The Kennel Club has today (17 April) published research analysing extensive data from its pedigree records to help breeders to collaboratively protect the future of our dog breeds.
The research paper was developed based on a 30-year review of over 11 million dog registrations from The Kennel Club’s pedigree database, and has been carried out as part of the organisation’s commitment to safeguarding the future of pedigree dogs. The paper is the first in a series of scientific articles, and looks at trends in population sizes, the percentage of dogs used in breeding and their characteristics.
The analysis shows that the overall registered pedigree dog population in the UK is declining in size, with the decline modest, but more pronounced in the last decade. The Kennel Club, which collects dog health data and develops evidence-based tools to help breeders to make responsible, informed decisions, is concerned about this decline and its impacts on the supply of well-bred puppies in the UK. This analysis comes as recent research has also identified the supply of healthy, well-bred puppies in the UK as a major issue in canine health and welfare.
Further, the paper shows that the overall percentage of dogs used in breeding is small. Pedigree dogs are bred selectively for predictable traits, helping potential owners to make informed choices and match a dog’s care needs and temperament with their lifestyle. Thanks to extensive datasets on pedigree dogs and their health, it is now also possible to effectively select against a number of health conditions, with recent research showing that pedigree dogs are as healthy as crossbreeds and live longer on average. However, selection for any trait, even for desirable traits like temperament and health, leads to reduction in genetic diversity, already limited due to all dogs in a breed tracing back to the same ‘breed founders’. The rate of loss of genetic diversity must be kept at sustainable levels to avoid population decline – or in extreme cases eventual extinction of breed – so The Kennel Club will use this vital research to work alongside its dedicated Breed Health Coordinators to develop balanced strategies to continue to safeguard the future of the UK’s 224 pedigree dog breeds.
“Pedigree dogs have many advantages because we know their ancestry and we can better predict the way that they will turn out,” comments Charlotte McNamara, Head of Health at The Kennel Club. “This helps us to know how big they will grow, their exercise needs and predict the health problems they might face, and which DNA tests or assessments breeders should make use of before breeding from their dogs.
“But it also means that they are more similar to each other genetically, and so we have to consider how breed populations are monitored and managed, as the lower the genetic diversity the greater the risk that new health conditions will begin to surface. This is true across all dogs bred selectively over generations, including the now popular ‘designer crossbreeds’, which have also been selectively bred for specific traits across a number of generations.
“We hope this new research, which has been conducted on a huge scale, will help to address the wider issue of the supply of well-bred, healthy puppies in the UK.”
Although the analyses revealed some general trends common to pedigree dog breed populations, there were also significant differences between breeds, indicating that any strategies developed to protect dog populations must be tailored to the unique circumstances of each breed.
Dr Joanna Ilska, Genetics and Research Manager at The Kennel Club and author of the paper, commented: “We have carried out this comprehensive analysis as part of our commitment to continually gathering and sharing information to enable us to work together to find the best answers to safeguard the future of our much-loved dogs.
“The right tools need to be used to balance both selection for health and genetic diversity – especially where population sizes are low – and the smaller the gene pool gets the more challenging it will be to balance responsible breeding choices with keeping a sustainable population, unless the situation is managed carefully.
“This is the next vital step on that journey, which give breeds a fuller picture to inform future action, supported by evidence. There are a range of solutions; our aim now is to work with breeders and those committed to safeguarding the breeds they love, as there is no one size fits all answer.”
Charlotte added: “This analysis was only possible due to the data that we hold for every registered dog. We remain concerned about all those dogs outside of reputable registries – whether unregistered purebred dogs or crossbreeds – about which there is no information or way of knowing if a breeder is health testing or considering genetic diversity, and which are bred without the level of health information or resources that are available for pedigree dogs. Further, as the information about these dogs is not recorded anywhere, it cannot be used for research purposes which guide the future efforts into breeding for health and welfare.”
The full analysis, published in the Companion Animal Health and Genetics journal
Dr Ilska will be presenting the research via a free webinar for anyone who would like to find out more on Thursday 1 May from 6 – 7:30pm. Those interested can sign up
More information about what The Kennel Club is doing to protect and improve dog health is available at thekennelclub.org.uk/health.
ENDS
17 April 2025