Closed populations and the pursuit of exaggerated traits predispose dog breeds to health and behavioural problems. What should be done in this situation to ensure that pedigree dog breeding can continue in the future and that the reputation of pedigree dogs is enhanced? Some countries have gone the way of breed bans, but in Finland the solutions are different. The Finnish Kennel Club's (FKC) webinar on 21 November 2024 explored what these solutions might mean in practice.

The webinar was open to everyone, and the panel included Kirsi Sainio (PhD, Associate Professor of Developmental Biology, Chair of the FKC Breeding Committee), Vilma Reunanen (Licentiate in Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Specialist), and Liisa Lilja-Maula (DVM, Associate Professor of Veterinary Medicine).

Kirsi Sainio hoped legislation would help, but too much regulation is not good

The webinar started with a presentation by Kirsi Sainio (also a member of IPFD's distinguished Board), who shared some statistics about the number of dogs and dog breeds in different parts of the world. Most dogs in the world are not pedigree dogs. The FCI, the umbrella organisation of the FKC and other member countries' national clubs, has published statistics on the percentage of FCI registered dogs in different countries, and Finland has the highest percentage in Europe (64% in 2022).

Sainio also went through the dog-related legislation in Finland and gave an overview of the upcoming EU legislation. Finland's current Animal Welfare Act came into force on 1.1.2023. The content of the Act reflects the desire of Finnish society to take preventive care of the welfare of dogs and other animals, rather than just protecting them from suffering. Members of the FKC have also called for the FKC to take more action to improve the welfare of dogs and reduce the incidence of hereditary diseases.

A Contributing Partner of the International Partnership for Dogs, The Finnish Kennel Club (Finnish site) (English site) has approximately 130,000 members, and its breeding database, which is open to all, contains information on approximately 1.5 million dogs. The FKC has a large number of disease tests for breeding purposes, perhaps the most in the world. The number of disease tests carried out each year is increasing, and the FKC, with the help of vets, has recently developed many new tests, the most recent being a screening test for shoulder osteochondrosis and a test for elbow incongruency in short-legged dogs.

The new Animal Welfare Act in Finland has also introduced an obligation for veterinarians to notify the authorities of hereditary defects and diseases that exclude dogs from breeding. The information will be collected in an official dog register and will be made public. This raises a number of questions, according to Sainio. For example: Which diseases are covered by the obligation to report? Are all diseases and defects equal? Can the information on dogs be transferred to the FKC's breeding database? Will the obligation to report result in dogs being left untreated or treated abroad?

The FKC fears that dog breeding could spiral out of control if regulation is perceived as too restrictive. There is already evidence of an increase in unregulated breeding and puppy mills of small companion dogs. Swedish Customs has reported a record number of smuggled dogs. The phenomenon can be seen throughout Europe.

Sainio asked what to do next. Can unhealthy breeds be changed? "Yes, they can," she replied. Do we need to change these breeds? "Yes, we do.". The health and welfare of the dogs really needs to be a priority in breeding. Change requires cooperation and a positive attitude from all parties. Blaming will not help anyone.

Vilma Reunanen went through the exaggerated characteristics of dogs and the health problems they cause

The next part of the webinar was a presentation by Vilma Reunanen on exaggerated traits in dogs. Reunanen began by saying that every dog deserves a normal physical structure and a healthy mind. A dog should be able to live a species-typical, effortless, and painless life.

Reunanen went through several exaggerated features of dogs and asked if we are perhaps used to unhealthy structures. The many exaggerations of canine anatomy and their consequences for the welfare of dogs can be seen in veterinary practices. Exaggerated, unhealthy structures can be seen in the dog's spine, limbs, head shape, and size.

According to Reunanen, one of the things that can be considered excessive is the overuse of popular males in breeding, which leads to inbreeding and the spread of disease genes.

Too much is also too much when it comes to the temperament of the dogs," says Reunanen. Some dogs have been bred to be too lively and restless, while others have been bred to be too soft and sensitive. Many breeds have a lot of dogs that cannot cope with everyday life, dogs that are very fearful.

Reunanen herself prefers pedigree dogs because of their predictability. However, breeders and show judges have to admit that some breeds have unhealthy traits, and most breeds have hereditary diseases that need to be tackled more vigorously. Only by recognising this can we breed healthier dogs.

Final debate called for more effective action to promote dog health

At the end of the webinar, Sainio, Reunanen and Lilja-Maula answered questions from the audience and discussed dog health and ways to make health a priority in breeding.

They pointed out that many breeds have changed a lot since the breed standards were written. Breeding should aim at the original type and structure of the breed, from which there has been a sometimes very unhealthy divergence over the years.

Furthermore, the panelists pointed out that each country can influence the breeding and development of its own breeds, whereas breeds "owned" by other countries are more difficult to influence. Finland is responsible for guiding the breeding of its national breeds and setting their breed standards. Its national breeds, the Finnish Spitz, Karelian Beard, Finnish Hound, Finnish Lapponian Dog, and Lapponian Herder have fortunately remained original in their structure and working qualities, and have not developed any extreme traits.

According to Sainio, Finland is on the right track, but some things are stagnating. She stated there should be more action, and health should really be the number one priority in breeding. She hopes that legislation will provide the impetus for action.

Fortunately, the Finnish legislature has its feet on the ground, and it seems that no breeding bans, for example, are on the way. A breeding regulation under the Animal Welfare Act is currently awaited to deal with hereditary diseases and extreme traits.

Finland is perhaps the country with the highest number of screened dogs in the world

The Finnish Animal Welfare Act stipulates that a breeding dog must be healthy and well. Kirsi Sainio pointed out that disease screening is an important tool for breeding healthier dogs. As scientific research provides more information about breed-specific hereditary diseases, the veterinary profession will also develop new screening tests.

In Finland, dog owners and breed clubs have been very active in participating in various research studies. Many breeds have been involved in studies of hereditary diseases, which has led to the development of tests for these diseases.

Liisa Lilja-Maula pointed out that the results of screening tests must be used effectively. X-rays alone will not improve hip health in dogs, but the results must be used systematically in the selection of breeding dogs.

Making health and well-being a priority in breeding

The panelists agreed that the health and well-being of dogs should be a priority in dog ownership and breeding, and that this should not be a source of confrontation among stakeholders. All stakeholders must play their part in maintaining and promoting this.

It is in the dog's interest to perform well in the task for which it has been bred. A physically and mentally healthy dog is best able to do this.