The RSPCA concerned that Pedigree dogs are unhealthy

http://news.uk.msn.com/uk/pedigree-d...ering-rspca-36

If owners are carefull, research their breed then they will not have a pedigree dog that has health problems I thought that was the whole point of pedigree!

Now their saying Pedigree dogs are unhealthy because we want them a certain way but dogs have been bred this way for years and while a small minortiy of breeder breed unhealthy dogs that is why we trust the Kennel Club so they will not breed from unhealthy animals.

The Kennel Club is an institution, they do not breed per se. Nor, necessarily, do their members.

I suppose what the RSPCA are talking about when they say "bred for looks" are the extreme features which some pedigree dogs are bred for - e.g. extremely small size, large heads, long backs, extreme angulation etc. These features can have health implications for a pedigree dog. I think it is a bit of a sweeping statment to apply to all breeds though and I also think there are some pretty poor and strange looking examples of crossbred/mixed ancestry dogs. Not all of them grow up to be free from health problems of some sort.

Saw the full page advert in the Fail On Sunday. Sadly, you can never underestimate the stupidity of the general public and what they see is "RSPCA SAYS ALL PEDIGREE DOGS ARE UNHEALTHY - SO IT MUST BE TRUE!"

All I thought was what a way to blow a few grand and this is why I do not fund RSPCA head office. They can finance their own idealogical/political dabblings and hatchet jobs on the Kennel Club. No, they aren't perfect, but people in glass houses and all that. At least I've never been chugged in the street by the Kennel Club.

The last mongrel I owned had HD, was deaf, has incredibly nervous(fear biter) & had genetic eye defects. She wasn't a crossbreed she was an out & out mongrel.

On the other hand I know my pedigree dogs are healthy as they are all fully health tested-unlike my mongrels

My fully health tested BC is the unhealthiest dog I have ever owned!

rune

Wonderful-they're driving people into the arms of more back-yard breeders churning out the latest "doodle" I guess!

We see very few pedigree puppies out on walks but lots of very strange crosses.

And I see quite a lot of cross strangers.

We have lots of labs, lots of collies, lots of working cockers. In rescue we had lots of lurchers but interestingly I don't see huge numbers walking.

I do walk in National Trust grounds of a house locally mainly since I had Ben (its safer!). So maybe the dogs reflect that. I don't see many staffies there but see a lot on the beach at Falmouth.

Lots of miniture schnuzers, westies a couple of scotties (who apparently have problems giving birth due to head size).

Cocker /poodle crosses and JRT's.

I suspect the numbers reflect the local breeders as well. Most people don't travel for a pup---at least not far

rune

Is the campaign against breeding pedigree dogs or the excesses, ie Pekes, bulldogs, etc.

Big difference