KC Chairman

"One of the worries we should have about breeding and showing dogs is that unfortunately, excesses of one kind or another often take over, sometimes to the detriment of the dogs themselves. In certain people’s eyes if something is good in a breed, more of its is better.That is, of course, certainlly not always the case. Whether this is excessive skin folds in some breeds, presentation and coat barbering in others, over angulation or wide skulls and narrow pelvises in some or sheer obesity masqueradng as substance in yet others - excess is rarely a good thing for any breed in the long run. What, if anything, can and should the Kennel Club do about this?

Up to now it has, through its Group working on the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, enqcouraged and exhorted breeds and judges to tackle health issues before some scivilservant or European bereaucrat does it for them. Some breeds have responded well to this encouragement but other have been slower to react. That is a matter which will continue to be tackled into the future and the Kennel Club will be unrelenting in its approach to this important issue.

But is that enought? It has been suggested that, both from a temperament and a physical point of view, exaggeration could be prevent if the link between form and function were to be reinforced in all breeds in a more positive and proactive way. The suggestion has been made that if passing some form of test, linked to function, were to be made mandatory before any dog could become a full Champion - not just a Show Champion - then a notable improvement would be seen. This would be similar to the situation in Gundogs and in Border Collies where dogs cannot be called "Champion" until they have passed a test for working ability. Until then they can only be called "Show Champion". How this would apply to the individual breeds would require to be worked out and how that would work for companion dogs I hesitate to think. However, I think it is right to float the idea in principle and to ask what people think of the concept?

Some argue that this does not go far enough and the Show Champion rule in Gundogs has done nothing to preven the increasing divergence of show and working types, particularly in some spaniels and retrievers. So should the ruling perhaps be even more draconian and demand that a dog cannot become even a Show Champion without demonstrating its ability to fulfil the breed’s original function?

I have my own views on these ideas but the range of general opinion of dog people on this is sought. Those who want to express their views on the issue should write in to Caroline Hallett at the Kennel Club, and these will be taken into consideration when this matter is discussed in the future.

One thing is certain and that is that if exaggeration continues in some breeds at as fast a rate in the next 50 years as it has in the last 50, some of them will undoubtedly become extinct"

By Ronnie Irvine, Chairman KC
October 2006, Kennel Gazette