From The Times January 4, 2010

Valerie Elliott, Consumer Editor

A shake-up in the way that dogs are bought and sold is to be proposed by an inquiry into the future of canine breeding in Britain.

Plans for a compulsory registration scheme for breeders -- whether of pedigrees or crosses -- has emerged in a report by Professor Sir Patrick Bateson, a leading zoologist, which aims to stamp out controversial breeding practices in which puppies are born with disease and deformities.

The Times has learnt that only breeders with a registered number and who are subject to checks on their animals and premises would be allowed to sell or advertise the sale of puppies.

The proposals, which are already in force in France, are an attempt to draw a line under the unscrupulous breeding of dogs for the competition ring, which was highlighted in the television documentary Pedigree Dogs Exposed on BBC One 16 months ago.

In future it is envisaged that all puppies would also be sold with a veterinary certificate guaranteeing their health and stating the name of their parents as well as the registered number of the breeder. All dogs would be microchipped and breeders would be subject to random inspections.

Professor Bateson's blueprint, commissioned by the Kennel Club and the Dogs' Trust, is to be published this month. It is certain to provoke fury among some breeders, but he believes that change is now inevitable.

Inbreeding of dogs was one of his main concerns, Professor Bateson said. The Kennel Club has banned the mating of parent dogs with offspring and siblings. He believes that this should be extended to grandparent and half-sibling dogs.

The club already has an accredited breeder scheme, but it is voluntary. Of the 150,000 pedigree puppies registered with the club each year, only 10 per cent are from breeders signed up to the inspection and audit regime.

Professor Bateson said that in future he expected registration to be restricted to accredited breeders who follow tough health and welfare rules.

The club has already reviewed the standards for each breed, but Professor Bateson questioned the organisation's role as "judge and jury". He favours instead a new statutory body to oversee all breeding practices. "I think regulation is the only way to do it. The public need to insist they know the pedigree of a dog and that it has been properly looked after, and only go to accredited breeders," he said.>>>>>>>>>>>>END

Read this at:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle6974649.ece

...don't you just LOVE the line        " the unscrupulous breeding of dogs for the competition ring " !!!  ....!

comments ??

Yvonne

Scapegoat comes to mind funny how JH has landed us ALL with this label of unscrupulous breeders who show - amazing!

We're the one's paying for research and supporting screening whilst byb breeders are out there charging as much if not more for their animals with health testings as the responsible ones do for progeny of fully tested parents.  Tell ya there will be a lot of us walking away from dogs permanently if our good work doesn't start to receive recognition ie REAL recognition not just a 1 liner in a report saying we have nothing to fear!

> are an attempt to draw a line under the unscrupulous breeding of dogs for the competition ring,

This is the bit that really gets me!!!!

It is those not breeding for the competition ring but purely to satisfy the demand for Puppies that are the m sot guilty of poor breeding practise!!!!

The only ones left breeding are the cleaner commercial breeders who will have up to the minute facilities and charge huge prices to cover their costs, but have no Passion for their breed, ti will simply be about a product, like cleaning up and improving battery farms.

The breed enthusiast will be priced out of breeding. 

It will be like the laws over honey and private beekeepers being unable to sell honey, as it wasn't pasteurised, ditto goat keepers being allowed to sell the surplus milk on a small/hobby scale.

>> It will be like the laws over honey and private beekeepers being unable to sell honey, as it wasn't pasteurised, ditto goat keepers being allowed to sell the surplus milk on a small/hobby scale.

If it is restricting a dog breeders trade, could they sue the BBC, the R£SPCA or a certain TV programme makers? Hobby breeders need to sell puppies to help towards the cost of rearing puppies and the next HEALTHY generation.

I also fail to see how compulsory registration will stamp out disease and deformities - all breeders of show dogs are currently registered yet their dogs are the ones described as freakish mutants ! - only dedicated breeders who are prepared to be in it for the long term and dig deep in their pockets to fund research and testing will make any impact on genetic problems - they are most likely to be single breed enthusiasts , keep detailed records and pedigrees and belong to breed clubs - oh wait does'nt that sound just like the show breeder ?

Quite frankly I'm sick to the back teeth of it all - just one thought - if the dedicated show breeder gives up ( and many folk are now tempted to do just that ) then what becomes of all those unpopular , non profitable breeds - what puppy farmer is going to bother with breeds such as Manchester Terriers, Otterhounds or Laekenois ?

With no show scene and no show breeders what are the chances of the KC surviving ?- of health testing being funded  or research being done ? - ho hum I think I'l start growing Dhalias instead!

yvonne

It is very depressing.  I have a bitch aged 4 plus who has not had a litter - has all relevant health tests, plus others that are not at the moment recommended, but do I wish to have a litter from her, at the present time I do not know whether to give up breeding, showing, working on committees, raising money for research into health conditions.   Trying to improve the health and welfare of dogs like hundreds of other responsible breeders do to have it constantly thrown back in our faces.

I wonder how much of the profit from that 'programme' went back into a health fund to raise money to look into the various conditions that affect ALL DOGS not just pedigree, I fear that it is now as it always has been, that the money is raised by members of Breed Clubs and those that are part of the show/working scene.

> I wonder how much of the profit from that 'programme' went back into a health fund to raise money to look into the various conditions that affect ALL DOGS not just pedigree, I fear that it is now as it always has been, that the money is raised by members of Breed Clubs and those that are part of the show/working scene.

On another thread we were all told that the programme did not make any money. So we must therefore assume absolutely none has been put into health or welfare or research.

> ho hum I think I'l start growing Dhalias instead!

Think you will not be alone! And the responsible breeders were told they had nothing to fear from the programme.....

> On another thread we were all told that the programme did not make any money. So we must therefore assume absolutely none has been put into health or welfare or research.

No profit!!!!!   That is interesting

It is interesting. If Passionate Productions were commissioned by the BBC to make this as an Indie it would be normal practice for the company to be paid a production fee. This fee is made in addition to all the productions costs, including Producer and Director fees, which would usually be put in the main budget, it is anything between 10-20% of the total budget exclusive of the fee. The production fee is, in effect, profit- though it is fair to say that no Independent, like any business, could really exist without it. It is possible that Ms Harrison and Passionate chose to waive the production fee, or perhaps they paid it to a charity. It is also possible that the film was made in-house at the BBC rather than through the production company, unlikely though as I believe the company is credited. Then there is the issue of royalties, is the film owned exclusively by the BBC or does Passionate have a stake? If it does then overseas sales will bring in money too.