By choosing a BC from unknown background you do run the risk of owning a dog with major health problems HD, ED, CEA, PRA, Epilepsy & your really never do any research when looking for a new pet ? There are lots of working bred unreg BCs out there that have these lurking in their background & I hope you never rescue one that has any of these conditions.

There are a good number of ISDS dogs that appear clear of genetic conditions because they have never been health tested other than their eyes-my Brett had severe HD yet was bred to work sheep & not be in the showring !

but did it indicate that the Cavalier research is being jointly funded by the KC ?

For me one of the major problems with the BBC's irresponsible and sensationalist approach to this programme is that it will give comfort and encouragement to those breeding indiscriminately for money. "Of course it's OK to breed my mongrel to the mongrel next door - the RSPCA and the BBC says they are better than pedigrees so I'm actually doing the world a favour while selling untested mongrels to an unsuspecting population."

What nonsense! The programme was right in drawing attention to particular issues within certain breeds, not that they told the whole story with any kind of balance. To tar the whole world of pedigree dogs with the same brush was poor journalism and very bad science.

As I have said on other threads - the argument that mongrels/crossbreeds are any healthier than pedigrees is extraordinarily flawed. How can they possibly know? What proportion of seriously ill mongrels ever see a vet compared with pedigree dogs? If the stats are compiled from veterinary files, then they will be completely unrepresentative of the real situation.

Mick

Take your head out of the sand Mick!

I must admit I can't remember exactly - as I say it was covered almost 'in passing'. it left me with the impression that it was the KC who were funding DNA research (not just specifically the Cavalier research) but I wouldn't like to say for sure.

Don't know about the first one but the one where the judge was interviewed was Crufts BOB. The judge was Terry Hannan, the dog Zamp v Thermalpants or similar. Pulled out in the Crufts group, he was commented on and faulted only on handling. He is the current German Seiger and held in the GSD world as a superb example.

I have purposely not commented on anything as I haven't seen the programme, it is on on Friday in scotland but I don't know if I will find it too upsetting to watch.
The ridge on a ridgeback is not a deformity but came from native dogs which were breed to other hounds. All it is is hair growing in the opposite direction. Ridged or ridgeless bears no impact on the dogs health as I understand it. The culling of healthy pups is always wrong in my eyes

Interesting programme.

I didn't know about Rhodesians being culled because they had no ridge! thats plain madness, why?

I bought a ridgeback due to there temperament, not looks.

Didn't know about the spina bifida either, but about the other problems they can encounter. As said above, i read the ridge came from the african hunting dogs.

All about trying to perfect a race, didn't we move away from this after WW2?

The deformity in the hair follicles caused by the ridge does predispose to dermoid sinus. A serious condition that can introduce infection into the vertebral column. There is a paper on this somewhere, I think I've posted on Dogsey in the past about this.

excellent post Mick