Hi Julie,I dont think there is anything wrong with 1st crosses perse,but how is the dog breeding going to go forward,take for instance Cocker Spaniel, because of the way they are bred now some who are mainly red have rages,maybe it will help the gene pool to have new blood,yet some ancient breeds preserve there gene pool and stick with the breed with no changes you look at some very old pieces of art,the wolfhound hasnt changed,they do have very few litters,yet the sme cant be said about the king charles,you see King Charles 11 with a cavelier and at first glance they look the same,but the skull is too small for the brain now.I dont know what the answer is,but we all have a responsibility to be aware of how are companions are bred and why.if it is good for the breed then its OK but if causes problems for the dog,there should be a body out there to monitor this and I dont mean the KC
Gemini54

Hi I'm new to this but would like to state that Maska and Kajika on Countrywise are one of my wolfdogs litter brothers. I'm so shocked ITV could be involved in such a load of rubbish. What the hell? An F1 is a pure wolf???? Erm.....Really???
No their mother isn't a pure wolf!!! She's a Czech who had some timber added a few generations back. Their father and all the other dogs in their breeding have always been pure Czechs.

I really don't have the answer I have never bred so no little about it, although to me it seems some have bred for looks rather than health and temperament and perhaps we need to insist they stop and perhaps forget looks for a while because IMO I have never seen an ugly dog so looks are not as important as health and how they will fit into a family if they are companion dogs.

As I breed only from health tested dogs, I do my absolute utmost to educate all potential owners, and anyone who is enquiring but doesn't meet my stringent requirements, on the necessity of only buying a puppy from parents who have positive health results. It has only recently come to light that a lot of the Czech Wolfdogs in this country are either DM carriers or are positive for DM, people are still merrily breeding from them though. Unless all potential owners are made aware of this, and the health problems and requisite tests for other breeds as well, this will go on. In fact unless the KC gets its so far p!$$ poor act together and makes clear health tests mandatory for KC registration, things will get even worse.

Hi I still believe that there should be an independant body,with no axe to grind,but just there for these unique animals,KC have set up various bodys dealing with all problems regarding breeding,but only one thing has been taken up,and that is KC breeders have to limit there litters per year,but a good breeder will be doing that.The lady who did the channel 4 expose,left channel 4 and is working to try and improve dogs life,but if the main body of people who have the power,do not take any of the reports from either their sub commitees or other sources where do you go.
Many years ago there was a lady, Katie Boyle she was passionate about dogs,and I am sure she must have had a crystal ball,because she said many times,that Europe should have its own body,and bringing in their lines to our british lines should be monitored very carefully,as sometimes the european breed standard is a world apart from the british,look at the Belgium Shepherd,I have one that is all english and the same breeder has introduced a dutch strain resulting in a very slight frame,lighter in colour no mahogny as in the british standard,taller then the british,also somethng very important,temprement,the new dutch strain mixed with our british has produced a very highly strung dog,who would not be up to doing what te breed was developed for,in another breed the Malinois, the nature of that breed has changed and is now used in the same way as a doberman,but because of there extreme agression,they are known as land sharks.Yes the breed was originally from Belguim,bred for guarding sheep but somehow the blue print for this breed has got smudged and has very little of the original left. Yet we are allowing this to happen to the detriment of something we care so much about. Gemini54

I agree, I believe the good breeders are doing a fantastic job but sadly seem to be the tip of the iceberg and some sort of controls are needed to over see everyone else.

Julie, the thing is that as long as punters are prepared to part with their money for a pup that looks "just what I want" then it is six of one and half a dozen of the other.

"Breeders" [byb/puppy farms] will carry on breeding what the punter wants even if there is a law against it.

Very true, so nothing helpful can be done I guess but that seems to sad to contemplate.

What did he say?

It's not the first time he has messed up (if we're talking about the vet/dad).

I do not know what he said as I am unable to view the programmes, but the presenter is Ben Fogle. His father, Bruce Fogle, is the vet.