Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

For centuries inbreeding has been used to refine traits in dogs, making desired traits more hereditary and thereby, different breeds have been invented. Breed standards have been written for each of these breeds, describing in detail the different characteristics of each breed. When humans start to choose which animal to breed from, so called artificial selection, taste is put before function and the laws of nature, the natural selection, cease to apply. During this development, pedigree dogs have gone towards more and more extreme exterior characteristics and the dogs may have inherited various, more or less, severe problems for example compromised vision, impaired ability to move and difficulties to breathe. However they can still survive and reproduce because humans provide them with the conditions to do so. Breeding of extreme traits can also compromise the dogs’ abilities to act naturally, and hereditary diseases will become more and more common. Different organisations work proactively in different ways with these problems in order to improve the health and welfare of future pedigree dogs. The Swedish Kennel Club has among other things established Breed specific Breeding Strategies (RAS) and Breed Specific instructions for show judges (SRD). Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI) has established rules of breeding that are binding to all of their members. The rules say that breeding can only occur with pedigree dogs of good temperament which are healthy in function and of hereditary aspects. There are also laws about the pursuit of breeding. The Swedish animal protection regulation says that “Breeding in such direction that can bring suffering to the animals is prohibited”. In the future, animal healthcare personnel will play an important role in making a positive change by informing and teaching the society and animal owners about these problems.