Kennel Club

[YvonneM]

Just heard the news kennel club have set new breed standards for lots of breeds What good news

[YvonneM]

http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/2223

This is the link for the changes

[fredpuli47]

Hmm.We'll have to wait and see how many judges declare a dog not up to the new standard, either now or in future.At least a new breed standard shows the KC are sensitive to criticism. The rule that no dog is to be inbred might prove to be more readily enforced, but is that to be enforced immediately or only for dogs conceived in the future?

[fredpuli47]

Seeing the link (not seen until after I'd posted) I didn't notice anything about inbreeding.The press today seemed to think that such a rule was to be introduced. Judging from the link, it looks as though judges will have a lot of room to make a personal decision on whether or not a given dog fits the new standard.

[Rosetta]

If I am reading German Shepherd breed standard correctly the exagerated sloping back is out. If that is the case I'm glad. I saw such a dog near here recenly and its spine looked both unnatural and ugly

Well done Kennel Club if you have addressed those issues that have affected the health (and shape) of dogs. Long overdue, however

[jules77]

It is still down to an individual judges interpretation of the standard.

[lankeela]

Not good news for all breeds. For instance even after all the furore about Cavaliers being susceptible to syringomyelia and having skulls too small for their brains the only change to the Cav standard is that they must not show any white in their eyes!

The German Shepherd standard never asked for an exaggerated backline, only that it sloped gently from withers to croup. Sadly some breeders/exhibitors/judges have been unable to see how incorrect their choice of dog has been,(and I mean from both sides of the divide).

These changes will not happen overnight and most judges will continue to choose the specimens that conform to their idea of the breed standard. It will take several generations to breed in any changes and only if puppy buyers take the trouble to find out about their chosen breed from the breed clubs and choose dogs from breeders who are willing to breed to the new standards.

As usual the tabloids are having a field day particularly with the Bulldog, one declaring that it would now be 'scrapped'. What a load of piffle.

[lankeela]

fredpuli, the restriction on close matings will be for any puppies registered after March this year, and it is for mother/son. father/daughter and brother /sister matings.

[fredpuli47]

As if we haven't got enough trouble, as it is. LOL. What passes as good in one decade, nay, one year, is no longer so the next.You'll get one breeder whose dogs are of a certain type, and favourable judges, and suddenly that's the way the winners have to be.If you want to start a lively discussion at Cruft's , find out what is 'in' and then mention it to those showing. A fair amount of heat will be generated and gossip reported!

Some of the changes in look may be generated by market forces. Who was it who decided that a golden retriever should be anything but golden?(Allegedly the Americans) The 'white' retriever would describe many better!

[lankeela]

The sad thing is that puppy farmers and back yard breeders will take no notice and will still just breed from whatever dogs they happen to have, not worrying about breed standards, health testing and socialisation.
These are the ones that have most health problems, yet the caring breeders get castigated for anything that goes wrong in pedigree dogs.

[kita1]

Will not change a thing!!!

After all what proof has anyone got that the KC 'papers' belong to that particular pup? Until you DNA test all puppies you only have a breeders word for which dog is the father and which dog is the mother of a pup.

An unscrupulous 'breeder' can simply make a pup belong to a convenient dog.

[Mr Veritas]

Yes,but they had to be pushed into doing it.
It's "Too little too late I fear".
It could take decades to "backbreed" many Dog lines.