Free Dog Pedigree Program
Canine Pedigree Program
The Breeders Standard Pedigree Program Dogs Rescue
The Breeders Standard Pedigree Program Dogs Reviews

Pedigree Dogs Exposed
Genre	Documentary
Narrated by	Jemima Harrison
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Production
Producer(s)	Jemima Harrison
Running time	60 minutes
Production company(s)	Passionate Productions
Release
Original network	BBC One
Original release	19 August 2008
External links
Website
Production website

Pedigree Dogs Exposed is a BBC One investigative documentary, produced by Jemima Harrison, which looks into health and welfare issues facing pedigree dogs in the United Kingdom. It was originally broadcast on 19 August 2008.

Dog breeders who entertain the idea of creating a unique breed, do so for the purpose of securing purebred dogs in an established livestock, and to preserve the genetic line for either personal or financial gain. Never again will you or customers miss or forget about an appointment. Our kennel software will automatically alert you to pets that have missing or out-of-date vaccinations. Pet breeders and professional dog training software, kennelplus.com is an all-in-one, one database, cloud based solution. Dog Pedigree software ideal to document. In Dogs, for instance, we have the #1, #2 and #4 products in installed base and yearly sales. Compare for yourself. Our prices are the lowest, our products are the best. The Poodle is a breed with a long history and unknown origins. Poodles have been featured in royal artwork since the 1500's and although many think of it as a French breed, it is unlikely. Experts believe the Poodle may have originated in Central Europe or Russia, although it is also possible that the breed originated in Spain or Portugal. Our Adult Standard Poodle Breeders are fed a natural dog food made in the United States down in Texas, by a small quality brand named Victor. We are advocates & practitioners of natural products in our program regimen, including vitamins, probiotics and essential oils that are anti-viral and anti-bacterial.

The Kennel Club (KC), the governing body of pedigree dogs in the UK which runs the prestigious dog breed showCrufts, was criticised for allowing breed standards, judging standards and breeding practices to compromise the health of pedigree dogs.^[1]

The programme generated much criticism of the Kennel Club. It also caused various sponsors and trade exhibitors to withdraw their participation from Crufts and other Kennel Club events. The BBC—which has broadcast Crufts for 42 years—withdrew its coverage of Crufts for 2009, and chose not to renew it for 2010.

The Kennel Club initially denied the filmmakers' assertion that many dogs suffer from diseases and stated that the vast majority of dog breeds are healthy. It also lodged a complaint with broadcasting regulator Ofcom, claiming unfair treatment and editing. Due to strong public opinion, it later rolled out new health plans and reviewed breed standards for every breed. Some breeders have condemned the Club for overreacting. Ofcom's final ruling upheld KC's complaints regarding the lack of a right of reply for some allegations made by the programme but dismissed complaints made in various other areas. The ruling also acknowledged that KC's geneticist Jeff Sampson's views were misrepresented but states that as a whole, the KC was not treated unfairly.

The Breeders Standard Pedigree Program Dogs

Three separate health reports were commissioned as a result of the programme. Reports by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Associate Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare and Sir Patrick Bateson (funded by the KC and Dogs Trust) concluded that current breeding practices are detrimental to the welfare of pedigree dogs and made various recommendations that can be taken by the Kennel Club and breeders to improve pedigree dog health.

A follow-up program, Pedigree Dogs Exposed: Three Years On was broadcast on BBC 4 on 27 February 2012.^[2]

1Content
2Reaction

Content[edit]

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel can suffer from mitral valve disease and syringomyelia

A Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was shown to be in agony due to a condition known as syringomyelia, which occurs as a result of the skull being too small for the brain. Veterinary Neurologist Dr Claire Rusbridge described the brain as a 'size 10 foot that's been shoved into a size 6 shoe' and estimated that up to 1/3 of the breed suffers from this problem. Another problem that plagues the breed is heart disease. Cardiologist Simon Swift explained that about half of all Cavaliers aged 5 would have heart murmurs and the rate increases, such that by age 10 to 11 almost all Cavaliers would have the condition.

About three-quarters of the 7 million dogs in the UK are pedigree breeds, and the programme revealed that they chalk up 10 million pounds' worth of vet fees every week. Leading geneticist Steve Jones attributed one of the key problems to inbreeding. RSPCA Chief Vet Mark Evans singled out competitive dog showing as responsible for the problem.

Drastic change[edit]

Old photos of the Dachshund, Basset Hound, Bull Terrier, Bulldog, Pug and German Shepherd Dog were shown to illustrate how much the breeds have changed over the past century. The German Shepherd used in the show ring was contrasted with the working German Shepherd, which still looks much like the German Shepherd of old.

The Basset Hound was called a 'deformed, congenital dwarf.'

Crufts Judge Terry Hannan insisted that the working German Shepherds are anatomically incorrect, and that it is the show dog that conforms to the breed standard. When it was put to the Chairman of the Basset Hound Club that they were breeding deformed congenital dwarfs, he rejected that accusation, claiming that current Basset Hounds look very much like those of the 1800s. When shown a photo of a Basset Hound from sixty years ago, he was less than impressed.^{[clarification needed]}

Countering Bulldog breeders' claims that the breed's extreme traits, such as severe underbite and facial wrinkles, are for historical fighting purposes, historian David Hancock pointed out that 'the way in which breeders try to justify the short face, the excessive wrinkling and the physique it now depicts as being traditional is just simply untrue.' The programme stated that bulldog heads have become so large that the majority are unable to give birth naturally and puppies must be born by caesarian section.

The boxer breed was presented as suffering from heart diseases and high rate of cancer, one boxer was shown having an epileptic seizure.

According to the programme, dogs were initially bred for practical functions such as hunting and guarding, but, in the middle of the 19th century they became a status symbol, and dog breeding became a sport. The function of the dog then became secondary to appearance. RSPCA Chief Vet Mark Evans called the Crufts show 'a parade of mutants' and 'a freakish, garish beauty pageant that has frankly nothing to do with health and welfare.' He pointed out that breed standards take no account of temperament and fitness for purpose.

Eugenics[edit]

The ridge on the Rhodesian Ridgeback is a distinct characteristic of the breed. The Ridgeback Club's code of ethics states that 'ridgeless puppies shall be culled'.

The programme traced the Kennel Club's history to the eugenics movement, on which it said purebred dog breeding is based . A Rhodesian Ridgeback breeder interviewed on the programme advocated the culling of healthy ridgeless puppies because breed standards forbid ridgelessness in the breed. The Chairman of the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club state

The Breeders Standard Pedigree Program Dogs