Dog-behaviour assessment in focus at international meeting

Dog-behavior assessments were at the center when eight European kennel clubs gathered for discussions in Stockholm this week. Talks were also held on subjects such as the EU Commission’s propsal for new rules on the welfare of dogs and cats and the possible use of artificial intelligence in hip and elbow dysplasia screening.

Each kennel club presented data regarding puppy registrations, memberships and other activities during 2023. All countries saw declines in registration numbers after the pandemic. Some kennel clubs noted a stabilization at pre-covid leves while some said numbers had dipped below the previous normal.

The group of eight kennel clubs is a loosely put together cooperation based on operating under approximately similar conditions and facing the same challenges. The current participants include Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.

The participants were able to discuss some of their respective comments regarding the EU Commission's proposal for new rules on the welfare of dogs and cats and their traceability. Several countries have already submitted their comments. The Swedish kennel club’s comments are due on February 16.

”Being able to discuss rules and regulations that we all need to comply with is of great value, especially as we also get context and details from each country. This gives everybody a better understanding of the challenges that each individual kennel club faces, says Kees de Jong, the Swedish kennel club’s chief executive.

Day two included a trip to the Stockholms Hundsportcentrum venue where the participants were given a demonstration indoors of the Behavior and Personality Assessment for Dogs (BPH). The assessment is normally done outdoors and all test locations must have the exact same layout to ensure that the results are comparable. The Swedish kennel club has developed the program and it has been running since 2012.

The meeting then continued with a presentation by the Norwegian kennel club of its cross-breeding project for cavalier king charles spaniel. The project follows a ban on breeding cavaliers in Norway.

Other points of discussion were comparing regulations and practices around hip and elbow dysplasia screening, the minimum age for breeding and the handling of non-recognized coat colors.

DNA and AI were identified as potential areas of collaboration. The use of AI was also discussed in relation to hip and elbow dysplasia screening.