Latest Recommendations Added To The Kennel Club Assured Breeder Scheme

The Kennel Club has announced the latest set of recommendations which it has added to the Assured Breeder Scheme (ABS) to further improve dog health and responsible breeding in 2016.

The new recommendations have been introduced following consultations with breed clubs and councils, in a collaborative effort to ensure that health and welfare issues are kept at the forefront of the aims of the scheme. This is mirrored in the continual addition of new DNA tests developed by scientists at the Kennel Club Genetics Centre at the Animal Health Trust and other research institutions.

Bill Lambert, Kennel Club Health and Breeder Services Manager, said: “As we head into 2016, these latest recommendations will help to maintain progress for dog health and encourage good breeding practices to protect the future of our much-loved pedigree dogs.

“The new recommendations come about as a direct result of input from the breed clubs and councils we work with to further adapt the scheme to the specific needs of individual breeds with regards to health testing and welfare.

“The ABS is designed to be flexible so we can make these types of additions to suit the needs of different breeds and we are looking forward to further developing throughout 2016 to help ensure that puppy buyers are signposted to good breeders for healthy and well-adjusted puppies.”

The list of ABS breed specific requirements and recommendations is updated twice a year to ensure that they remain relevant and of maximum health benefit to all dogs bred by Kennel Club Assured Breeders. Further tests can be expected to be announced as they are developed.

As with previous additions, existing Assured Breeders have a period of grace of six months in order to comply with any new requirements and recommendations.

Details of the latest ABS changes will also be included in the ABS e-newsletter which will be emailed to all Assured Breeders.

New breed specific recommendations as of 1st January 2016 are as follows:

Chinese Crested

• Add recommendation of DNA test for Primary Lens Luxation (PLL).

Spaniel (Field)

• Change recommendation of ‘Bitches under two years not to produce a litter’ to ‘Bitches under 18 months not to produce a litter’.

Breed clubs and breed councils wishing to make additions or changes to the breed specific requirements and recommendations for their breed should write to Assured Breeder Scheme, The Kennel Club, Clarges Street, London, W1J 8AB.

More information on the Assured Breeder Scheme can be found at www.thekennelclub.org.uk/assuredbreederscheme.

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Posted by chesliepickett on Dec 22 2015. Filed under World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.