Pedigree Dogs Exposed: Three Years On facts for kids

Pedigree Dogs Exposed: Three Years On is a TV show from 2012. It followed up on an earlier show called Pedigree Dogs Exposed from 2008. This second program looked at good changes made since the first show. But it also checked on problems that were still happening.

The show said it was time to stop the suffering caused by dog breeding. It explained that as long as the Kennel Club (KC) allowed people to breed dogs that could not run, breathe, or see properly, dogs would keep suffering. The show suggested that the Kennel Club had a problem balancing its duties to breeders and to dogs. When dogs' needs did not match breeders' interests, the dogs suffered. The program also asked dog lovers to stop buying dogs that looked like "freak-shows." These extreme looks were the main reason dogs were bred to physical extremes. The Kennel Club did not want to be part of the show. The program was shown in the United Kingdom on February 27, 2012.

Understanding Dog Breeding Issues

What Happened After Pedigree Dogs Exposed?

After the first show, three independent groups looked into dog breeding. A new advisory council for dog breeding was also set up. Professor Shelia Crispin led this council.

Crispin noted that some good breeders felt unfairly criticized. But the show also made many of them act on problems they had worried about for years. She thought the program did more good than harm. Dog doctors (veterinarians) also saw how urgent the situation was. They knew they had a big part to play.

The Kennel Club of the United Kingdom (KC) said the show was very one-sided. They also said they were already doing many things to make things better. The Kennel Club believed that if people looked closely, they would find there was not much to worry about.

Main Problems from the First Show

The first show, Pedigree Dogs Exposed, pointed out some key problems:

• Shrinking Gene Pool: Dogs were being bred from a smaller and smaller group of dogs. This meant that whole breeds were at risk of becoming unhealthy. The Kennel Club agreed it could stop registering dogs that were too closely related. But they did not think there was enough proof that stopping inbreeding would make pets healthier or live longer.
• Breeding for Looks: Breeding dogs just for their looks or to win shows had caused some dogs to have serious physical problems. Winning shows had nothing to do with a dog's health or how it behaved. Some puppies that did not look "perfect" for their breed were sometimes put down.

After the first show, the Kennel Club made some changes. Three weeks later, they created a new code of ethics. This code stopped the practice of putting down healthy puppies. Two months later, they checked every breed standard. They removed rules that could lead to extreme physical traits. Later, they also banned very close matings, like mother to son, father to daughter, and brother to sister.

How the Dog World Works

A big problem stopping progress is how the dog world is run. The Kennel Club's goal is "to promote in every way the general improvement of dogs." Their main job is to record the family trees of purebred dogs and to run dog shows.

However, it is breeders who run the breed clubs. These breeders judge each other's dogs in shows. They also sit on the committees that make rules for the Kennel Club. Without groups that put animal welfare first, changes have been slow or not very effective.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels

The first show revealed that Cavalier King Charles Spaniels often suffer from syringomyelia (SM) and heart disease. SM is a painful brain and spine condition. Three weeks after the show, the Cavalier Club removed Margaret Carter. She was their breed health representative. She was removed for sharing information about a show dog's SM condition in the first program. The club's rules said no one should say anything bad about the breed, the club, or breeders. Ms. Carter said, "It was always said that talking about health ruins the breed." A new club for Cavalier pet owners has since been started.

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) and the Kennel Club recently started a screening program for SM. This uses MRI scans. The results will be put on the Kennel Club website. This lets buyers see if breeders are using scanned dogs. Some important breeders do not want the results to be public. They refuse to support the program. The Kennel Club will not make these tests required without the support of the individual breed clubs.

Professor Sir Patrick Bateson led the group that looked into dog breeding. He said, "Some of the breeders simply have their heads stuck in the sand...they are just not listening." He believed that if breeders could not produce healthy dogs, they should stop breeding.

New studies show that up to 70% of six-year-old Cavaliers have SM. Not all of them show clear signs, but their puppies can still be very sick. Carol Fowler, a pet owner who fought for Cavalier health in the first show, thinks it is no longer right to breed Cavaliers.

Inbreeding and Genetic Diversity

Dalmatians

In January 2011, the Kennel Club registered a Dalmatian named Fiona. She had an English Pointer far back in her family tree. Some breeders thought Fiona was a mongrel (a mixed-breed dog). The Pointer was used to bring back a gene that Dalmatians no longer had. This gene helps the dog produce normal uric acid. No "pure-bred" Dalmatian has this normal gene. All of them can be affected by hyperuricemia, which means they have high uric acid. High uric acid can cause stones in the urinary tract. These stones can block the urinary tract, which can be very dangerous. Dalmatians often need special food to stop stones from forming.

When breeder Julie Evans wanted to bring Fiona to the UK, the British Dalmatian Club tried to stop her. They called it "inappropriate" and "irresponsible." The Kennel Club disagreed and registered Fiona, even though the club objected. Fiona even appeared at the Crufts dog show. The breed club's website does not mention the option to breed dogs without the high uric acid genes. Evans was disappointed that the club did not change its mind.

Boxers

Breeders who want to make changes can be ignored by powerful breed clubs. It can be hard for individuals to be heard. Especially when the people in charge of the breed club are putting some dogs at risk.

A Boxer owner had a dog with a rare kidney disease. Soon after, another of her Boxers, a half-sibling, got the same disease. The father of these two sick dogs was a champion dog named Gucci. Gucci had also fathered other litters (groups of puppies) with the disease.

Breeder Sharon McCurdy had three of those litters and had already lost one dog to the disease. She asked geneticist Bruce Cattanach for help. Cattanach is a Boxer breeder and has been the breed's genetics expert for over 30 years. Most kidney diseases are not passed down. But after looking at the family trees of the sick dogs, it seemed this disease was inherited. It was a recessive gene, meaning puppies were at risk only if both parents carried the faulty gene. Close inbreeding makes it more likely for these harmful recessive genes to meet up.

Cattanach quickly found over 30 cases of this kidney disease between 2007 and 2010. Most of these dogs had died, and all were closely related. It seemed very likely the disease was inherited. In almost half the cases, Gucci was either the father or grandfather of the puppies. Because Gucci was a very popular stud dog (a male dog used for breeding) and had fathered 894 puppies, the consequences would be worrying if he was the source of the gene.

Gucci was owned by Janice Mair, a top breeder, Kennel Club judge, and head of the Boxer breed club. She was one of the most powerful people in the breed. Cattanach told Mair that Gucci might carry the harmful gene, hoping she would help. But she did not believe him. As he looked further, Cattanach realized the problem was not just with Gucci. It involved a larger family group. If Gucci had the harmful gene, he likely got it from one of his grandfathers. This champion dog came from a top UK Boxer kennel called Walkon Boxers, run by Walker and Yvonne Miller. All but two of the 30 cases had this dog's genes in their family tree. Other Walkon dogs had also directly produced puppies with the disease.

To get clear proof, they needed to develop a gene test. This required blood samples. When Cattanach showed his findings to the Boxer breed council in 2011, which included Walker Miller and Mair, he was met with silence. Despite this, the press statement from the breed council was very supportive of Cattanach's efforts. It encouraged owners to give blood for the research. It also told breeders to avoid inbreeding to reduce the chance of doubling up on the harmful gene.

Cattanach says that genetic changes happen all the time. A year after the breed council meeting, their website had no information or advice on the disease. Some owners and breeders gave samples for the research. But none came from Walkon Boxers, even though Walker Miller was on the health committee and was a vet himself. Yvonne Miller said in a statement that her offer of blood samples was refused. Cattanach disagreed with this claim. Mair said she was willing to give a sample from Gucci. But she thought Cattanach already had enough samples. She said no dogs in her kennel were affected. She seemed to think early research only looked at sick dogs. Both kennels registered litters that year with much higher inbreeding levels than average for the breed. They also bred from dogs that an independent geneticist thought could be carriers. Both kennels said they would not breed from any dogs thought to be carriers. They also said they consider genetic diversity when breeding. They stated that the health and well-being of their dogs is always most important.

[T]his has got to stop, this has to stop. People come to us to buy dogs in good faith. They buy a pet that soon becomes somebody's best friend. We don't breed dogs knowing that they are going to die. You don't do that. ... I have a duty and responsibility to those people that bought their puppies from me.

—Breeder Sharon McCurdy

Inbreeding and using popular stud dogs are not just problems for Boxers. Both practices reduce genetic diversity. This is a serious threat to the long-term survival of many dog breeds.

Kennel Club's Role in Genetics

After the first show, the Kennel Club put £1.2 million into a new genetics center. This center would focus on creating new DNA tests. They also made an online tool called Mate Select. This tool lets people look up health test results and the inbreeding level of individual dogs. It compares them to the breed average. The database can also figure out the inbreeding percentage (COI) that two chosen dogs will produce. For example, a father/daughter mating will produce puppies with a COI of 25%.

Such close matings are now banned by the Kennel Club. But many registered dogs have a much higher COI than this, even without close matings. This is because for decades, breeders have "kept it in the family." Common ancestors appear again and again in the distant family tree. Geneticist Steve Jones says damage can be reduced by banning close inbreeding. Mating with cousins is almost as bad. If such matings continue, problems will build up. Some breeders try very hard to use genetic diversity in their breeds. But dogs will suffer as long as the Kennel Club still allows this much inbreeding. Jones says the steps taken so far are small and unwilling.

The Kennel Club says it prefers teaching over making strict rules. But the program says the Kennel Club must do more. It has no plan for a maximum level of inbreeding. The Swedish Kennel Club, for example, does. In Sweden, no Boxer born in the past two years has an inbreeding level higher than 6.25%. The same is true for other breeds. Breed clubs there have also set limits to reduce the impact of popular stud dogs.

Jones states that the Boxer case shows how quickly damage can happen. Breeders need to step back and look at the bigger problem. Why would anyone breed animals that suffer, except for vanity?

Exaggerated Features in Dogs

Another part of the problem is how dog shows change the way breeds look. This is rarely for the better. Old videos from the first show revealed how much Dachshunds, Bull Terriers, and Bulldogs had changed. Bulldogs, for example, often need help to mate and give birth because of their extreme features. Evans says some people have become so used to it that they think breeding deformed and sick animals is normal.

The Kennel Club increased training for judges after the first show. They also changed the standards for 78 breeds. Some breeders were very upset. This was not the first time the Kennel Club had changed standards because of criticism. Old videos from 1986 show the Kennel Club saying they were removing rules that required exaggerations. The program argued that it did not work then, and it is not working now. This is clear from the animals still winning in dog shows. Crispin commented on a top Bulldog from 2011. She said no judge should place a Bulldog with such an extreme shape. The owner, however, said there was nothing wrong with the dog. Bateson was disappointed that the same problems were still happening after everything that had been done. It had been 25 years since similar criticisms of Bulldogs were made in the 1986 program.

Vet checks for Crufts show winners in 15 well-known breeds started in 2012. This will help, but more is needed. More serious checks of breed standards are needed to reverse extreme features, says Harvey Locke of the British Veterinary Association. He says people should be looking for Bulldogs with longer snouts. Moderate types of many breeds already exist. The program showed pictures of them. It suggested choosing the Leavitt Bulldog instead of current show Bulldogs. It also suggested choosing the working Albany Basset over show Basset Hounds. It showed original Chinese Shar Pei over the wrinkly Western type. And working Neapolitan Mastiffs over show types. Evans states that it is not possible to make already genetically poor dogs better through beauty pageants. He says a dog show that truly focused on health and welfare could make a huge difference. But he thinks a fresh start might be needed.

Pugs and Other Flat-Faced Breeds

The first show had featured a Pug that qualified for the Crufts competition. This Pug was born to a Crufts champion but had many health problems common in the breed. These included kneecaps slipping out of place, a partially collapsed windpipe, an elongated soft palate, narrow nasal passages, eyelids rolling inward, and a curved spine. Three Years On also spent a lot of time on this type of dog.

Breeding for the Pug's curled tail is thought to cause the deformed spine. The breed standard asks for the tail to be "curled as tightly as possible" and a "double curl highly desirable." The bones in the spine must be unusually shaped for the tail to form a corkscrew. This likely increases the chance of other spine problems, according to Cambridge professor Nick Jeffery. There is a breed club screening program for the spine, but it is not making much progress. The current standard has been softened. It now says the tail should be "tightly curled over the hip," but it still says a double curl is very desirable. The muzzle standard changed from "short" to "relatively short." The program states that Pugs in shows still have such flat faces that the RSPCA started a campaign. This campaign highlights problems in brachycephalic (broad and short-faced) breeds.

There is growing proof that when taken to extremes, these conditions can be very bad for dogs. Struggling for air is one of the most frightening feelings a person or animal can have. This is according to Gerhard Oechtering, a professor of veterinary medicine. He is a top expert in treating breathing problems in flat-faced dogs. Some Pugs have to constantly fight to breathe. In serious cases, they may need surgery to get relief. A German Pug owner traveled 600 km (about 370 miles) to a university for special surgery. Her dog, Cissy, likes to keep her head up when she lies down, even when sleeping. Many videos online show Pugs falling asleep sitting or standing up. Some Pugs act this way because their airways close when they drop their heads. Cissy also has a tongue too big for her mouth. She has shallow eye sockets, which increases the risk of her eyes popping out. And her teeth are too crowded.

"Many owners do not realize how much their dog is suffering," says Oechtering. His research shows that the part of the nose important for controlling body temperature is much smaller in Pugs than in normal-faced dogs like German Shepherds. What little is there also blocks the airways. This makes Pugs at risk for heat stroke. There is no fix for the nose. But Oechtering performs surgery to remove extra tissue blocking the airways. While the Pug is asleep, he separates the "huge mass of extra skin" above its nose. This reveals a fold filled with dirt. Owners can find it hard to keep the fold clean because the dogs may resist.

Using a tiny camera (endoscope) inserted through the nostrils, we can see an airway that is "more or less severely blocked." A laser is used to remove abnormal tissue blocking the nasal passages. A procedure to widen the pinched nostrils was also done. The final procedure removed extra tissue from the throat. Insurance claims for such surgeries have gone up 25% in the past three years. Oechtering thinks it is unbelievable that such serious surgeries are needed just to fix a dog's basic needs. He believes people should stop breeding flat-faced dogs. "Breeders proved not only in your country, in our country and the whole world...that they are not able to breed healthy animals. They proved that they created one disease after the other."

What Needs to Change for Dogs

The film says it is time to stop the suffering. It suggests that as long as the Kennel Club allows people to breed dogs that cannot run, breathe, or see freely, things will never change. The Kennel Club did not want to be part of the film. The film concluded that if the Kennel Club had joined, it would have said it was doing all it could while keeping breeders happy. The Kennel Club has a big problem balancing its duties to breeders and to dogs. When the dogs' needs do not match the breeders' interests, the dogs suffer. Evans says the Kennel Club is not doing its job when it comes to protecting dogs' welfare. He believes the problem will not be solved if left to the Kennel Club. The dog breeding advisory council does not have enough money and has no real power. Crispin states, "there is nothing we can use to beat people over the head, we are there to examine evidence and make recommendations based on evidence. I hope people will regard our recommendations as important, but we can't get tough; we don't have any legislative powers."

The program ends by asking for an independent group, supported by the government, to make real changes for dog welfare. This group would be paid for by a national registration system for all dogs. It would also deal with other urgent dog issues. These include stray dogs, dangerous dogs, and puppy farms. The film encourages buyers to think about why they are attracted to dogs that look like they belong in a "Victorian freak show." It asks them to reject dogs that are unhealthy.

How People Reacted

The Kennel Club explained that they chose not to be in the program. They were worried the show would "repeat the same mistakes as last time." They feared it would make puppy buyers think that breeding problems were not relevant to all dogs. This, they thought, would help sell more dogs from bad breeders of mixed breeds. They also mentioned their complaints about the first program, which were partly supported by the TV regulator Ofcom.

The Kennel Club states that the program brought up important issues. They say they are working to solve these problems. But they also say that most breeders care about the health and welfare of dogs. Dog breeders in the country are "effectively unregulated." This means the Kennel Club has no legal power. So, breeders can get away with breeding in ways that harm welfare, whether they breed purebred or mixed-breed dogs. The Kennel Club says that breed standards (updated with help from vets) clearly state that exaggerated features are not okay. They planned to start vet checks at shows, beginning with Crufts 2012. This was to make sure judges only rewarded healthy dogs. The vet checks at Crufts caused arguments. Six of the 15 top breed champions that were checked failed. Top breeders, exhibitors, and judges felt "saddened, furious and slighted."