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Finnish Kennel Club news

A blog by Katariina Mäki in General

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About this blog

News and information about the work of the FKC in enhancing genetic health and welfare of dogs

Entries in this blog

finnish kennel club news

Finnish Kennel Club webinar: Breed bans or breed rebuilding - what is the future of dog breeding?

Closed populations and the pursuit of exaggerated traits predispose dog breeds to health and behavioural problems. What should be done in this situation to ensure that pedigree dog breeding can continue in the future and that the reputation of pedigree dogs is enhanced? Some countries have gone the way of breed bans, but in Finland the solutions are different. The Finnish Kennel Club's (FKC) webinar on 21 November 2024 explored what these solutions might mean in practice. The webinar was op
Katariina Mäki
finnish kennel club news

Finland is a pioneer in cross breeding - 2023 - Crossbreeding Projects for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and French Bulldogs

Finland is a pioneer in cross breeding! See the press release: The Finnish Kennel Club accepted separate cross breeding projects for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and French Bulldogs Excerpts... "The Board of the Finnish Kennel Club accepted cross breeding projects for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and French Bulldogs in their meeting on 15 June. In the same meeting, a decision was made to start a new cross breed register where the crossbred dogs will be registered in." The
Katariina Mäki
finnish kennel club news

Finnish walk test for brachycephalic breeds ready

The Finnish Kennel Club (FKC) has finished the protocol and the instructions for fitness (walk) testing of breeding dogs in brachycephalic breeds. The test is similar to the one used by the Dutch Kennel Club.   Finnish test instructions have been developed by veterinarians doing research on BOAS. Their results concerning the Bulldog have already been published. The researchers are still continuing their research and testing Pugs and French Bulldogs, whose results will be published late
Katariina Mäki

Finnish Pug Dog Club to adopt walking test for breeding dogs

A walking test developed for brachycephalic dog breeds will be adopted by the Finnish Pug Dog Club. The Club has included the test in their requirements for breeding dogs. The requirement of passing the walking test will come into force when tests can be carried out all over Finland. The Finnish Kennel Club (FKC) and the University of Helsinki arranged a news conference and a colloquium for the breed clubs of the brachycephalic breeds earlier this week. Preliminary results on a study examin
Katariina Mäki
finnish kennel club news

Finnish dog breed populations improving their health - hip dysplasia

In 2004, I got my PhD on the subject 'Breeding against hip and elbow dysplasia in dogs'. My conclusion was that it is possible to breed against these traits and that not much has happened though. The reason was that no systematic selection has in practice been made against these defects.   Now, 11 years later, I am glad to see that Finnish breeders have managed to achieve genetic as well as phenotypic gain. St Bernards have also increased their lifespan, as their health has been improv
Katariina Mäki

More on crossbreeding in Finland

More on crossbreeding in Finland Pinscher           Kromfohrländer       Due to interest in my previous post on Instructions for Crosses Between Breeds , I have been asked to provide some more information. At the moment, we have two crossbreeding projects going on in Finland: one in the Pinscher and another in the Kromfohrländer. The crossbred progeny are always registered in the appendix, ER-register, for three generati
Katariina Mäki

Instructions for Crosses Between Breeds

The Finnish Kennel Club has written instructions for breed crossing. The instructions are of help for breeders and breed clubs in planning, applying and monitoring breed crosses and crossbred individuals. This information is presented in The Finnish Kennel Club: Crosses between Breeds on DogWellNet.com in the Breeding for Health section: sub.section Crossbreeding.  
Katariina Mäki

Fitness examination being prepared for Bulldogs

The English Bulldog Association of Finland (SEBY) and the Finnish Kennel Club have launched an extensive health-promotion project for the Bulldog. Among other things, the aim is to develop an examination that scrutinises an individual's fitness for breeding – and it would be the first examination of this kind in Finland. The chairman of the English Bulldog Association of Finland, Pasi Apajalahti, says breed enthusiasts are aware of the need to improve the health situation of the English Bulldog.
Katariina Mäki

Frequency of canine hip and elbow dysplasia decreasing in Finland

Frequency of canine hip and elbow dysplasia is decreasing in many breeds in Finland. The largest improvement in hip dysplasia can be seen in the Saint Bernard, the Smooth Collie, the Newfoundlander, the Beauceron and the Bordercollie. In elbow dysplasia, the Rottweiler and the St.Bernard have improved the most. Read more about the trends in the pages of Finnish Kennel Club. Also available in our Downloads section.  
Katariina Mäki

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