Academic literature on the topic 'Pedigree Dog Breeding'

AbstractIn the UK, numerous pedigree dogs of many breeds experience compromised welfare due to the direct and indirect effects of selective breeding. Many breeds are selected to have physical conformations which, although perceived by some to be desirable, have direct negative effects upon their welfare. Dogs are regularly bred whose heads are too large and pelvises too small to birth naturally or whose faces are so flat that they are unable to breathe or exercise normally. There are also many indirect effects of selective breeding for appearance, including significantly elevated prevalence of specific diseases within particular breeds. Current breeding practices can therefore result in unnecessary suffering due to pain, disability, disease and behavioural problems. In this paper, we summarise and review the current scientific evidence for such suffering, and difficulties associated with assessing the impact of current breeding practices. Limited record-keeping, lack of transparency in the breeding and showing world, and the absence of sufficient research, mean that the full extent of the problem is difficult to assess. Furthermore, the collection of data is currently unsystematic, and although there are specific case studies of individual breeds and particular disorders, relatively few have been conducted in the UK. Individual breeds each suffer from their own array of problems, so each breed's survival and improvement (in terms of health and welfare) is likely to require a different specific course of action. With 209 breeds currently registered in the UK, this makes the situation complex. We collate and present a range of suggestions which may help to improve pedigree dog welfare significantly, and prioritise these based on expert opinion.

SummaryWe present an approach to describe and evaluate changes in genetic diversity and to calculate bounds for improvement. This pedigree-based analysis was applied to the Kromfohrländer dog (FCI Gr9 Sec10). Pedigrees trace back to the foundation of the breed and were available for 5527 individuals. Based on this dataset the population structure and historical bottlenecks were studied. Distributions of allele frequencies were estimated by Monte Carlo simulation. To monitor changes in mating systems throughout the breeding history, the homozygosity of alleles was compared with their expectations in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. Different breeding lines were identified by hierarchical cluster analysis and were characterized by ancestor contributions. Our calculations showed that the founder event in 1945 was followed by two bottlenecks. One was caused by strong selection in a very small population, and the other was triggered by rigorous disease management. The necessary amount of purging that arised due to the bottlenecks was also discussed.

Abstract This essay examines the impact of the Great War on the breeding and showing of pedigree dogs (the “dog fancy”) in Britain. Hostility toward Germany led first to a decline in the popularity of breeds such as the dachshund, with both human and canine “aliens” targeted by nationalist fervor. Second, the institutions of dog breeding and showing came under threat from accusations of inappropriate luxury, frivolity, and the wasting of food in wartime, amounting to the charge of a want of patriotism on the part of breeders. Third, the paper shows how the “dog fancy” responded to this “agitation against dogs,” turning on mongrels, stray dogs, and “useless” and unpatriotic humans, exposing deep divisions within the dog breeding community. By looking at the politics of the “dog fancy” in wartime, this paper extends the discussion of animals and national identity, arguing that while dogs could be used to articulate patriotic sentiments, their conditional citizenship meant that they were uniquely vulnerable at a time of national crisis.

AbstractThe effect that breed standards and selective breeding practices have on the welfare of pedigree dogs has recently come under scrutiny from both the general public and scientific community. Recent research has suggested that breeding for particular aesthetic traits, such as tightly curled tails, highly domed skulls and short muzzles predisposes dogs with these traits to certain inherited defects, such as spina bifida, syringomyelia and brachycephalic airway obstruction syndrome, respectively. Further to this, there is a very large number of inherited diseases that are not related to breed standards, which are thought to be prevalent, partly as a consequence of inbreeding and restricted breeding pools. Inherited diseases, whether linked to conformation or not, have varying impact on the individuals affected by them, and affect varying proportions of the pedigree dog population. Some diseases affect few breeds but are highly prevalent in predisposed breeds. Other diseases affect many breeds, but have low prevalence within each breed. In this paper, we discuss the use of risk analysis and severity diagrams as means of mapping the overall problem of inherited disorders in pedigree dogs and, more specifically, the welfare impact of specific diseases in particular breeds.

Pedigree data of the Border Collie dog breed were collected in Hungary to examine genetic diversity within the breed and its different lines. The database was based on available herd books dating from the development of the breed (in the late 1800s) to the present day. The constructed pedigree file consisted of 13,339 individuals, of which 1566 dogs (born between 2010 and 2016) composed the alive reference population which was active from breeding perspective. The breed is subdivided by phenotype, showing a thicker coat, harmonic movement, a wide skull, and heavier bones for the show type, and a thinner or sometimes short coat and smaller body for the working line, while the mixed line is quite heterogeneous (a combination of the above). Thus, the reference population was dissected according to the existing lines. The number of founders was 894, but eight individuals were responsible for contributing 50% of the genetic variability. The reference population had a pedigree completeness of 99.6% up to 15 generations and an inbreeding coefficient of 9.86%. Due to the changing breed standards and the requirements of the potential buyers, the effective population size substantially decreased between 2010 and 2016. Generation intervals varied between 4.09 and 4.71 years, where the sire paths were longer due to the later initial age of breeding in males compared to females. Genetic differences among the existing lines calculated by fixation indices are not significant; nonetheless ancestral inbreeding coefficients are able to show contrasts.

Abstract. The purpose of the article is to illustrate the use of pedigree analysis to evaluate mtDNA diversity in a selected population of pedigree dogs, to describe the paths of mtDNA inheritance and to estimate the spread of potential pedigree errors or mutations that occurred in different generations of ancestors. Hovawart, old German breed, was used as an example. The number and frequencies of mtDNA haplotypes were calculated based on numbers of dam lines and their representatives. The scale of potential errors in calculations that can result from pedigree errors or from new mutations in ancestors from the 5th or 10th ancestral generation was evaluated. The analysis included 368 breeding bitches from four German kennel organizations. The bitches represented three dam lines, with the Ho1, Ho2 and HoU mtDNA haplotypes. Significant differences in the frequency of the haplotypes in the population, from 0.27 to 73.37 %, and among kennel organizations and regions of the country were recorded. Considerable differences in the scale of potential errors in calculations arising from mtDNA mutations or pedigree errors were noted between 0.27 and 28.69 %, depending on the number of representatives of the subline in which the error appeared and the generation taken into account in the simulations. The study revealed an interesting paradox: although the differences between the haplotypes are the result of events (mutations) from thousands of years ago, the number and the frequencies of the haplotypes in the population are the result of the modern history of the population and current breeding policy.

At present, only 5% of pedigree dogs is being used for breeding. To increase the number of breeding dogs, one solution could be to start a canine semen bank based on the principle of semen donation, like in humans. Many dog owners have no desire to become dog breeders but are willing to preserve the genetic material of their dog, if offered this possibility. However, not all canine ejaculates are suitable for cryopreservation as the initial quality may differ and the resistance of sperm cells to survive the freezing procedure is highly variable. In order to freeze the semen of as many male dogs as possible, it is important to optimize and individualize the cryopreservation protocol per ejaculate. Practically, frozen semen can be stored in the CanIfreeze-semen bank or in veterinary practices adjacent to the owner of the bitch and can be used for insemination at a later time.

Abstract. The aim of the study was to evaluate changes in the gene pool of a dog population during the period of its formation. Pedigree and mtDNA analyses were performed on the Polish population of Hovawart dogs. A total of 192 litters of 93 dams and 115 sires were born between 1988 and 2008. Breeding began using Hovawarts imported mainly from the Czech Republic and Slovakia; however, the role of Western European dogs increased continually throughout the period analysed. No unfavourable effects caused by the limited size of the population were identified because of the constant inflow of new genes from abroad. The continual increase in the gene pool was indicated by all of the pedigree parameters analysed. Two different mtDNA haplotypes were found, and complete agreement between pedigree and molecular data was noted. The results of the analyses permit concluding that the process of formation of the new Hovawart population was also impacted by non-genetic factors that directly influenced the composition of gene pool.

Pedigree dog welfare in the United Kingdom is a controversial subject. This PhD aimed to investigate small animal veterinary surgeons’ (VS), pedigree dog breeders’ (PDB) and owners’ perceptions surrounding canine health, their roles, information acquisition and the quality of online resources available to new dog owners. Via a mixed-methods approach VS and PDB were asked about their perceptions of pedigree dog welfare using online questionnaires. Focus groups were then used to explore these parties’ opinions on advising dog owners and buyers. Dog owners were administered an online questionnaire to explore drivers of dog acquisition and sourcing of information about canine health. A further sample of dog owners provided possible internet search terms they would use to find information on how to care for a new dog. These terms were used for a scoping review to examine the quality of available information. The VS and PDB exhibited varied perceptions relating to pedigree dog breeding, inherited disease and health screening programmes. Each group considered themselves the most knowledgeable on these topics and lacked clarity on how their roles interrelated. Focus groups showed conflicting views on advising dog owners and buyers. Dog owners varied in their drivers for ownership, from whom they obtained information and the internet search terms used when looking for information online. The scoping review identified a lot of easy to understand, poor quality information. VS and PDB need to better understand and appreciate each others’ roles, perspectives and knowledge to instigate effective collaboration and improve pedigree dog health. Owners are diverse and require a multifaceted educational approach to improve knowledge. The quality of online information for owners needs to be made clear and a coordinated approach involving all stakeholders is required to enable dissemination of practical, evidence-based information on pedigree dog health.

This thesis examines how the ethics of caring for pedigree dogs differ in the contexts of dog showing and veterinary practice. By highlighting conflicts around the shared use of ‘ordinary language’, I show how tensions between show‐world and veterinary perspectives relate to divergent understandings of ‘health’. Canine bodies speak to vets and breeders in conceptually different ways, so much so that breed‐specific features can be considered ‘perfect’ in the show‐ring yet ‘pathological’ in the veterinary clinic. Developing the emergent anthropological perspective that care is both a moral and an embodied practice, I argue that the qualities of moral virtue and aesthetic virtu are inextricably linked in the care practices by which breeders aim to produce and sustain canine bodies in their idealised forms. Also fundamental to show‐world notions of care is the understanding that care for dog and care for breed are one and the same. In sharp contrast, veterinary practice attends to dogs as individuals rather than members of breeds. Here, I examine how breeders and vets respond to the multiple and conflicting demands of caring for pedigree dogs in the course of encounters often fraught with unresolved tension. Asking how seemingly irreconcilable notions of what counts as good health play out in these negotiations, I argue that care can depend on the ability to transcend – or at least overlook – different ethical orientations. In practice, I argue that negotiations between breeders and vets are often non‐verbal and based on a mutual understanding that the ability to work together in performing care relies not only on clear communication but, at times, on a knowing silence. Under ever‐increasing pressure to engage with veterinary notions of health, many show‐breeders now deem ignorance of veterinary knowledge – and silence in the face of disease – ethically virtuous. I therefore conclude that deliberate silence and selective ignorance enable breeders and vets to temporarily reconcile their different understandings of what is good, thus allowing both parties to meet their respective responsibilities of care.

La santé du constitue une préoccupation croissante pour les éleveurs, propriétaires, et le grand public, plusieurs rapports ayant récemment souligné les potentiels impacts négatifs des pratiques d'élevage sur la santé des chiens de race (APGAW 2009, Nicholas 2011), au travers de la diffusion d’affections héréditaires par exemple. Ainsi, l’OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, http://www.offa.org) considère que la dysplasie de la hanche affecte au moins 163 races de chiens, avec des prévalences allant de 1,2 à 72,1%. La mise en œuvre de stratégie d'élevage afin de réduire l'incidence des maladies héréditaires et leur impact sur le bien-être constitue une priorité pour les éleveurs et les organisations d'élevage. L'efficacité de ces stratégies dépend toutefois fortement de facteurs tels que leur déterminisme génétique, la disponibilité de diagnostics cliniques ou génétiques efficaces, ainsi que les conditions spécifiques au contexte (la prévalence, la démographie, l'existence d'autres affections, la coopération des éleveurs ...). Par exemple, il a été montré que pour une maladie monogénique récessive, à fréquence égale, l'impact d’une stratégie sur la variabilité génétique sera extrêmement différent en fonction de la race (Leroy et Rognon 2012). Il est important de souligner également que le contexte et le cadre réglementaire de l'élevage varient beaucoup en fonction des pays. A titre d'exemple, en Suède, la proportion importante d'animaux de compagnie assurés (environ 50%) permet la mise en place d’enquêtes sur la santé des chiens à grande échelle (Bonnett et al., 2005), facilitant l'identification des affections impactant le bien-être. En fonction des pays, des mesures différentes de luttes contre les affections héréditaires ont pu être mises en place, pouvant aller de l’incitation à utiliser des reproducteurs sains, à l’interdiction de reproduction pour des individus atteints d’affection problématiques. Dans le cas de dysplasie de la hanche, un système d'évaluation génétique a été mis en œuvre dans certains pays (Allemagne, Suède, Royaume-Uni) pour quelques races, alors que dans certains autres pays, il est encore en cours de développement. Notons qu’un projet préliminaire à la thèse sera mise en place à l’échelle des kennels clubs nordiques (KNU) pour s’intéresser à la valeur ajoutée des échanges internationaux de données généalogiques et de santé
Dog health constitutes a major concern for breeders, owners, as well as the general public, all the more since several study and reports have recently underlined potential impacts of breeding practices on dog health and fitness (APGAW 2009, Nicholas 2011). According to Online Mendelian Inheritance in Animals (OMIA, omia.angis.org.au) more than 586 disorders/traits have been reported in dogs, with various prevalence and consequences for canine health (Collins et al. 2011, Nicholas et al. 2011). As an exemple, Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA 2011, http://www.offa.org) consider that Hip Dysplasia, a polygenetic trait affected by environmental factors, with variable impact on welfare, affects at least 163 dog breeds, with prevalence ranging from 1.2 to 72.1%. Implementation of breeding plans in order to reduce incidence of inherited disorders and their impact on welfare should be a priority for breeders and breeding organizations. Efficiency of such strategies is however highly dependant on several factors such as inheritance pattern, availability of efficient clinical/genetic test, and specific context conditions (prevalence, demography, existence of other disorders, cooperation of breeders…). For instance, it has been showed that for a monogenic recessive disorder with the same frequency, impact of a given strategy on genetic diversity will be completely different depending on the breed (Leroy and Rognon 2012). It is also important to underline that breeding context and breeding rules are very different according to countries. As an exemple, in Sweden the large proportion of pets insured (about 50%) allows the settlement of large surveys on dog health (Bonnett et al. 2005), leading to the identification of disorders critical to breed welfare. Depending on countries, the control of inherited disorders is implemented through various measures, from breeding recommandations to mating ban. In the case of hip dysplasia, a genetic evaluation system has been implemented in some countries (Germany, Sweden, UK) for a few breeds, while in some other countries, it is still under development. The fact that for many breeds there is an exchange of breeding animals between several countries with different breeding policies constitutes also a critical point to be taken into account, when settling a breeding strategy. Moreover it has been showed that efficiency of genetic evaluation for a polygenic trait such a hip dysplasia could be improved by joint evaluation between different countries (Fikse et al. 2012). For this purpose, a preliminary project, starting 2013 in Sweden, will investigate the interest of exchanging pedigree and health data within the framework of Nordic Kennel Union. The aim of this project is to provide operational tools to improve breed health in an international context, concerning both genetic evaluation and implementation of breeding policies

Maternal care alters neurology and behaviour in mammals. However, little is known about the impact of maternal care in domestic dogs. Rapid neurological development occurs in dogs between postnatal days 3 and 16, yet maternal care within this period has not been thoroughly investigated. Knowledge of neurological development and maternal care is mainly derived from studies of white laboratory rats and, while numerous differences exist between rats and dogs, the physiological mechanisms underpinning the programming of stress-related behaviour are likely to be similar. This thesis sought to investigate maternal care in dogs and the impact it may have on stress-related behaviour in later life. The methodology used to study maternal care in dogs is differing and therefore an aim of this thesis was to provide an overview of differences between litters while comparing sampling methodologies. Six litters of dogs were observed on postnatal days 3, 6, 9 and 12. Maternal care behaviours included dam presence, nursing, contact (frequent behaviours) and anogenital licking (infrequent behaviour). A 24-hour period was compared to five time sampling periods: 12-hour night (1800-0600 hours), 12-hour day (0600-1800 hours), and two sets of four fifteen-minute periods during: night (1800-0600 hours), day (0600-1800 hours) and anytime. A shorter sampling period (four fifteen-minute periods) was representative of the 24-hour period for frequent behaviours. Maternal care behaviour impacts offspring response to stress later in life. An observational study was employed to determine whether maternal care behaviours differ between and within dog litters. Ten litters, including six of the litters above, were observed over postnatal days 3, 6, 9 and 12. Differences between dams were evident for all behaviours (p<0.001), while no differences within a litter were observed for any behaviour. Isolation initiates fear in domestic animals, thus an isolation box can be used to determine stress-related behaviour. Forty-seven puppies (previously assessed for litter behaviour) were observed for activity and vocalisations, and had their heart rate recorded. Breed type and size, parity, and anogenital licking on day 6 were associated with stress-related behaviours. In particular, puppies that were licked more had a shorter latency to vocalise and a higher pre-test heart rate, although this was not expected. Differences in the stress axis responsible for stress-related behaviour and physiology, or the onset of fear-related behaviour, may be reason for these results. Given that maternal care behaviour differed between dams, breeders were asked (using an online survey) whether they consider maternal care of bitches when selecting breed stock. There were 274 respondents representing all breed groups of the Australian National Kennel Club. Four components were found using Principal Components Analysis: Maternal Care, Offspring Potential, Dam Temperament, and Dam Genetics and Health. Maternal care was scored as more important by toy and hound groups, while breed priority was altered by the number of breeds kept and brachycephalic breeds. Maternal care should be considered by breeders when choosing stock to rebreed from, due to its potential impact on stress in puppies. The findings of this thesis allow behavioural studies to employ a shorter sampling period, highlights maternal care differences in dogs, and allows a simple test for breeders to use to assess puppy behaviour.
Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Animal & Veterinary Sciences, 2017

AbstractDogs have for long been humans’ best friend, but the human–dog relationship can be problematic. A mismatch between dogs and their keepers can lead to welfare problems for both; for example: breeding for a specific look can result in health and welfare problems and importing dogs from other countries can lead to zoonoses. In our view, many of these problems could be avoided if wannabe dog keepers reflected better before deciding to obtain a specific dog. Attempting to influence this decision, however, assumes that we know what the right choice is. In this chapter, we discuss three cases: pups with pedigrees, pups without pedigrees, and adult dogs from (foreign) shelters. We show that, in each case, certain moral assumptions are made whose legitimacy can be problematised. We conclude that the decision about what dog to obtain is not a straightforward one and that it is often difficult to establish what is actually the right choice. However, we also pinpoint certain improvements that can be made to the current system and make a number of suggestions that make the right choice the easier choice. As Anthropocene conditions may lead to the domestication of an increasing number of wild species in the future, this analysis may support reflection on the ethical implications of domestication.