News following the Society's Annual Meetings at the end of January 2009.

Eye Examination Frequency
Part of the ISDS work to improve the shepherds’ dog has been to help eradicate inherited eye disease. Success in practically eliminating PRA has been an example of the British Veterinary Association (BVA) and the ISDS working successfully together.

Today, the eye disease to be tackled is Collie Eye Anomaly (CEA). It is transmitted via the genes of either or both parents and we believe that around 25% of the Border Collie population is a carrier for the genetic fault. If two carriers are mated then some of the pups are likely to be affected by the disease. Because CEA is congenital (present at birth) it may best be tested when pups are 5 to 12 weeks, but the test can be conducted in dogs at any age. It is better to detect it earlier because then something is known about the condition of the parents, and this may avoid further breeding in ignorance. The Society has abolished its rule requiring breeding dogs to be over two years before the eye test was permanently accepted. Two years was an artificial date, and a compromise between finding early PRA and a late detection of CEA. No other breeding registry had a date cut-off. Now the Rules are that an eye examination at any age has to be taken before the dog is allowed to breed.

However, just once is not necessarily the best. The Society’s encouragement to members is to follow veterinary advice and not just rely upon a single examination for life, as the Rules require as a minimum. Ideally, have the pup examined when with the litter to check for CEA, have an examination made before the dog (sire or dam) is used for breeding, and have a test when the dog is older (over 8 years) to look for late onset abnormalities. Of course the best route is also to have breeding dogs genetically tested for CEA (DNA CEA) then the outcome for the pups is better known and breeders can gradually eradicate CEA from their lines. Do note that the Society is compulsorily examining all its competing dogs at the International Trials each year so that any late onset eye disease, be that PRA, lens luxation or glaucoma, might be detected.

Breeding Dogs – The Law and Society Rules
The following may not be taken as a statement of fact that you rely upon to carry out your business. The purpose is to bring to your attention responsibilities if you breed sheepdog pups. If you need to know if you are complying with the law you should consult your local council.

There are laws regulating breeding and the sale of pups within the British Isles. Although some ISDS Members will fall with the scope of these laws the majority will not. However, it may be helpful for all to understand, in summary, what these laws say. There is the complication of where the jurisdiction extends to, and to whom it might apply. More recently, UK Government animal legislation has been ‘issued’ through Defra and applies within England. Typically, the Welsh Assembly and the Scottish Authority then enact the law within their territory at a slightly later date, similarly for Northern Ireland. Certainly, the 1999 Act referred to below applies in England, Wales and Scotland.

The Breeding of Dogs Act 1973, The Breeding of Dogs Act 1991 and the Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Welfare) Act 1999
This series of Acts was put in place to deal with the problems of 'puppy farms' and the welfare issues arising. It says that “Anyone who is in the business of breeding and selling dogs will require a licence from the local authority under the 1973 Act as amended by the 1999 Act. The local authority has discretion whether to grant a licence and must ensure that the animals will be suitably accommodated, fed, exercised and protected from disease and fire. It is for local authorities, who have extensive powers to check on the standards of health, welfare and accommodation of the animals, to enforce the requirements of the Act.”

So the issue is to work out if you are “in the business of breeding and selling”. One local authority says that a breeding establishment is "where 5 or more litters are born, to one or more bitches, for the purpose of sale, in the period of one year." It may be the case that a council would take an interest in premises where two bitches were being bred from, but that does not infer that the owner had to be licensed. The law is quite broad in its detail because it covers loopholes where an unscrupulous person places bitches with friends or family. Local authorities (councils) carry out the licensing in the interests of animal welfare and consumer protection. Licences to breed dogs for sale are issued under the Breeding of Dogs Acts 1973 & 1991 and are renewable annually. The council will arrange for the premises to be inspected by a veterinary surgeon to ensure the accommodation is suitable for the welfare of animals. In addition, the 1991 Act extended the powers of local authorities to obtain a warrant to enter any premises, excluding a private dwelling house, in which it is believed that a dog breeding business is being carried out. All outbuildings, garages and sheds are open to inspection.
If you are a Licensed Breeder then the 1999 Act applies to you and it states that bitches may not be mated until they are at least one year old and that they give birth to no more than six litters in a lifetime and no more than one litter per year. Accurate breeding records must be maintained by the establishment. Penalties for abuse are stiff and include imprisonment

The Society position is that it expects all Members to comply with the spirit of the law, whether licensed or not, when seeking to register dogs in the ISDS Stud Book. This is to offer the best welfare to breeding bitches. However, we recognise that accidents in mating dates can happen and feel it is not in the interest of the pups to deny registration should a bitch have more that one litter in a year on the very rare occasion that this happens – if the pups are going to be born it is better that they be registered and identified.

Thus, the Society Rules note that owners are advised to follow the Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Welfare) Act of 1999, whether they are registered breeders or not, so that bitches are not mated until they are at least one year old, and limiting them to one litter per year and six litters in a lifetime. There are Society Rules to regulate the frequency of breeding. If a bitch has had two litters within any two year period the Rules are imposed if a Mating Card is presented with a mating date falling in the same period. The Society will register that third litter but require that the bitch be rested for one whole year following the litter birth. Thus these Rules will not permit the registration of more than three litters to a bitch in any three year period. By this means the Society supports the welfare principles of the law.

Obviously, if you buy a bitch you are going to ask about her breeding history and will know when she can next be bred from. If you need to check or confirm a bitch’s breeding history the Society will offer a telephone enquiry service. Just give the bitch’s ISDS number and a reason why you are enquiring, and we will be able to tell your what litters have been registered and when.

Additional Information February 2011: Three litters maximum in three years is a principle that the ISDS requires from its breeders in order to demonstrate compliance with the obligations of the 2006 Animal Welfare Act. This act specifically limits registered breeders to one litter per year. Many ISDS breeders however are not registered, so although the law does not strictly apply the ISDS still accepts the welfare principles. We will therefore allow three litters in two years, plus a year’s rest, in the rare case that a bitch is mated unwittingly and too soon on the third occasion; but we then insist on a year’s rest and there have been issues when this rest period of one year has been breached.. The Stud Book committee has now added an appeal process should the dates not conveniently fall outside whole years. The first stage of appeal is if the date of the new mating is no more than 28 days inside a limit and can be decided by the Keeper of the Stud Book following an examination of the history. The second stage is for dates beyond 28 days and the respective National President will, on behalf of the Stud Book Committee, be asked to appoint an experienced Director who will visit the kennels and make a report. If the President and Director recommend that the registration of the litter is in the interest of the welfare of the bitch and the litter then it will be permitted.

Animal Welfare Act 2006
This Act came into effect early in 2007 in England and Wales. Its principles are that not only is it against the law to be cruel to an animal, you must also ensure that all the welfare needs of your animals are met.
These include the need:
• For a suitable environment (place to live)
• For a suitable diet
• To exhibit normal behaviour patterns
• To be housed with, or apart from, other animals (if applicable)
• To be protected from pain, injury, suffering and disease
The law also increases to 16 the minimum age at which a person can buy an animal and prohibits giving animals as prizes to unaccompanied children under this age. Anyone who is cruel to an animal, or does not provide for its welfare needs, may be banned from owning animals, fined up to £20,000 and/or sent to prison.
The Society expects all its Members to comply fully with this law, but is sure that the provision of good conditions has been a standard practice for shepherds and farmers for many generations.