In the wake of the publication of Sir Professor Patrick Bateson’s report on dog breeding in the UK a number of trends seem to be merging.

Complete failure, though hardly surprising, of the show forums (our and champ) to engage in any debate about it let alone any meaningful debate.

Complete engagement by much of the media with a torrent of headlines explaining that his conclusions for dog breeding are pretty explosive.

Some disappointment that the Puppy Contract is not featured strongly and a fair bit of feeling that this is just the beginning of still a long journey.

For me there are more than several highlights. The first being that nowhere in the report, nowhere, does he give the Kennel Club unequivocal praise for anything they have done in their entire 137 year history. In fact in Chapter 7 he is scathing about their inertia and make frequent reference to the fact that they could do more.

·        They could do more analysis of their own data.

·        Their Accredited Breeder Scheme currently cannot be trusted by the British puppy buying public and really needs reform.

·        They need to work much more collaboratively and of course he strongly suggests that they cannot be trusted to apply evidence based science to their breeding strategies because he has recommended that an independent Advisory body be set up to oversee that.

What an indictment of the Kennel Club. In covering puppy farming as well as dog breeding through the KC register he is making the point that what we have is a continuum of dog breeding here. At one end the awful phenomena of the ruthless exploitation of bitches in puppy farming, through to the type of breeder who breeds to get good show specimens. No-one not matter what end of the continuum you are on get’s let off the hook.

Some notable quotes

“Nevertheless, current dog breeding practices do in many cases impose welfare cots on individual dogs from a variety of causes including the following: negligent or incompetent management with particular impact on breeding bitches but also failure to socialise puppies appropriately; use of closely related breeding pairs such that already high levels of inbreeding are worsened; use of breeding pairs carrying inherited disorders such that inherited disease is transmitted to offspring; artificial selection for extreme characteristics that are directly responsible for failure to meet one or more welfare criteria; and the sale of dogs that are unsuited to the conditions in which they will be kept by their owners.” P3

“When available, the buying public should be encouraged to purchase only from breeders participating in a robust and audited accreditation scheme”. Page 5.

He is not very complimentary about the skills and knowledge of many breeders.

“”The great majority of breeders of pedigree dogs produce only one or even less than one litter per year. Many of these people make considerable efforts to inform themselves about what is best for their breed but, as far as I can judge, many are dependent on inexpert and out of date advice”. Page 39. Priceless.

On inbreeding he is unequivocal

“on balance therefore, and even setting aside the welfare issues arising from the inheritance of specific disorders, I conclude that the existence of highly inbred populations poses a welfare burden in and of itself.” Wow.

He points out that examples of the successful elimination of inherited disorders are few – in fact he makes the point that the only one actually ever proffered as evidence is CLAD in Irish Setters.

In short after 137 years the KC could have done better than the elimination of just one inherited disorder, the improved management of a couple of others such as copper toxicosis in Bedlingtons, the creation of a mediocre accredited breeder scheme which in his opinion is still not yet fit for purpose and a whole raft of intelligent people pointing out the awful mess that they have gotten dogs into. Remember as well that the KC paid this man to do this review.