedigree Dogs Exposed” made the issue hugely public. As a result, the BBC pulled their coverage of the UK Kennel Club’s Crufts dog show.
In recent years there have been attempts to review and improve breeding practices by the UK Kennel Club. However, many people believe these measures fall far short of tackling a problem that has not improved.
Breeding for health has improved to a certain extent, but dog breeders tend to be hobbyists and are often influenced more by the look of the dog as a priority reason for breeding.
While DNA tests to screen for hereditary health issues has improved, the regulation of this has not. In other words, it is not mandatory to test for relevant health conditions and many breeders do not bother. This can be seen by a quick sweep of puppies for sale on popular puppy sales sites on the internet.
Surgical correction to abnormalities in dogs.
‘Short nosed’ brachycephalic breeds, like pugs, English bulldogs and French bulldogs, are some of the most popular pets. Some of these breeds are so deformed in the facial and nasal area. As a result, they might need surgery to open their air-ways.
Animal welfare experts, and the courts in the Netherlands agree that this is not an acceptable situation. The court case will hopefully bring more widespread attention to the plight of pedigree puppies born at a physical disadvantage.
In addition, the wording of breed standards by kennel clubs has encouraged the breeding of extreme conformation. For example – here is an extract of some of the points in the breed standard for the French bulldog by the UK Kennel Club :-
” Skull nearly flat between the ears, domed forehead. The skin covering the skull and forehead should be supple enough to allow fine wrinkling when the dog is alert. Lower jaw deep, square, broad, slightly undershot, nose turned up”
The problems of in-breeding and small gene pools.
There are some who claim, a breeding ban could lead to the potential loss of some of our much loved dog breeds worldwide. However, when originally established, dog breeds we know and love today, would have been a mix of different breeds of dog. In some modern pedigree dogs breeds, the gene pool is now so small, in-breeding is inevitable.
Out-crossing as a potential solution.
Campaigns for out-crossing have been on-going, but un-favourable with some breeders. However, this would seem a perfectly acceptable and valid solution to poor health seen in certain breeds of dog.
Dalmatians, for instance, can suffer from serious health conditions such as deafness and kidney conditions. More enlightened lovers and breeders of Dalmatians would like to see English pointer introduced into the bloodlines.
This was successful for a time in the U.S. However, so many breeders and breed associations are reluctant to go down this road, claiming it damages the integrity of the breed.
However, this would be to deny that many breeds are a combination of other breeds to begin with. So if anything, out-crossing can only rejuvenate some of our pedigree dog breeds, many of which suffer from the minute they are born.
Final thoughts on the future of dog breeding.
Breeders, breed associations and anyone interested in pedigree dogs should have the puppy’s lifelong health at the forefront of their minds. A puppy has the right to a long and natural life. If achieved, there would be no need for breeding bans. The health and welfare, both physical and behavioural needs to become a top priority.
