news archive

19/12/2011 - Fit For Function - Woody the Basenji
It is set to be a very merry Christmas this year for one young dog from Leeds, who recently received an early Christmas present in the form of a top award at one of the UK’s biggest Championship dog shows.

14/12/2011 - Fit For Function - Niko the Pug
Tyne and Wear has a new star athlete on its hands – in the form of a three year old Pug called Niko.

10/02/2011 - Double Champion Buck is Fit For Function
It was a double celebration last week for Susanne Jaffa, as her four year old Australian Shepherd, Amberslade Buckaneer – ‘Buck’ to his friends – became both Working Trials and Obedience Champion.

11/01/2011 - Merle Bull Terriers
At the request of the Bull Terrier Breed Clubs, the Kennel Club has agreed that it will no longer accept the registration of any merle Bull Terrier puppies produced from matings which take place on or after 1st March 2011.

06/01/2011 - No Crufts Champions in high profile breeds at Crufts 2012 unless vets give a clean bill of health
The Kennel Club has announced that all dogs of the fifteen high profile breeds which win Best of Breed at Crufts 2012 and at all Kennel Club licensed General and Group Championship Shows after that, will need to be given a clean bill of health by the show veterinary surgeon before their Best of Breed awards are confirmed and before they are allowed to continue to compete in the final stages of the show involved. This requirement is designed to improve canine health and protect the sport of dog showing.

13/12/2010 - Border Collie Convention 2011
Delegates are invited to join the Border Collie Convention 2011 to discuss issues of education, health and welfare for the breed.

23/11/2010 - Kennel Club agrees new approach to caesarian sections
The Kennel Club has had discussions with the major veterinary organisations over restrictions on the number of litters born by caesarean section which may be registered from an individual bitch from 2012.

22/11/2010 - Kennel Club takes the lead on litter limits for bitches
The Kennel Club has announced that from 2012 it will normally register no more than four litters from any one bitch because of concerns that the current legal limit of six litters can potentially be detrimental to a bitch’s welfare.

08/11/2010 - New DNA testing scheme for the Chesapeake Bay Retriever
At the request of the Chesapeake Bay Retriever Club, the Kennel Club has recently approved a new official DNA testing scheme for degenerative myelopathy (DM). This test was developed by Dr Gary Johnson at the University of Missouri and is offered by the Orthopaedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) in America and further details can be obtained from the Foundation at www.ofa.org.

08/11/2010 - New DNA testing scheme for the English Springer Spaniel
Following consultation with the English Springer Spaniel breed clubs, the Kennel Club has recently approved a new official DNA testing scheme for phosphofructokinase deficiency (PFK) in the breed.