Category: General

NEW DNA TESTING PROGRAMME FOR BORDER COLLIES

The Kennel Club has approved a new official DNA testing programme for severe sensory neuropathy (SN) in Border Collies, following consultation with the breed’s health co-ordinator on behalf of the breed clubs.

SN is a severe neurological disease caused by the degeneration, primarily of sensory, but also of motor nerve cells.  Affected Border Collies usually show an onset of disease from two to seven months of age; signs include knuckling of the feet, self-mutilation wounds (caused by excessive chewing or licking as a result of the lack of sensation in the limbs) and progressive ataxia (incoordination of gait).  The loss of sensation progresses in all four limbs.  Regurgitation and urinary incontinence can occur in the later stages of the disease.  The prognosis is poor, quality of life is severely affected and there are no effective treatments; Border Collies with SN are euthanased on welfare grounds before they reach two years of age.

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Announcement: Kennel Club approves rally regulation amendments as result of large scale review

The Rally working party undertook a full review of the Rally regulations to identify changes that would help build on the success Kennel Club Rally has had in its first six years and continue this success in the future.

The Kennel Club Board has now approved the amendments proposed as a result of this review.

Throughout the review, the working party was committed to ensuring the discipline’s future as an activity for all dogs and handlers, which is reflected in the changes.

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WINNERS OF DOG PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR COMPETITION ANNOUNCED

The Kennel Club has announced the winners of its annual Dog Photographer of the Year competition. Now in its thirteenth year, the international competition received almost 10,000 entries from over 70 different countries around the globe, including China, Israel, Russia, Argentina and South Africa.

Monica van der Maden from the Netherlands has been chosen as the overall winner of the competition with an image of Noa the Great Dane seemingly alone in a forest, which placed first in the ‘Oldies’ category, the first time an image from this particular group has been picked as an overall winner. Monica began taking photos of dogs eighteen years ago, and has been professionally snapping man’s best friend for the best part of a decade.

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IDENTIFICATION REQUIRED FOR RECORDING OF DNA TEST RESULTS

 

Following consultation with the Dog Health Group, the Kennel Club has confirmed that, from 1st August 2018, any DNA health test result submitted for inclusion on its database must have at least two forms of identification on the result certificate.

It will be mandatory to include the dog’s microchip or tattoo number along with either the dog’s registered name or registered number. Any test results that do not carry these identifying features will not be accepted.

This brings the recording of DNA test results in line with those health tests carried out by the British Veterinary Association.