The Kennel Club has recently approved the following changes to the regulations for obedience which will come into effect on 1 January 2020.
The below regulation has been amended in order to assist clubs in areas of the country where entries are low, by allowing stewards to compete. It is hoped this would ease the burden on some clubs in trying to find both judges and stewards from a small pool of people.
Continue reading KC Announces Obedience Changes from 1st January 2020The next meeting of the Kennel Club Obedience Liaison Council will be held at the Kennel Club in London on Thursday 6 February 2020. Proposals for inclusion on the agenda should reach the Obedience Liaison Council Secretary by November 8.
Each eligible society or an individual may submit items for the agenda, through a council representative. Proposals must be concise and, if an amendment or an additional regulation is proposed, the regulation number must be given. All submissions must be signed by the society/individual and the representative.
All items for inclusion on the agenda should be sent to Working Dog Activities Team, The Kennel Club, Clarges Street, London W1J 8AB or by email to obedience@thekennelclub.org.uk.
A full list of Obedience Liaison Council representatives can be found at bit.ly/2Tx8YVk.
The newly proposed Regulations could impact on thousands of responsible dog owners pursuing their hobby in Wales
The Kennel Club is urging dog show exhibitors from across the UK to write to the Welsh Government to prevent thousands of people who show dogs in Wales being caught in a newly proposed licensing system.
The Welsh Government is currently consulting on new Regulations regarding Animal Exhibits, including the proposal that anyone exhibiting an animal in Wales will need to be licensed and inspected. This will apply not only to those who live in Wales, but any exhibitor who shows dogs at any Welsh show. The Regulations will also require anyone who lives in Wales and exclusively exhibits their dogs outside of Wales to also obtain a licence and be inspected.
Although those competing in canine activity disciplines are exempt, the proposed amendment to the Animal Welfare Act in Wales would affect a huge number of dog show exhibitors; there are around 200 local dog shows that take place in Wales annually, as well as two major shows run by the Welsh Kennel Club and the South Wales Kennel Association. The Welsh Kennel Club show attracts around 9,000 dogs.
Seeking support from dog show exhibitors to exempt themselves from the licensing system, the Kennel Club has drafted guidelines to assist those who would be affected and wish to respond to the consultation, which closes on November 21.
Holly Conway, Head of Public Affairs at the Kennel Club, said: “This proposal is a real concern for exhibitors who benefit so much from their hobby and canine companionship. It’s nonsensical for these responsible dog owners to be licensed, and inspected, simply for continuing to pursue a hobby, and is a waste of valuable local authority time and resource. We sincerely hope the Welsh Government will listen to these concerns and consider exempting those who take part in dog shows from the Regulations.
“We urge anyone who shows dogs, regardless of whether or not they live in Wales, to support us in preventing this proposal applying to dog show exhibitors by responding to the consultation and writing to their Assembly Member or indeed their MP or MSP.”
Further information and a template response for exhibitors to send to the Welsh Government to outline their concerns can be found on the Kennel Club website at www.thekennelclub.org.uk/welshcon.
The Kennel Club and Weatherbys are pleased to announce they have partnered to provide a simplified process for canine genetic heath testing which will benefit both dog breeders and owners, helping to eradicate some of the most concerning genetic disorders facing certain breeds.
CombiBreed™ health test packages simplify the process of genetic testing by using a single cheek swab to check a dog’s DNA for markers associated with a number of different inherited disorders. By making genetic testing more accessible it will help responsible breeders work towards eradicating these conditions and will encourage first time breeders to make the health of the puppies they breed a priority. Results from these tests will automatically be registered on the dog’s record, and will be freely available on the Kennel Club website, allowing puppy buyers to check if the dog they are thinking of buying has come from health tested parents.
Currently available for 13 pedigree breeds, breeders will be able to order breed specific CombiBreed™ health test packages directly from The Kennel Club Shop, from the 26th July, as well as at Kennel Club shows and events, with the product officially launching at the Game Fair today. CombiBreed™ health test packages for each breed can be ordered by visiting the Kennel Club Shop via https://www.thekennelclubshop.org.uk/products/combibreed-health-test-packages
Priced at £135 (with a 10% discount for Kennel Club Assured Breeders at £121.50), CombiBreed™ allows breeders cost-effective access to the most impactful genetic health tests without the need to carry out each one individually, with results that are easy to interpret. At present, the packages are available for the Labrador Retriever, French Bulldog, Cocker Spaniel, English Springer Spaniel, Golden Retriever, German Shepherd, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Beagle, Border Collie, Rough Collie, Chinese Crested and the Australian Shepherd.
The introduction of these new packages follows research, carried out earlier this year, which revealed that the number of pedigree dogs at risk of often painful and debilitating inherited diseases is being dramatically reduced by responsible breeders, thanks to the use of DNA tests. Researchers from the Kennel Club and the Animal Health Trust found that approximately ten years after each DNA test became available, the gene mutations that caused the diseases had decreased in each breed by a staggering 90 per cent or more.
Dr Tom Lewis, Kennel Club Genetics Research Manager said: “Our partnership with Weatherbys is a crucial step in improving dog health and will allow breeders to help positively impact future generations by ensuring dogs are health tested before breeding.
“The genetic tests that we have included in the Weatherbys CombiBreed™ packages are the result of work by the Kennel Club and Weatherbys to identify the most significant genetic diseases in individual breeds.
“The benefits of providing all relevant tests for each breed mean that puppy buyers can also feel assured that their puppy has been bred by a responsible breeder, whilst simplifying the process for breeders themselves.”
Nick Craven, Communications Director for Weatherbys, said: “We are delighted to strengthen our relationship with the Kennel Club through the development of genetic testing packages to the most popular dog breeds in the UK.
“Before, breeders had to navigate numerous laboratories to get results and interpret them to make informed breeding decisions.
“Our CombiBreed™ packages simplify this process. They are easy to purchase from the Kennel Club, the results are straightforward to understand, and they cost less than working with multiple labs.”
The partnership between the Kennel Club and Weatherbys brings together a combined heritage of nearly 400 years dedicated to animal registration and animal welfare, and through the provision of CombiBreed™ the two organisations are strengthening their legacy by continuing to improve the health and welfare of animals.
For more information on CombiBreed™ health tests packages visit the Kennel Club website: www.thekennelclub.org.uk/combibreed.
Following the committee review of the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 (released Thursday 18th July 2019), the Kennel Club and Scottish Kennel Club have issued the following statement:
Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: “We have long been calling for more effective implementation of the 2010 Act and welcome the review’s acknowledgment of the lack of available and consistent data, and the necessity of a central database. Enforcing the collection and sharing of data would enable us to better understand the problem and therefore inform preventative strategies which are actually effective.
“While we are pleased the review recommends that the Government undertakes a comprehensive review of all dog control legislation, in order for this to be effective it is essential that any new legislation is properly considered with views represented from across the wider dog welfare sector.
“For example, we would question the recommendation from the committee that local authorities should be given the power to create bylaws which ban dogs off the lead. Dogs require off-lead exercise and dog owners are legally required to provide a duty of care to their pet. Insufficient exercise can not only cause obesity and other types of illness, but also frustration which can lead to aggression, so this could be counterproductive.
“We are also concerned that reintroducing dog licences would be ineffective; potentially wasting time, money and resource. Our view is that irresponsible dog owners are unlikely to apply for a licence, this can be evidenced by looking at Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland where compliance rates are less than 50 per cent. We don’t believe that reintroducing dog licences would have any effect on responsible dog ownership, instead we would point to the committee’s recommendation of educational and awareness-raising resources.
“Overall, it’s essential that any new legislation is properly and broadly considered across the board, consulting all stakeholders, to better protect the public against dogs dangerously out of control, without compromising any individual dog’s welfare. We welcome further discussion with stakeholders, government and local authorities.”
Kennel Club Press Release:
The Kennel Club wishes to announce that the regulations regarding event licences across all disciplines are to be changed.
With immediate effect from 1 July 2019, event licence applications, whether for a show, trial or other competition, will cease to refer to ‘guarantors’. Instead, whenever a licence fee is paid for an event, the individual making the application on behalf of the club or society will agree that the officers and committee in place at the time of the event will assume full responsibility for ensuring that it will be conducted safely and in accordance with Kennel Club regulations.
Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: “This change in regulations has come about due to the Kennel Club’s implementation of the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) database which will provide facilities for licence applications to be made online and which will remove any necessity for signatures to be provided. The principle of the licensing process will remain unchanged, but the term ‘guarantor’ will no longer be used.”
The relevant regulation changes across all disciplines will be published in due course.
Any enquiries regarding this matter can be directed to email wda@thekennelclub.org.uk.
The next meeting of the Kennel Club Obedience Liaison Council will be held at the Kennel Club in London on Thursday 18 July 2019. Proposals for inclusion on the agenda should reach the Obedience Liaison Council Secretary by 19 April.
Each eligible society or an individual may submit items for the agenda, through a council representative. Proposals must be concise and, if an amendment or an additional regulation is proposed, the regulation number must be given. All submissions must be signed by the society/individual and the representative.
All items for inclusion on the agenda should be sent to Working Dog Activities Team, The Kennel Club, Clarges Street, London W1J 8AB or by email to obedience@thekennelclub.
A full list of Obedience Liaison Council representatives can be found at https://bit.ly/2Tx8YVk.
A first for our region, myself, Nigel and Bev would like to meet with as any many of the competitors as possible the aim is to discuss the minutes of the last Obedience Liaison Council Meeting, but most importantly to hear the areas views which might even include potential proposals or discussion items for the next OLC meeting .
We appreciate that the Midlands region is a large area, so in order to achieve our goal, We have decided to go on tour!
So if you would like us to come to your dog club please get in touch to arrange a meeting.
Richard Burbidge-Grant
KENNEL CLUB ANNOUNCEMENT:
Please note this announcement replaces the one issued on January 30, 2019 regarding the same matter. Apologies for any confusion caused.
The Kennel Club would like to issue a clarification on the appropriate content for heelwork tests in obedience.
In the Descriptions and Explanatory Notes for Obedience Classes, Regulation G(c)4 stipulates which turns are permissible at each level. It also states that circles and arcs may be included as appropriate to each level.
Judges should note when designing tests that they should include heelwork in straight lines (except as provided for in the Introductory Class), which then facilitates turns of 90 degrees to the left and to the right. Tests must not consist solely of circles and arcs, although they may be included as part of the test.
More information on obedience can be found at www.thekennelclub.org.uk/activities/obedience. All enquiries should be directed to obedience@thekennelclub.org.uk.
The Kennel Club wishes to advise obedience competitors that Cippenham (Slough) Dog Training Club and Midlands Border Collie Club have relinquished their championship obedience status with effect from 2019.
Any society which would be interested in applying for future championship obedience status should submit a presentation for consideration. Please note that it will be necessary to select a date that does not coincide with another championship obedience show. An application from a club which already holds a championship obedience show will also be considered.
Continue reading KENNEL CLUB INVITES APPLICATIONS FOR CHAMPIONSHIP OBEDIENCE STATUS
