Pedigree dogs’ breed standards to be reviewed

BRITAIN’S main governing body for dogs has announced it will be reviewing every pedigree breed in Britain amid concerns about genetic diseases.

The Kennel Club review follows a BBC documentary which claimed the breeding process used to produce pedigree dogs had resulted in a high incidence of inherited genetic disease.

The club, which organises Crufts, decided to act after the programme showed a prize-winning cavalier King Charles spaniel which was suffering from syringomyelia, a condition which occurs when a dog’s skull is too small for its brain.