GERMAN DOG BREEDING BAN RAISES FEARS FOR DACHSHUNDS: SPCA, DOGS NZ RESPONDS

Dachshunds are among a number of dog breeds that may be threatened by a proposed law in Germany, the German Kennel Club has claimed, but its sister body in Aotearoa says the breed’s future is safe.

The German Kennel Club opposes a draft law that would prohibit breeding practices that inflict long–term suffering on the animals, the Daily Telegraph reports.

There is “shock in Germany” among dog lovers over the proposals, according to the regional newspaper Hochrhein–Zeitung, which said the rules could cover dachshunds, beagles, boxers and schnauzers.

Germany’s Kennel Club (VDH) has warned that the law “prohibits our favourite dogs” and has launched a petition to scrap the reforms.

‘Torture breeding’

However, Germany’s agriculture ministry denied that the reform would amount to a ban on certain breeds, such as sausage dogs. A spokesman told the Telegraph that the reform was specifically about a ban on “torture breeding”, which it defined as breeding traits that inflict “pain, suffering and damage” on future generations.

The law is being introduced as part of a new draft of the Animal Protection Act, which seeks to strengthen existing laws on “torture breeding”, according to the German government.

The dogs were first bred in the Middle Ages to have stubby legs to make them invaluable to hunters for flushing badgers and foxes out of burrows. However, their breeding also brought an increased risk of the dogs developing spinal issues.

“Many of the proposed changes, such as regulating the trade in animals online or taking action against the illegal puppy trade, make sense … but the new animal protection law contains requirements that could mean the end of many healthy dog breeds in Germany,” stated the VDH’s petition.

It explained that the criteria for banning certain breeding practices were “vague”, in particular the use of the phrase “anomalies of the skeletal system”, which ran the risk of the law being used to ban dachshunds.

What are the issues?

Dachshund breeds are popular in New Zealand and, while they go in and out of style, have always attracted faithful owners and breeders.

The plucky little dog has even been immortalised in Lynley Dodd’s beloved Hairy Maclary series as Schnitzel von Krumm, with a very low tum.

Dachshunds are far from alone in having issues that developed from their selective breeding.

A 2022 study, from the Royal Veterinary College in the UK found the health of pugs in the UK is worse than non-pugs and the breed is almost twice as likely to experience one or more disorders annually compared with other dogs.

Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) was the disorder with the highest risk in pugs, with the breed almost 54 times more likely to have the condition, which leads to pugs struggling to breathe.

But other breeds are also at risk of BOAS, and breeds such as labradors have been known to suffer from hip dysplasia.

Pugs have been banned for sale on Trade Me since 2018, after Trade Me bosses ruled the breed’s overwhelming likelihood to develop serious health conditions meant it shouldn’t be advertised on their site.

Trade Me’s policy and compliance manager, James Ryan, told the Herald they did not make that decision lightly and currently have no plans to ban any other breeds.

“We know there are plenty of other breeds with specific, and prevalent disorders (conformational or genetic), however pugs and bulldogs represent some of the worst statistics among brachycephalic breeds, which is why they can no longer be sold on site,” Ryan said.

SPCA’s scientific officer Dr Alison Vaughan told the Herald the SPCA opposes any breeding which causes or is likely to cause suffering or negative health impacts on mothers and offspring.

Vaughan said this opposition includes breeding animals with genetic mutations that are known to cause significant disease or painful conditions and selecting for “extreme conformation” (the obvious physical traits that define breeds) that compromises welfare.

“While reputable breeders test their breeding animals for known health issues associated with their breed and make responsible breeding decisions based on the results, there is no legal requirement in New Zealand to do so,” Vaughan noted.

“New Zealand currently has few legal restrictions on breeding of companion animals,” she said.

“SPCA has been calling on successive governments to explore companion animal breeder legislation to address the issues of companion animal overpopulation and poor breeding practices which impact welfare, including breeding of animals with genetic traits which cause suffering. Legislation could include companion animal breeder regulations, breeder licensing, a Code of Welfare, or a combination of these approaches.”

Work well under way

Steve Thompson, director of Dogs NZ (formerly the New Zealand Kennel Club), said they actively work to keep breeds healthy and cited their work with labradors as evidence.

“So it started with labradors because there were issues of hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia in that breed,” Thompson told the Herald.

“So we brought in a series of compulsory health tests for the sire and dams being bred that are registered with us … so that we could track the improvement and those issues with the breed,” Thompson said.

“Now we’ve got to the stage where pedigree labradors in New Zealand have some of the best hip and elbow scores in the world.”

This compulsory health testing for at-risk breeds comes under Dogs NZ’s Litter Registration Limitations (LRLs) and the organisation has a stated goal of setting LRLs for all breeds by 2030.

The testing is being deployed alongside changes to breed standards.

Those breed standards guide breeders on the look and shape of the dog and set standards for judging of pedigree dogs.

“There’s nothing like success in the show ring to change breeding practices,” Thompson said.

Breed standards for dachshunds in New Zealand require that they be only “moderately low and long”.

Sorry Schnitzel von Krumm, your tum may be too low.

He advised that would-be owners should seek out reputable breeders who would tell them about the breed.

“Good breeders will be more than happy to share with you the health tests that they’re doing,” Thompson said.

“It’s a bit like you don’t buy a car without a warranty or, you know, without a mechanic having a good look at it.

“It’s the same thing when you’re looking at purchasing a dog.”

He said potential owners should research and ask breeders what issues the breed has and discover the track record of the breeder for breeding out genetic traits that can cause problems, saying owners should always buy a dog with “your eyes wide open”.