Dogsey

I agree.
At the end of the day Jemima H did a programme which highlighted the appalling breeding practices in some breeds. If one dog has been saved from a lifetime of pain as a result then hoorah...good for her. If one new puppy buyer researchs properly before getting a pup as a result of the programme...hoorah again.
Jemima H is not some awful person who hates pedigree dogs...she cares VERY deeply about the health and welfare of all dogs. That's why she did the documentary.

If that is true then one could equally say that, prior to the programme, that the public laboured under the misconception that KC registered confered some quality assurance.

The fact is that some of the public do sometimes take false impressions but unless they have been actually misinformed then that is their own concern.

Rescues are inundated anyway. There's no evidence to suggest that PDE was responsible for that. There's evidence that the recession has had an impact but not PDE.

The outcome was to make public several concerns that had languished in the shadows far too long. The outcome is 78 revisions to breed standards, the 'Fit for Life, Fit for Function' initiative, increased uptake of health testing, etc, etc.

So if I wanted to make a programme about the Yorkshire Ripper I should, for every victim, include a person who he didn't kill, point out that he was kind to cats, perhaps? The programme was about highlighting the lack of effective action to tackle to problems affecting hundreds of thousands of dogs and the part that the show ring played in those problems. It was about, as the programme said, 'the greatest animal welfare scandal of our time'. It certainly wasn't incumbent on the programme makers to undermine that message by devoting time to non-relevant material.

Is that an interpretation or a statement of fact?

Are you talking GSDs? The breed from whom the KC has removed all CCs because of a lack of meaningful progress on their health issues? If so, then keep your powder dry for the Bateson report next month.

I've a feeling that GSD breeders are going to be the lamb sacrificed to the cause of KC public relations.

Whatever some may think the program did as regards to hurting pedigree dogs or showing them is totally the opposite of what actually happened. Its stronger than ever!

I agree...but I also think people are discussing health tests a lot more and so the dogs have benefitted.

Absolutley. The Animal Health Trust says it has had a “huge increase in breeders” wanting to help in the development of new DNA tests since the programme and there's been a three-fold increase in the number of MRI-scanned dogs listed on the Cav's Club’s website.

On the other hand (and I dont disagree with you) there has been a HUGE increase in unregistered, untested dogs because the breeders claim registered one are unhealthy!! There are still adverts for unregistered "healthy" puppies.

I get what you are saying but the show was about highlighting the inadequate standards people are willing to lower to, to win at shows, and people who think by getting a pedigree dog that has won at shows, does not mean, they are better than byb dogs (or could have worse health problems, induced by people who claim to love dogs and actually have knowledge on dogs, which is even worse than a person with byb standards, as they have more knowledge, but use it to win in a ring but less healthy dogs out of the ring).
I guess it comes down to a lot of people with block thinking, it is not all breeds, all breeders, all people that show their dogs but to look closely into the health of their potential new dog, pedigree or not, health check not just show check, it is the people watching it and their interpretation that is wrong not the intent behind the making of it.
The show did not need to be balanced it was to show something that people were not looking at enough and get it the attention it deserved, again it is the person on the street with block thinking and tarring every predigree with the same brush that is wrong.

I agree

Yeap

There have always been unregistered dogs (whether they are tested is not a function of registration).

That some people are making claims about their unregistered pups does not translate as a "huge increase" in their numbers.

Peter purves..actually yes, I liked his coverage on the internet screening.

But you will have to forgive these old brain cells of mine, they need a little caffeine to stimulate them, first thing in the morning

It may take a while, but things usually come back to me