Kennel Club Breed Health Coordinator for St Bernards

01/03/2026

An update on our action plan regarding the IHA

Dear Breed Club Secretary,

I am writing to share an important update on our ongoing work with the All‑Party Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare regarding the Innate Health Assessment (IHA).

Many of you have raised concerns about how the IHA could affect particular breeds, and we have been engaging directly with APGAW and Professor Dan O’Neill to ensure those concerns are clearly understood.

Following a constructive meeting earlier this month, we have agreed a formal action plan with APGAW. A joint press release will be issued later today, but I wanted to highlight the key points for you and our breeding community.

APGAW has confirmed that the IHA is a voluntary tool designed to support enforcement of existing legislation for licensed breeders, help all breeders avoid extreme conformation, and guide the public in choosing healthy dogs.

Professor O’Neill has also emphasised that around three‑quarters of UK dogs are not registered with the Royal Kennel Club, which means extreme conformation is a wider welfare issue that is not limited to pedigree breeds, but also affects companion dogs.

Importantly, APGAW has confirmed that the IHA criteria are open to review as new evidence emerges. They recognise the pedigree breeding community as a key contributor to that evidence. We have secured a formal route for your expertise to shape the tool as it develops.

The Royal Kennel Club will host a discussion group in April 2026, bringing APGAW representatives together with a panel of experienced breeders. Details of how to apply to join this panel will follow in the next few weeks.

As you know, we are also progressing our own Nose‑to‑Tail Veterinary Assessment within the Breeding for Health Framework. APGAW has indicated it will consider endorsing this alongside the IHA as an option for responsible breeders.

I hope this update reassures you that the Royal Kennel Club is ensuring the voice of the pedigree community is central to national discussions on dog welfare. I encourage you to circulate this to your members and keep an eye out for the press release later today.

Yours sincerely,
Ian Seath
Chairman

01/03/2026

Dear Breed Health Coordinator,

We are pleased to let you know that eye testing bookings for Crufts 2026 are now available on our website:

Crufts Eye Scheme Examination | The Kennel Club

Similarly to previous years, booking is ‘first come, first served’, and only standard examinations will be available (no gonioscopy). Dogs must already have a pass to Crufts in order to receive testing.

We would greatly appreciate if you could share this with your communities, and if you or any exhibitors have any questions, please do not hesitate to let us know!

Kind Regards,
Eloise
Health & Breeding Support
Royal Kennel Club

27/07/2025

Canine hip and elbow screening: webinar now available
Thanks to everyone who attended our dedicated webinar all about canine hip and elbow screening!

Missed out?
You can now catch up with the recording and share it with your community.

This is a recording of a webinar all about hip and elbow dysplasia and health testing in dogs, hosted by the British Veterinary Association on 19 June 2025.T...

15/04/2025

❗️CALLING ALL PET OWNERS❗️
Or
‼️DOG SHOW EXHIBITORS ‼️

Important information regarding travelling with your pet to Northern Ireland from 4th June 2025

🛳️🐕🐈‍⬛

If you live in England, Scotland or Wales and you are travelling to Northern Ireland with your pet you will now need a Northern Ireland Pet Travel Document to take your dog, cat or ferret on routes from Cairnryan or Liverpool to N.I
Your pet must be microchipped but they do not need rabies vaccinations or tapeworm treatment if you have a PTD- these rules also apply to assistance dogs.

You can apply for the Northern Ireland Pet Document online using the link below from 23rd April

https://www.gov.uk/taking-your-pet-abroad

21/03/2025

The Slope of your dog's pasterns....

A dog’s pasterns correspond to our wrists, and as McDowell Lyon points out in The Dog in Action, a dog’s foot is made up of the same bones found in our fingers with the heel that section of the palm at finger union. Put another way, a dog walks with his fingers in front. Dogs are digitigrade animals which means that their digits — not their heels — take most of their weight when they walk. A dog’s toe bones are very important, as are the front pasterns, that space between the paw and the lower end of the radius bone closest to the paw.

The pastern’s slope, the angle seen in the image, is about 20 degrees in many breeds with well set back shoulders, BUT, pastern slope and length vary by breed. The slope and angle seen on a German Shepherd Dog is wholly incorrect in a Treeing Walker Coonhound for which “the pastern, from the joint to the top of the foot is strong and distinct, slightly slanting but standing almost perpendicular to the ground.” Consider, too, the English Foxhound in which “legs as straight as a post” were desired, with the result of straight pasterns. As an aside, the AKC breed standard adds, “The desire for straightness had a tendency to produce knuckling-over, which at one time was countenanced, but in recent years this defect has been eradicated by careful breeding and intelligent adjudication.”

Check the breed standard to determine what is appropriate. As a rule (a very general rule), some slope absorbs shock and prevents knuckling over. It also helps lift the dog’s center of gravity. A short pastern offers more efficiency by working at a better mechanical advantage and greater endurance, but when there is too much slope for the breed, it is referred to as being “down in the pasterns.” Weak pasterns will cause the dog to lay his pasterns on the ground like a human lays his forearms on a table, but in the dog’s case, it’s not done willingly, but often because of pain. A dog that’s down in the pasterns will tire faster, and enjoy playing less (let alone working).

Books on structure correctly say that weak pasterns are usually caused from injury or genetics; in puppies, however, pasterns can also go “wonky” during teething when cartilage in the pup’s body goes soft resulting in low pasterns. This is completely natural and usually resolves itself in several weeks. Rapid bone growth, especially common in large breed dogs, can also cause pasterns to let down. In all growing puppies, walking on slippery surfaces makes things worse by making the dog strain its muscles and joints, so a surface with good friction is helpful for them.

Some people believe that supplying a dog with vitamin C can boost help with joints and connective tissues, but as with any supplement, a veterinarian should be consulted first. Others believe that when muscles don’t function well, they become “demoted “by the brain, and using something like PawPods to helps strengthen the musculature by biasing the carpus into proper alignment. In essence, it’s similar to the way an arch support works in a human shoe.

The internet is filled with sources about how to improve weak or broken down pasterns, but to help with it, one must recognize it. Conversely, over-angulated pasterns are also problematic, and we’ll address that in another post.

14/02/2025

For anyone who was unable to register for this event.
It's now available to watch on YouTube

Introduction to Heart Disease in DogsThe Kennel Club’s health team is delighted to share a recent webinar introducing the key aspects of heart disease in dog...

10/02/2025

Dear Breed Health Co-ordinator,

Please see attached information regarding eye, respiratory function grading and DNA testing at Crufts this year.

A formal press release will be circulated later today.

Whilst I am emailing I have also been requested to share the below link to a survey for a student at the University of Cambridge who is exploring the relationship between vets and breeders, if you have some spare time to support this 15 question survey I am sure Amelie would be very appreciative:

https://cambridge.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6fWfFIjvR2wABqC

I hope you have a good weekend.

Kind regards

Hannah James

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01/02/2025

Dear Breed Health Coordinator,

We are contacting you regarding an exciting webinar we are holding on Wednesday 12 February from 7:00pm to 8:30pm, which is freely available to anyone who would like to find out more about heart disease in dogs.

In partnership with the Veterinary Cardiovascular Society (VCS), The Kennel Club’s Health team is hosting a series of free webinars exploring a range of canine heart problems, the first of which will be an introduction to congenital (present from birth) and acquired (developing later in life) heart disease. The webinar will include a presentation from expert cardiologist, Dr Hannah Stephenson, and will be followed by a question-and-answer session.

For more information or if you’d like to attend the webinar,
please register here.
4d5f3b79-8c67-4526-86fe-a262f27cb46a@39b82a55-e5f2-48c9-8e13-feb1a568f5ec" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/4d5f3b79-8c67-4526-86fe-a262f27cb46a@39b82a55-e5f2-48c9-8e13-feb1a568f5ec

As you're already aware, the VCS/KC also have an online survey, which aims to improve understanding of the prevalence and types of heart disease affecting different pedigree dog breeds. The results will be used to direct new research to areas requiring further
attention. To date, approximately 6,000 people have participated, but both organisations hope to reach 10,000. The survey, open to any owner of any breed, can be completed here.

As Breed Health Coordinator, you're the first to be invited to this webinar and we hope you'll be able to join us! Should you have any queries, please contact our Health Team at health@thekennelclub.org.uk for further information. To help boost participation, it would also be really helpful if you can please share the webinar registration link with your Breed Clubs and any other relevant groups.

Kind regards,
The Health Team
Canine Health and Welfare
The Kennel Club

Microsoft Virtual Events Powered by Teams

30/06/2024

Dear Breed Health Co-ordinator,

We’re getting in touch to make you aware of The Kennel Club’s new online survey, which aims to improve our understanding of prevalence and types of spinal (neck, back or tail) problems affecting different pedigree dog breeds.

The survey has been developed to gain insights and identify any breed-specific nuances that may influence the development of spinal problems. The results will inform and direct future research to areas that require further attention.

Please click on the link below to complete our survey, which is open to all dog owners, regardless of breed and whether they have now sadly passed away. This survey is open to all dogs, even where a dog has never faced spinal problems.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/spinalBHC
The survey should take no more than 10 minutes to complete.

The survey is being managed by The Kennel Club. All personal information provided will be kept confidential and be presented anonymously. For further information regarding this survey, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Additionally, as it may be of interest, we also invite you to watch our webinar on intervertebral disc disease (IVDD), a common degenerative neurological condition in dogs, which can lead to pain, nerve damage, and even paralysis. During this webinar, Professor Paul Freeman, Principal Clinical Neurologist at the Queen’s Veterinary School Hospital, University of Cambridge, talks about what research has told us to date, symptoms, possible treatment options, methods of reducing risk – including details of The Kennel Club IVDD Scheme for Dachshunds – and what future research could investigate. Access this webinar and more health-focused content via The Kennel Club’s YouTube channel IVDD Webinar (youtube.com).

Thank you for taking the time to read this email.
Kind regards,

The Health Team
Canine Health and Welfare

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23/06/2024

Dog People’s' manifesto

23/06/2024

Dear Breed Club Secretary,

With the upcoming General Election on the 4th of July, we have launched the 'Dog People’s' manifesto which calls on the incoming Government to help the nation’s dog owners be able to care for their pets better.

The wide-ranging 8-point plan highlights the key issues facing owners and their pets, and details the legislative changes and alternative measures which need to be taken to better dog welfare, advocating education and behaviour change to bring about improvements.

Please find attached a copy of the 'Dog People’s' manifesto. You can also watch a short video with our Chief Executive, Mark Beazley summarising the manifesto and to find out more about getting involved in Kennel Club campaigns.

Best wishes,
Danielle

Danielle Knight
Public Affairs Department
The Kennel Club
10 Clarges Street, London, W1J 8AB

We run a host of campaigns to make a difference to the life of dogs, and to raise awareness of issues around dog health and welfare.

02/05/2024

Researchers at the Royal Veterinary College are exploring the impacts of canine vision loss on dog and owner quality of life. You are eligible to take part in the study if:
· You own a dog aged between 3 to 8 years of age.
· Your dog has either been diagnosed with progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) or another chronic vision loss condition but no other medical conditions, or if your dog has no problems with vision loss or any other medical conditions.
For more information or to complete this survey, please visit

We would like to invite you to take part in a research study looking at the effects of canine vision loss, particularly that associated with Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA), on dogs and their owners compared with dogs with no vision loss.