We must prize the health of dogs over their looks
THE RSPCA has serious concerns over the health of pedigree dogs bred with exaggerated features for the show ring. Every year I watch the world’s biggest dog show, Crufts, but it leaves animal welfare advocates like me dismayed. I love to see the bond between dogs and owners in features like Friends for Life, and healthy, happy dogs excel at the agility course, but find it difficult to watch as judges choose winners based on how closely they match the breed standard — dogs who have visibly exaggerated features that can be associated with serious health issues. There have been steps in the right direction about selective breeding, but is enough being done to protect dogs’s welfare? Breeding dogs of the same breed together and breeding closely related dogs to achieve a certain look has caused high levels of inbreeding. In some breeds this equates to the genetic equivalent of a dog produced from a grandfather to granddaughter mating. Sadly, some have become so inbred that there’s little room to breed away from their physical and genetic issues without introducing new genetic material by outcrossing. So even when responsible breeders identify the healthiest dogs to breed from, there may be so few that by eliminating less healthy dogs from breeding stock, genetic diversity keeps decreasing, increasing risk of inherited diseases. While there are individual breeders and clubs who are outcrossing to different breeds, we still need new rules on breeding practices. We need breeders to prioritise health, welfare and temperament of dogs above looks, tradition and breed standards. Outcrossing is not risk-free or quick, but it could be the only answer if we’re serious about breeding dogs with a better chance of a happy, healthy life.
LISA HENS, RSPCA, Southwater, W. Sussex.