The Kennel Club has announced the latest changes to its Accredited Breeder Scheme’s list of requirements and recommendations relevant to each breed, including health screening. 

(Note by David Payne Videx GSD:

Every reader should fully understand how very little in the Kennel Club "ACCREDITED BREEDERS SCHEME" is actually "REQUIRED". most aspects are simply "RECOMMENDATIONS" - which can be, and usually are, ignored.

Every reader should also fully understand that even where HIP X-RAYS ARE "REQUIRED" under the KC/BVA Hip Scheme, there is ABSOLUTELY NO REQUIREMENT for the ACTUAL HIP SCORES to even be reasonable, they can actually be APPALLINGLY BAD, and any resultant litters WILL BE REGISTERED with the KENNEL CLUB AND STILL BE PROMOTED UNDER THE KENNEL CLUB PUPPY SALES REGISTER.

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
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The changes have been brought in following extensive consultation with breed clubs and councils in order to ensure that the health and welfare requirements of the scheme remain relevant to each breed. 

The changes are as follows: 

Breed                                                             Change 

DALMATIAN                                                 Add recommendations: 

·        Bitches under 2 years not to produce a litter

·        Bitches not to produce more than 4 litters in their lifetime

·        Bitches not to produce more than one litter in a 12-month period 

GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG                    Add recommendations: 

·        Bitches under 2 years not to produce a litter

·        No stud dog to be used under 18 months of age 

MASTIFF                                                       Add recommendations: 

·        Bitches under 20 months not to produce a litter

·        Bitches over six years not to produce a litter 

RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK                      Add recommendations: 

·        Bitches under 2 years not to produce a litter

·        Bitches not to produce more than 3 litters in their lifetime

·        Bitches not to produce more than one litter within a 12-month period 

ROTTWEILER                                             Add recommendation: 

·        Bitches not to produce more than five litters during their lifetime 

SPANIEL (COCKER)                                 Change requirement: 

·        ‘Eye testing – including gonioscopy’ now becomes simply ‘Eye testing’ 

Add recommendation: 

·        Gonioscopy 

SPANIEL (FIELD)                                       Add recommendations: 

·        No stud dog to be used under 12 months of age

·        DNA of breeding stock to be held at the Animal Health Trust 

TIBETAN SPANIEL                                   Add recommendations:

·        Bitches not to produce more than 5 litters in their lifetime

·        Bitches not to produce more than one litter within a 12-month period 

The changes will be effective from Jan 1^st 2011 and existing Accredited Breeders have six months’ grace in order to come in line with these.  

Bill Lambert, Health and Breeder Services Manager, said: “The Kennel Club is delighted that so many breed clubs and councils are engaging with us with regard to the fine-tuning of the requirements and recommendations of the Accredited Breeder Scheme. It was always the intention to make the scheme as relevant to each breed as possible and breed clubs and councils have a major part to play in this process.” 

Breeding parameter recommendations have been included for certain breeds which include changes to the minimum age of mating a bitch, maximum number of litters for a bitch and restriction on breeding from a bitch more than once in any 12-month period. 

The Kennel Club will continue to update the Accredited Breeder Scheme requirements and recommendations on a regular basis and encourages breed clubs and councils who wish to propose recommendations and/or requirements for their breed to write to the Accredited Breeder Scheme, The Kennel Club, 1 – 5 Clarges Street, Piccadilly, London W1J 8AB. The requirements and recommendations of the scheme are adjusted at least twice a year and the next set of changes is due to be announced in the summer of 2011. 

The list of all requirements and recommendations for the Accredited Breeder Scheme can be found at: