Resources
Recent additions:
Bulldog On Trial
Dr Helena Howe explores how the case for a ban of the English Bulldog reached the Norwegian Supreme Court and talks to leading experts in the field about how the law can better help us to help dogs.
The English Bulldog is on trial in Norway. The future of the Bulldog hangs in the balance as the Norwegian Supreme Court decides whether breeding of this much-loved breed should be banned. The dogs have done nothing wrong; the fault lies with us. We may find extreme physical features like big eyes, very flat faces or deep skin folds on dogs cute but these traits can cause our dogs to suffer throughout their lives. In the UK we claim to be a nation of animal lovers. Yet we are breeding and buying dogs for their looks despite the evidence of harm. What is the cause of this problem and what should we do about it? Dr Helena Howe explores how the case for a ban reached the Norwegian Supreme Court and talks to leading experts in the field about how the law can help us to help dogs.
Alternative links: Podlink. Spotify Link
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Resources
For more information about the ICECDogs, and to inquire how to become a member, partner organization or member of the expert panel, please contact an ICECDogs board member here.
Coming soon: More academic papers, policy statements, and other resources relevant to extremes in conformation and the work of the ICECDogs.
Framework Document
Brachycephalic Working Group Framework for a partnership approach to improving brachycephalic dog
CFSG Dog Conformation Guidance - 2020
CFSG. 2020. CFSG Guidance on Dog Conformation. Canine and Feline Sector Group.
https://www.cfsg.org.uk/repository/256/
Country-specific Activities in Relation to Extremes
UK: The "Taking on key roles to help brachycephalic dogs" – this Kennel Gazette article features the UK Brachycephalic Working Group (BWG). Author Dan O'Neill introduces the background to the group’s work and the strategy to improve brachycephalic dog health collaboratively.
Club, T.K. (2023) Play Your Part - Breeding, Buying and Bringing Up Brachycephalic Dogs Better, available: https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/media/6186/play-your-part.pdf
Member Country Annual Reports
JVR Shelter Strategies - 2022
The first document is an annotated bibliography of references related to canine breeding and welfare. It is a dynamic document that is being added to and contains examples of specific areas of consideration for those evaluating the welfare of dogs being bred in primarily commercial breeding settings. The articles chosen are primarily limited to scientific peer-reviewed articles.
Note: "This document is a dynamic compilation of scientific journal articles pertaining to canine breeding in commercial settings. Peer-reviewed papers were collected from pubmed.gov and are presented here with associated links. Some articles were selected for annotation and are hyperlinked within the document to the summary. This list is not exhaustive and should be viewed as representative of the research that exists in this space. This list was created and is being updated by Dr. Jyothi V. Robertson and her team. Any comments or questions regarding this document can be directed to admin@shelterstrategies.com."
JVR Shelter Strategies - 2022
The second document is a document highlighting some of the gaps found in some of the scientific journals reviewed. It is a representative example of areas noted by authors of the papers reviewed and also not an exhaustive list of all gaps in this field.
Note: The purpose of this document is to highlight some of the gaps that have been noted by scientists as they conduct their research in those areas presented in the List of Canine Breeding-Related References document. This list of gaps is not intended to be exhaustive but serves to highlight some of the areas that have been identified as areas for further research. Additionally, there are other topic areas that have been included as deemed pertinent in conversations with researchers working in these fields. This document was written by Robin Vincent with assistance from Dr. Jyothi V. Robertson.
Our team has worked on both of these documents for the past year and a half. They are a work in progress, as we continue adding relevant information as needed. We hope you find these useful in your work.
IPFD Resource Links:
Extremes of Conformation | Brachycephalics - International efforts for health and welfare in brachycephalics and other breeds with extreme charateristics.
Breed-specific resources: