Kennel Gazette January 2017 by The Kennel Club

January 2017 £5 00 £5.00

The agile and watchful Belgian Shepherd Dog The making of the Kerry Blue Terrier: how one influential man’s passion helped to establish the breed The official publication of the Kennel Club 1 KC Jan MC NF.indd 1

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Contents

Contents Opinion From a member of the Board

Frank Kane explains why Crufts is an event well worth celebrating

6 Viewpoint

Simon Parsons takes a closer look at the recent committee report on the welfare of domestic pets in England

Letters

Your news, views and opinions on the Gazette and the dog world in general

Special features The making of the Kerry Blue

The fascinating history of this bold, independent breed

January 2017

Health matters Plans for a healthier future

How help is at hand for breeders facing the challenges and complexities of breeding healthy dogs

Plans for a healthier future

Judges’ choice Belgian Shepherd Dog (all varieties)

The breed standard, the BSD at home and abroad, breed health, plus breed experts pick their three favourite dogs

Art & culture Remember when…

Looking back in time to the Kennel Gazette of yesteryear

The making of the Kerry Blue

Be Dog Friendly Awards 2016

Announcing the winners of the Kennel Club’s search for the most dog-friendly businesses and organisations

14Making a better world for dogs

An update on the work of the Kennel Club Charitable Trust

to modernise the Kennel Club 16 Plans

A packed agenda marked the Kennel Club’s recent Special General Meeting

Training Japan’s young handlers

The trip of a lifetime for one Young Kennel Club member

The Kennel Club, Clarges Street, London W1J 8AB www.thekennelclub.org.uk Chairman: Simon Luxmoore Vice Chairman: Steve Croxford Chief Executive: Rosemary Smart Secretary: Caroline Kisko Customer services: 01296 318540 Petlog Main Number: 01296 336579 Petlog Lost & Found: 01296 737600 Library/Gallery: 020 7518 1009 Insurance Enquiries: 0800 369 9445

Making a better world for dogs

Editor: Carrie Thomas Editorial Co-ordinator: Sara Wilde Editorial Panel: Bill Moores (Chairman), Ian Gabriel, Philippa Gilbert, Robert Greaves, Revd Bill King, Gay Robertson Editorial enquiries: kennel.gazette@thekennelclub.org.uk The Kennel Club, Clarges Street, London W1J 8AB Subscriptions: 020 7518 1016 subs@kennelgazette.org.uk Kennel Gazette is published monthly on behalf of the Kennel Club by BPG Media www.bpgmedia.co.uk To advertise contact Andrea Walters

Be Dog Friendly Awards 2016

a.walters@bpgmedia.co.uk Printed by Warners Midlands Plc Kennel Gazette is the monthly publication of the Kennel Club. Views and opinions expressed within the Kennel Gazette are the personal opinions of the original authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Kennel Club. Cover photograph: Xilly’s Kipakka Lyyli (Malinois), One Black Night av Vikholmen (Groenendael), Casyka’s Wanted (Tervueren) and Jeopardy van Moned (Laekenois) ©Kayleigh Stammis from Holland

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On my mind

From a member of the Board Photo: ©CM Cooke/The Kennel Club

The world’s greatest dog show is an event that the Kennel Club and its members can feel extremely proud of

Frank winning his first CC with his American Cocker Spaniel Sh Ch Hirontower Elvire Madigan, at Kelvin Hall, Scotland

FRANK KANE

rank Kane has been involved in the dog show world since he was a schoolboy, showing his first Cocker Spaniel in 1960. In 1970 he acquired his first American Cocker and produced a string of champions. He became a championship show judge in 1974 and has progressed to become one of the UK’s top judges. He is approved to judge all the gundog breeds and judges many breeds in other groups and is approved to judge all groups and Best in Show. His services as a judge are much in demand worldwide and Frank is recognised by the international canine body, the FCI, as a Best in Show judge. Frank is author and co-author of two earlier books on his first loves — the Cocker Spaniel and the American Cocker Spaniel — and he is a frequent contributor to the canine press. His most recent book ‘Judging the Gundog Breeds’ has been a great success. Outside the canine world Frank still enjoys horse riding and has occasionally judged horses and ponies. He gets a great buzz from watching the showing classes at the Horse of the Year show, the equine equivalent of Crufts. He believes that the greatest pleasure in his life comes from looking at quality livestock.

went to my first Crufts as a schoolboy in 1964. My parents handed me over to the organisers of a local dog training class who were running an overnight coach from North Yorkshire. It was a voyage of excitement for me, and it seemed, for all the other passengers, many with dogs, travelling to the greatest dog show on earth. CRUFTS! There is magic in that word: the only dog show known to the general public; the only dog show to reach the press; the only dog show seen on television; a Mecca for all the dog exhibitors and enthusiasts. I spent most of the day at the Cocker Spaniel rings, seeing all the famous breeders and their dogs, who hitherto had only been names and pictures in canine journals. It was like landing on a canine Mount Olympus, home of the gods, and very appropriate I thought to be staged in the halls of Olympia, London. Even on the journey home, after a very long day, I still couldn’t sleep, swapping stories of the day with other passengers. The coach still buzzed with excitement and for days afterwards I read the catalogue cover to cover. More than 50 years on and I have missed only two of those Crufts — when University exams demanded priority — but the show still holds the same magic. My dogs have won Best of Breed at Crufts; I have judged at Crufts on many occasions; and I even judged Best in Show there in 2012 — could I ever have foreseen that 48 years before? But despite all of those experiences I still get the same tingle of excitement every year when I step into one of the halls at the NEC and feel the anticipation of an event unsurpassed in the canine world. While the excitement has remained the same the show has not. Crufts is now a multi-million pound national treasure: dogs and the public come in their thousands. The show is part of the social fabric of the nation, like the Cup Final, the Grand

By Frank Kane National, the Derby, Wimbledon, Last Night of the Proms, Horse of the Year Show. Enthusiasts have Crufts on their list of ‘must dos’ in the calendar. The slick organisation and presentation of the show today is a far cry from the 1960s venue. The NEC is home to other national institution exhibitions, and Crufts competes with these for professionalism and commercialisation. The essence of breed ring activities remains the same; dogs being judged on spacious carpeted rings, much prized Crufts rosettes for placed dogs up for grabs, television cameras and crowds in their thousands. I have not mentioned what for many visitors is a very important activity — the biggest shopping opportunity of the year — a dog-focused shopping mall covering five halls at the NEC, ranging from expensive antiques and artwork to canine kitsch. The expansion of Crufts mirrors the expansion of the Kennel Club’s activities many of which are now on display. Although the previous Crufts shows were largely founded on breed judging, the Crufts of today showcases the many facets of the Kennel Club’s activities and involvements. It is wonderful to see what advancements have been made in health research, for example, hereditary conditions in dogs, with many schemes developed by the Kennel Club often in conjunction with veterinary bodies. This must rank as the most important development and shows the Kennel Club’s investment in the perception and reach of the Crufts brand: ‘Celebrating happy healthy dogs’. I would draw your attention to the Kennel Club website (itself a sign of our progress); you may well be amazed at the health initiatives made available to breeders to aid the breeding of healthy dogs, and this has to be the best proof against the critics of dog shows and dog breeders. All of these schemes are highlighted at Crufts

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On my mind

Photo: ©onEdition

Frank’s Best in Show at Crufts 2012, Margaret Anderson’s homebred Lhasa Apso Ch Zentarr Elizabeth, pictured here with Margaret

in the Kennel Club’s health area and make interesting viewing. The whole concept of Mate Select and inbreeding co-efficient calculators take dog breeding into a new era and at Crufts even the most non-scientific minds can have the system demonstrated. Of course, such developments by the Kennel Club are good armour against the critics of dog shows and dog breeders; a past allegation being that we encourage ‘too highly bred freaks’ for ‘beauty pageants’. Crufts has gone international and since the advent of pet passports the presence of overseas dogs in breed competition has added extra excitement to the breed judging. It is wonderful for UK breeders and exhibitors to see these dogs in the flesh despite the tough competition they present. I believe that the British exhibitors have welcomed the opportunity, not only to see these dogs but in many cases have been able to include their bloodlines into our gene pools. When I was a schoolboy I was allowed to stay up and watch Crufts on television. It

“When I was a schoolboy I was allowed to stay up and watch Crufts on television.” was a short programme hosted by Stanley Dangerfield and the first one I recall featured the Best in Show winning Airedale Ch Riverina Tweedsbairn (1961). Now, the television coverage and streaming allows viewers around the world to watch the action live and over four days; that includes covering many of the show’s activities with other ancillary topics. Testament to the popularity of Crufts are the viewing figures, which often top the chart on Best in Show day. Being shown on mainstream television signifies its national prestige, and with a household name and

great ambassador of the show, Clare Balding, at the helm, it has a strong following. Of course, Crufts and our sport has had more than its fair share of critics, and we can be certain that the weeks running up to Crufts will provide a feast of articles for newspapers, often ill-informed and sensationalised. Unfortunately sometimes the damage is done by people from within the dog world making false statements to get their five minutes of fame in the media. In this day and age with the freedom of social media we have to be media conscious, and the Kennel Club press office monitors every angle. Last year the Kennel Club communications team won the Crisis Communications Award for the handling of the Irish Setter crisis at Crufts which underlines just how well the team pull together when the need arises. I hope that Crufts 2017 will be very positive in its messages and its outcome. Crufts is the Kennel Club’s flagship show, and as its members we should be proud of it and all that it does over those four days. It is a cause to celebrate. ●

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Viewpoint

By Simon Parsons

Viewpoint

t is scary sometimes how out of touch our legislators are with reality. I’ve noticed that many times about MPs dealing with canine matters, which inevitably makes you wonder if they are just as divorced from real life on lots of other major topics. I couldn’t possibly comment. As I write, the report of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs committee on welfare of domestic pets in England has just been published. One aspect drew national headlines, the suggestion that the RSPCA should lose its right to prosecute, but from the point of view of ordinary dog people other parts are more significant. Most dramatically, the MPs would like to see anyone who breeds just two litters a year – yes, two – require a local authority licence, and anyone else who breeds should for some reason be ‘registered’ with the authority. I suspect most of us could live with three litters annually being the triggering point for a licence, but two is frankly ludicrous. How on earth could the enforcement process of so many people, most of whom will be anything but ‘commercial’ breeders, be afforded by authorities, many of which in different parts of the country are, to put it mildly, strapped for cash? As if there wasn’t enough bureaucracy, the MPs would like a national inspectorate

set up to ‘liaise with and support’ the local authorities. Yes one agrees that there does need to be far more consistency in how inspections are carried out, but the cost of all this makes the mind boggle. It is disappointing that the MPs don’t support the idea that inspection of UKAS-accredited Assured Breeders under the Kennel Club scheme should be a substitute for local authority inspection. The grounds they gave for not supporting the idea don’t really make sense, and duplicated inspections are surely a huge waste of resources. Another suggestion is that ‘the Government pass regulations to protect the genetic viability and welfare of offspring as well as adult dogs’. Sounds good at first glance, but who decides on the criteria? One can only hope that if this ever were the case, the KC would have a major role in the decisions. It could certainly have major implications for the KC registration system. What about banning the sale of puppies other than by the breeder? At first glance, again, that sounds fine, as a way of cutting out the dreaded dealers who buy from puppy farms for quick resale. But if no one could sell a dog they hadn’t bred… just think about what that would mean. Some parts of the report we can all agree

on – the emphasis on education, stricter controls and enforcement at the ports, and regulations about internet advertising. And one interesting idea is to ban the import of puppies under six months via the pet travel scheme. Might that solve at a stroke the big problem of mass import, legal or otherwise, of young puppies? Depends how it was enforced, of course, and how acceptable would it be in whatever trade rules are negotiated as we exit from the EU. I always admire the work of the KC staff who have to deal with issues like all these and attempt to make the outside world view dogrelated issues from a realistic standpoint. Let’s wish them luck in this case. And as a postscript, I hope all members of the KC will have replied to the consultation in the last issue of the Kennel Gazette regarding the membership process. Please don’t delay. ●

SIMON PARSONS Simon Parsons has owned a variety of breeds but his first loves are the Corgis. He is associate editor of Dog World and awards Challenge Certificates in 13 breeds. In 2014 he instigated the revival of the Kennel Gazette

Photos: ©The Kennel Club

Have your say… if you have a question, comment, or viewpoint regarding any features or articles within the Kennel Gazette please contact the editor on kennel.gazette@thekennelclub.org.uk

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Be Dog Friendly Awards

Be Dog Friendly Awards 2016 Photo ©The Kennel Club

The best pet-friendly businesses and organisations are revealed

By Nikki Cummins, KC Press Office

Be Dog Friendly Awards 2016

Speaking shortly after the winners were announced, Kennel Club Secretary Caroline Kisko said: “This year’s Be Dog Friendly Awards have received the most votes yet, which just goes to show how much it means to dog owners to have places that they can visit with their faithful companions. Huge congratulations to each of the winners and thank you to everyone nominated for going the extra mile for dogs. The winners of these awards are determined by the public and all of this year’s winners are perfect examples of how businesses and public places can reap the benefits of being dog friendly.” ●

Photo ©Graham Riddell

winner of the Great Outdoors award went to the South West Coast Path which runs from Somerset to Dorset via Devon and Cornwall. The other winners included Amberley Museum in Sussex winning the award for the Most Dog Friendly Day Out; three-time High Street category winner Austin and Co.; winner of Most Dog Friendly pub, The Mill in Salisbury; and Eurotunnel Le Shuttle which was voted the Most Dog Friendly Large Organisation for a staggering fifth time in a row. Research carried out by the Kennel Club has found that there are many benefits to businesses being dog friendly, including an improvement to overall atmosphere of a place: 96 per cent of people surveyed noticed a better ambience when dogs were around, with a boost in staff productivity and morale; 90 per cent of employers observed a positive change in the working environment after allowing dogs; and four out of five companies cited a newly introduced-dog friendly policy as a reason for improved business. One company that has noticed such an improvement in business is camping spot Blue Hills Touring Park which won the Camping/Caravanning category for the second year in a row. Ginny and Martin Brant, who run Blue Hills, found a notable increase in bookings from guests with dogs after winning the award last year and their ‘doggy donations’ for a local charity went up by a third. The camping park has also recently been shortlisted for the local Chamber of Commerce’s Best New Idea Award for their new initiative ‘Harley’s Field’ — a dog walk and play area.

Scottish town of Kelso

Photo ©Blue Hills Camping

ith an estimated one in four homes now owning a dog, the demand for dog friendly venues and businesses has never been higher. Each year the Kennel Club organises the Be Dog Friendly Awards with support from online database DogFriendly to encourage businesses to open their doors to man’s best friend. This year a record-breaking figure of almost 15,000 members of the public voted for their favourite places across ten categories. The winners of the awards travelled from various parts of the country to be presented with their trophies during a ceremony at the Kennel Club on Thursday 27th October. Kennel Club Vice Chairman Steve Croxford hosted the special event alongside DogFriendly representative Jane Slade and everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves, not least of all George and Nessa the chocolate Labradors who were representing winners of the Most Dog Friendly pub and High Street categories respectively. It was revealed on the day that the Scottish town of Kelso had been named the most dog friendly town, after receiving a staggering 62 per cent of the public votes for the Town/City category. The market town in the Scottish Borders took the crown from Cumbrian town Keswick, which had won the award for the last three years. The North East of England claimed two victories on the day with the Most Dog Friendly Beach award going to the stunning Bamburgh Beach in Northumberland, and the Most Dog Friendly Café/Restaurant award was given to Doggie Diner in Sunderland who offer a ‘hound menu’ alongside their human food and drink options. Somerset also gained two of this year’s Be Dog Friendly titles, with Widget’s Farm in Standerwick being voted the Most Dog Friendly Place To Stay in the UK, while the

Blue Hills Touring Park

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Kennel Club Charitable Trust

Making a better world for dogs The latest news on the work of the Kennel Club’s charity By the Kennel Club Charitable Trust

Silvie at just eight weeks old; her first day with her puppy parent

Silvie at 20 months with one of Ability Dogs trainers, Sarah

Ability dog Mason, helping with the washing

At nine months, Bertie is learning to sit quietly here. He is with the puppy parent’s daughter who is 16

and breeds in the future. In addition to humans helping dogs, the KCCT funds vital work involving dogs which help humans. The trustees recently awarded a grant of £18,420 to Ability Dogs 4 Young People, a charity on the Isle of Wight, which trains assistance dogs to enhance the independence of young people and children living on the island. Ability dogs help with physical and mental disabilities, including cerebral palsy, autism and epilepsy. The grant was given to the charity to help with the second stage of training for three young dogs who started their puppy training

and socialisation in 2014 at eight weeks old. These young dogs are now 18 months old and this stage of training is expected to take eight or nine months. It will include training of the disabled young recipients and their families at their pace, covering all aspects of working the ability dogs and caring for them. The latest funding for Ability Dogs 4 Young People was the second from the KCCT, but the trustees also regularly assess applications from organisations which have never before applied for a grant. The KCCT has a network of trust ambassadors who support the trustees by

ast year (2016) was an extremely busy year for the Kennel Club Charitable Trust, with grants totalling hundreds of thousands of pounds made to help make a difference for dogs. Once again the largest of these grants was made to the Animal Health Trust to help fund the Kennel Club Genetics Centre and Kennel Club Cancer Centres, but the KCCT also funds a range of other scientific work to improve pedigree dog health. Towards the end of the year, the trustees agreed a grant of £8,880 to help fund research into a new approach to finding the genetic basis of juvenile kidney disease in Boxers, which will be carried out by Professor William Amos of the Department of Zoology at the University of Cambridge and Dr Bruce M Cattanach from the MRC Mammalian Genetics Unit in Harwell, Oxfordshire. Juvenile kidney disease is an extremely unpleasant disease that affects Boxers and appears to have a strong heritable component. Indications are that it is recessive, meaning that a faulty gene copy has to be inherited from each parent, not just one. Previous genetic studies have sought to identify the gene involved, potentially leading to genetic tests to identify carrier dogs, but sadly these failed to find the gene. The new study focuses primarily on UK Boxers, a population that has been extensively studied by Dr Cattanach, who has already assembled a large collection of blood samples (cases, controls and parents) with additional surplus material available from an earlier study. The KCCT grant will help fund further sample collection, marker development, genotyping and labour costs in the research, which the researchers believe has a good chance of success and that the results should be applicable to other diseases

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Kennel Club Charitable Trust visiting first time applicants if the trustees deem it necessary, to speak to those involved to garner further information and check that the premises are suitable for the purpose intended. The KCCT welcomes applications from newly created organisations looking to benefit dogs and also those which may have been in existence for longer but never previously required its help, with the ambassadors providing a vital link between the two. One charity to receive a grant following an ambassador visit in 2016, was Dogs Friends, a charity operating in Bristol, Bath and the surrounding areas. The charity was set up in 2005 to carry out fund-raising work for dogs, but the emphasis soon changed to direct rehoming work. They take in dogs which might have otherwise slipped through the rescue net, from a mixture of sources including dog wardens and local hand-ins. They rehomed around 180 dogs last year across a number of breeds. As the charity had not previously received a grant, ambassador Mike Vines, himself based in Gloucestershire, paid Dogs Friends a visit in summer 2016 to find out more. He noted that there were a dozen rescued dogs in its kennels, including Cavaliers, various

“The KCCT has a network of trust ambassadors who support the trustees by visiting first time applicants to garner further information...” terriers, Beagles and a Lurcher. There were a further 12 or so dogs on its books which were being looked after by carers at home. A large paddock gave the dogs opportunity for exercise and is used to introduce carers to their new charges, which Mike described as ‘heart-warming’. On his report to the trustees, Mike stated that he felt that the charity’s paperwork was ‘very creditable’, and noted that once its new building was completed it would ‘give them a more professional appearance’. He concluded by fully endorsing the

application for funding and advised that, being local, he would endeavour to keep an eye on Dogs Friends progress in the future. As a result of the positive report, the trustees agreed a grant of £2,000 to support the charity’s running costs. To help the KCCT assess the suitability of more charities like Dogs Friends, the trustees are calling on anyone who would be interested in becoming a trust ambassador to contact them. The role usually involves carrying out no more than three visits to applicants per year and ambassadors are paid expenses for their travel accordingly. There is a particular need for new ambassadors in Scotland, following the previous ambassador standing down after many years of service, but interest from all areas would be welcomed. Anyone wishing to find out more about the role or express interest is encouraged to contact the KCCT administrator, Richard Fairlamb via kcct@thekennelclub.org.uk or by telephone on 020 7518 6874. ● For more information on the KCCT and a full list of grants given so far please visit www.kccharitabletrust.org.uk

Little Miss came to Dogs Friends centre after an operation had gone wrong. She is now much better and has been rehomed

Parsley had a trapped nerve in his neck so he couldn’t walk. This was operated on and he regularly goes for long walks on the Mendip Hills

Mango had possession issues, but these have been minimised by finding a new home where she doesn’t feel under pressure

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