Wiltshire dog-behaviourist says poor breeding is affecting animal health
It comes as a report has found dogs are being bred for looks rather than temperament
The Government's being urged to clamp down on 'designer' dog clinics and unlicensed breeders after an inquiry into pet welfare and abuse found dogs are being bred for extreme characteristics.
In the Environment Committee's (Efra) pet welfare and abuse inquiry, it was found there were 10 times more canine fertility clinics in the UK in 2023 than in 2020.
It found this rise and been driven by greater demand for 'designer' dog breed with extreme characteristics, such as flat faces, which leave animals likely to suffer a lifetime of health issues.
It's led to a group of MP's from different parties to call for stronger Government action.
They've cited the influence of social media and celebrities popularising breeds like French bulldogs and pugs.
Clinical Dog Behaviourist from Tidworth, Heather Taylor, told Greatest Hits Radio it's sad that dogs are being bred for looks over their behaviour.
She said: "Your flat faced dogs obviously have been around for a long time, but we are seeing a trend of like the faces getting the flatter and flatter and flatter.
"If you were to look at like a scientific diagram of what's actually happening, it's constricting their breathing."
A lifetime of pain and suffering
The Efra report noted "ethically abhorrent" practices, such as ear-cropping and cosmetic tail docking, are causing further pain and suffering for animals.
These are banned practices in the UK, but a loophole in the law allows them to be imported from abroad - which the Government is being urged to close along with a ban on the sale of DIY dog ear-cropping kits in Britain.
Heather told us the radical changes of a dog's appearance can lead to further behavioural issues.
"When we change like the face shape and body shape of dogs and their tails and ears and stuff, that can cause behavioural problems with other dogs and also for humans as the body language of dogs is then completely changed.
"It's much harder for not only us to read, but also for other dogs to read, and for those dogs to display those subtle signs that we might see prior to further escalations of behaviour."
Heather added that breeding based on appearance means unwanted behaviours are carried down more easily.
"We know from research that these certain behaviours can be passed down through genes through maternal stress through learning history. It is causing us to have a lot more dogs with issues because they're being breed from parents that probably shouldn't have been bred from."
She cited XL Bully's as the 'perfect example' of a dog being bred on looks over temperament.
Unregulated breeders are flouting the law
The inquiry also found more than half of puppies coming onto the market are from unlicensed breeders.
The Efra committee are calling on the Government to publish a list of approved breeders and change licensing regulations to include breeders of two or more litters a year as part of efforts to tackle low-welfare practices and provide assurance to buyers.
It also warned that "unscrupulous" canine fertility clinics have benefitted from a disjointed rule enforcement system.
This has allowed them to operate without vets so that laypersons have unlawfully performed surgical procedures, including caesarean sections.
The committee urged the Government to reform veterinary surgeon laws dating back to 1966 to include the clinics.
"The current £100 (approx.) fine for performing acts of veterinary surgery illegally is a derisory deterrent," the report noted.
There's also a warning that local authorities, who are responsible for enforcing the law, find themselves regularly under-resourced, resulting in an inconsistent approach across the country that's allowing unscrupulous breeders to flout the rules.
Overall, the Government needs to address local authorities' funding and resource needs and provide "greater clarity over where the enforcement and accountability responsibilities lie," the committee warned.
Sir Robert Goodwill, Efra committee chair, said: "As a nation of animal and pet lovers, we place a high importance on the welfare of animals.
"We are concerned about the huge rise in the number of canine fertility clinics and the lack of regulatory oversight of these clinics, which may employ unqualified staff to perform veterinary procedures, and which may encourage the breeding of dogs with extreme features and dogs bred for aggressive traits."
A Defra spokesperson said: "The UK has a long history of leading the way on animal welfare and we are absolutely clear that cruelty to animals must be stamped out.
"This is why we are supporting the Private Members Bill which will bring forward new powers to tackle the unscrupulous trade of pet smuggling - including banning the movement of animals with mutilations such as cropped ears.
"We will also carefully consider the EFRA committee's recommendations alongside our own review of the animal activity licensing regulations to consider whether further action is needed."