Consultation Response

Transcription

1 Consultation Response FROM THE RSPCA IN WALES Consultation response: Ceredigion County Council - Home Dog Breed Licence Conditions September 2018 QUESTION 1: DO YOU APPROVE OR DISAPPROVE OF THE CONDITIONS? We welcome the development/review of licensing conditions for home dog breeding establishments to help ensure that the welfare of the dogs in licensee s care is protected and promoted Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (AWA), licensees carrying out the commercial breeding of dogs in their own home are legally responsible for their welfare and must ensure that their needs are met. These are the need for a suitable environment, diet, ability to exhibit normal behaviour patterns, to be housed with or without other animals, if needed, and to be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease. It is essential that any licensee is aware, acknowledges and meets their legal obligations. Although the conditions appear to have been presented in a way which partly reflects the five welfare needs, the welfare need Company has not been included as a separate need within the conditions. Under the AWA, the need to be housed with, or apart from, other animals (Company) is identified as a separate need, but within the proposed conditions document it has been included in the Normal Behaviour section. The RSPCA recommends that the Licensing Conditions are structured in line with the five needs as defined in the AWA to ensure consistency. QUESTION 2: OUTLINE YOUR REASONING BEHIND ANY CONCERNS AND REFERENCE SPECIFIC CONDITION/S RSPCA Cymru s specific points regarding the conditions are as follows: 2.1 Domestic environment With respect to point b. and the safety of the environment, it could be made explicit that the environment must be free from hazards. In a domestic environment that could include electric cables, sharp edges, cleaning fluids etc. 2.2 Size of quarters Each dog must be provided with sufficient space to (a) stand on its hind legs, (b) lie down fully stretched out, (c) wag its tail, (d) walk, and (e) turn around, without touching another dog or the walls of the sleeping area Normal behaviour - staff ratios. PAGE 1 externalaffairscymru@rspca.org.uk

2 Staffing may be more appropriate as a separate section as it relates to protecting and meeting all five welfare needs of the breeding dogs and puppies, rather than just Behaviour. We would recommend that the wording around staffing reflects this and becomes wider in scope than exercise and supervision. For example, Sufficient numbers of people who are competent for the purpose must be available to provide a level of care that ensures that the welfare needs of all the animals are met. Whilst the conditions do require that staff have sufficient knowledge and experience, there is no requirement for the licence holder to provide and ensure the implementation of a training policy for staff. Whilst the licensable activity is taking place in a home environment, it is still a commercial activity and the licensee and their staff should have accurate and up-to-date knowledge gained from ongoing training to ensure the welfare needs of the dogs on the premises. Section 7: Animal Welfare Act The conditions under Section 7, we believe, are misleading as for a licensee to meet their obligations under the Animal Welfare Act they would need to do more than the five conditions listed. RSPCA Cymru would suggest listing the five needs under the Act at the beginning of the conditions, clearly stating that the licensee is responsible for ensuring the dog s needs are met whilst in their care. The conditions under this section could then be located under the sections relating to the relevant welfare needs Exhibiting Normal Behaviour Patterns. In a domestic environment dogs will enjoy freedom of the house and garden plus additional leash exercise and licensees need only produce short documented programmes. It should not be assumed that dogs in a home environment will have freedom of the house and garden - they may only have access to one room and may not have access to a safe, secure garden that provides adequate opportunities for off-lead exercise and exploration. 7.3 Socialisation of puppies. As mentioned above, we feel it would be more appropriate for this to sit under section 4: Normal behaviour. It is very welcome that there is a requirement for all puppies to be socialised before they are homed, as it is vital for the development of confident, well-adjusted dogs who can cope in a home environment. Habituation is also an incredibly important aspect of a puppy s development where they become used to (learn what is safe to ignore) noises, objects and activities in their environment. This could be addressed by adding habituation to point 7.3 a) and to the associated guidance. All puppies must be socialised and habituated before being sold or homed and the method of implementing this must be discussed and agreed with the local authority inspector guidance about training. It s important to state that where used, training methods or equipment must not cause pain, suffering or injury. 7.4 Responsible Breeding. Inclusion of requirements for responsible breeding is warmly welcomed, however the requirements could be strengthened in order to better protect the welfare of breeding dogs and their offspring. For example, point b) also applies to any mating, regardless of whether the puppies will be crossbred or not i.e. breeders must have due regard to the breeds compatibility for ease of whelping and the genetic health and conformation of the parents to produce healthy puppies. 2

3 QUESTION 3: PROVIDE US WITH, OR DIRECT US TO, ADDITIONAL REFERENCE MATERIAL THAT WILL HELP US The following documents are recommended: Schedule 6: breeding of dogs of The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations The RSPCA worked closely through CFSG to help ensure that the welfare of dogs in breeding establishments is protected through these Regulations and the associated statutory Guidance. The conditions and Guidance were based on the CIEH Model Licence Conditions and Guidance for Dog Breeding Establishments and have been updated to ensure compliance with the Animal Welfare Act In 2010 the RSPCA welcomed the opportunity to respond to the Welsh Assembly Government s consultation on the Animal Welfare (Breeding of Dogs) (Wales) Regulations 2011 and Guidance. We were also grateful to have been involved in the Task and Finish Review Group on this matter, and in support of this we commissioned an expert workshop to collate scientific evidence-based expert opinion on the welfare needs of dogs at breeding establishments. The workshop participants were internationally recognised experts in veterinary, behaviour and welfare science, and were asked only to include guidance that they considered to be essential to meeting the welfare needs of dogs in breeding establishments. The information that was collated in this workshop is attached in Annex 1. QUESTION 4: SUGGEST CONDITIONS OUTLINING YOUR CONSIDERATIONS AND REASONS WHY Please see response to Question 2. QUESTION 5: ANY OTHER COMMENTS No further comments. 3

4 Annex 1. Breeding and Sale of Dogs Act review - the conclusions of an expert workshop held on 28 th April 2010 Final version/workshop par cipants-cc/ Breeding and Sale of Dogs Act review the conclusions of an expert workshop held on 28 th April 2010 Background In order to provide a construc ve, evidence-based contribu on to the review of dog breeding legisla on in Wales, the RSPCA hosted an expert workshop on 28 th April 2010 at the University of Bristol. The remit of the workshop was to collate scien fic expert opinion on the welfare needs of dogs at breeding establishments. The workshop was structured around the five welfare needs in the Animal Welfare Act 2006, and the expert contributors were asked to discuss each welfare need in turn. The remit of the workshop extended to all dogs at breeding establishments including all breeding animals as well as puppies. This document outlines the expert views and conclusions that were collated within the workshop. Workshop attendees The informa on within this document is based on the views and conclusions of the following experts: Dr John Bradshaw (BA PhD) Dr John Bradshaw is a Visi ng Fellow and Honorary Director of the Anthrozoology Ins tute at the University of Bristol. For the past 20 years he has directed a team of researchers studying the behaviour and welfare of companion animals, first at the University of Southampton, and then at the University of Bristol's Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine. Dr Rachel Casey (BVMS PhD DipECVBM-CA MRCVS) Dr Rachel Casey is a Senior Lecturer in Companion Animal Behaviour and Welfare at the University of Bristol. Rachel is an RCVS Recognised Specialist in Veterinary Behavioural Medicine, a Diplomat of the European College of Veterinary Behavioural Medicine (Companion Animals) and is cer fied as a clinical animal behaviourist with the Associa on for the Study of Animal Behaviour (ASAB). She directs a programme of research into fundamental and applied aspects of dog and cat behaviour. Dr Nicola Rooney (BSc PGCE PhD) Dr Nicola Rooney is a Research Fellow in the Animal Welfare and Behaviour Group at the University of Bristol. She has a PhD in dog behaviour and for the past ten years has conducted research on working dogs; examining selec on criteria, determining effects of rearing environments, measuring ability, assessing and examining ways of improving the welfare of specialist search dogs. In addi on, the following were in a endance from the RSPCA s Companion Animals Department: Dr Samantha Gaines (BSc MSc PhD) Deputy Head of Department Claire Calder (BSc MSc) Senior Scien fic Officer Environment Note: although many of the points within this sec on apply to dogs kept specifically in built accommoda on, many are also applicable to dogs kept within a home environment. Kennel construction 4

5 Dogs should be housed with solid flooring; floors which are sla ed or wire mesh, must not be used. All internal surfaces used in the construc on of walls, floors, par ons, doors and door frames must be durable, smooth and impervious and easily cleaned. There must be no projec ons or rough edges liable to cause injury. Kennel design Dogs should be able to control their own visual access to dogs in other kennels. This can be achieved in two ways: 1) in an open kennel, by having an area that the dog can move into to avoid visual contact with other dogs and 2) in a visually restricted kennel by having a raised area, e.g. a pla orm, to enable visual contact (also see sec on on husbandry under Pain, suffering, injury and disease ). Group or pair housed dogs should have adequate resources to avoid compe on and monopolisa on in the kennel. E.g. this includes hiding places, pla orms, beds, toys etc. Kennels should be designed in such a way as to reduce noise (see sec on on noise below). Every dog should be provided with con nual access to a comfortable, dry, draught-free, clean and quiet place to rest. Kennel size The kennel area should be large enough to allow separate sleeping and ac vity areas. The kennel must be sufficiently large to allow each dog to be able to walk, turn around and wag its tail without touching the sides of the kennel, to play, to stand on its hind limbs and to lie down without touching another individual. The minimum kennel size should be at least 4m 2 for dogs under 20kg, and 8m 2 for dogs over 20kg. This should be increased in rela on to size, and number of dogs, such that both the length and width are sufficient for all the dogs to lie outstretched at all angles with neither their tail nor snout touching the walls or another individual. Bitches with li ers should be provided with double this space allowance. For post weaned stock, the following minimum enclosure dimensions and space allowances should apply (taken from Council of Europe (2006)): Weight of dog (kg) Minimum enclosure Minimum floor Minimum height (m) size (m 2 ) area/animal (m 2 ) Up to Over 5 to Over 10 to Over 15 to Over Lighting For indoor kennel housed dogs, all dogs should be provided with a normal day and night cycle of light and dark. Where possible, natural daylight should be provided. Temperature Kennels must be insulated so to prevent extremes of temperature. There must be some part of the kennel where the dog can experience temperatures above 10 C (50 F) and below 26 C (79 F) at all mes, and hea ng should be provided if necessary to a ain this. As puppies have limited thermoregulatory control in the first ten days or so of life, addi onal local hea ng should be provided within the whelping enclosure. The source of heat should cover a large enough area for the whole li er. Outdoor areas provided for animals to exercise and interact cannot have strict temperature regula on. Animals should not be restricted to such areas under clima c condi ons which may cause them distress. Ventilation/humidity Ven la on in the indoor accommoda on of all dogs should provide sufficient fresh air of an appropriate quality and to keep down the levels and spread of odours, noxious gases, dust and infec ous agents of any kind, and to provide for the removal of excess heat and humidity. The ven la on system should be so designed as to avoid harmful draughts and noise disturbance. 5

6 Smoking in rooms where there are animals should be avoided. Noise High levels of noise can be stressful to dogs. If there is a lot of external ambient noise then buildings or kennels should be sound insulated. The high sensi vity of dogs to ultrasound should be taken into considera on when designing housing and husbandry regimes. For example ultrasound can be generated by certain kinds of industrial machinery and metal gates, and this should be minimised. Dogs should be habituated to a range of normal household sounds prior to homing (see sec ons on habitua on for puppies and adult dogs under Behaviour ). Soothing background music may be beneficial and can be provided, but loud music may be stressful and should be avoided. Access to an outdoor area All adult dogs and puppies over six weeks of age should have daily access to outdoor safe areas for at least 30 minutes per day. Transport Whenever dogs are transported, they should be fit and healthy for the intended journey. Dogs which are injured, diseased or distressed should not be transported (except for minor illness or injury), unless to a veterinary surgery. Pregnant bitches must not be transported within 10 days of their expected whelping date, unless agreed by a veterinary surgeon. Bitches should not be transported within the 48 hours of giving birth. Dogs should not be transported within 2 hours of feeding, but should be exercised as soon as possible (and within one hour) of transport to s mulate elimina on. During a journey, dogs should be securely and comfortably confined. If a dog is transported alone in a container, it should have enough space to stand, sit erect, lie in a natural posi on and turn around normally while standing up. If travelling by road, there should be a break at least every three hours to offer the dogs water. Breaks should be at least 30 minutes long to allow the water to be absorbed. Puppies should never be transported before 8 weeks of age without their dam. Between 8 and 12 weeks of age, prior to sale, puppies should not be transported for more than 2 hours (as they should not be transported for 2 hours a er feeding, and should be fed every 4 hours). Puppies should be trained to calmly stay in a crate by using reward based training prior to transporta on. Diet Diet All dogs must be provided with con nuous access to clean drinking water. All dogs must receive a palatable diet which fulfils their nutri onal requirements and is matched to their age, breed, reproduc ve status, body condi on score and ac vity level. If a dog s ea ng or drinking habits change, you should consult a vet as the dog could be ill. The body condi on of all dogs must be monitored and diets adjusted where weight loss or gain is iden fied (also see sec on on breeding under Pain, suffering, injury and disease ). Puppies should be weighed at least every week to monitor their weight gain. Veterinary advice should be sought where puppies fail to gain weight, or lose weight. Feeding requirements Adult dogs should be fed at least once a day. The food requirements of pregnant bitches will increase and provisions should be increased accordingly - as specified in the manufacturer s recommenda ons or as devised with a veterinary surgeon as part of a health plan. The food requirements of lacta ng bitches increase further and ad lib feeding should be considered. From 3 weeks of age onwards, puppies can be offered small amounts of moistened diet in addi on to their dam s milk, un l 6-8 weeks of age when they can be weaned completely. A er weaning, puppies should be fed an appropriate diet to support normal growth. Feeding methods 6

7 All dogs, including weaned puppies, should be fed from individual bowls, to reduce compe on associated with feeding. For individually housed dogs, part, or all, of their food ra on should be provided in ac vity feeders. It can also be valuable to provide part of the food ra on for group housed dogs via ac vity feeders, providing individual dogs do not guard these. Behaviour Exercise (for alleviation of boredom, physical exercise and human contact) Resting non-breeding bitches and sires Dogs should be provided with the opportunity to exercise on a lead with a person away from their kennel at least once a day, for at least thirty minutes in total, unless veterinary advice suggests otherwise. In addi on, opportuni es for exercise off lead should be provided. For example, free access to an enclosed area, where possible with other dogs. Groups of dogs should be supervised on first introduc on (a minimum of one person per five dogs) and adjusted to ensure no aggressive or fear behaviour. Once stable exercise groups are established, they should be maintained whenever possible. Nursing bitches Short periods of exercise should be provided from three days post whelping, and gradually increased therea er. Puppies Puppies should be provided with an environment in which they can explore, exercise and increase their physical strength and coordina on. Puppies should be provided with an increasing complexity of environment with development, to encourage physical and psychological development. Puppies should be given access to a play area away from the maternal pen, kennel or room at least by the age of six weeks. Enrichment All adult dogs should be provided with durable, chewable, food-flavoured, or food filled toys every day. These should be presented in such a way as to maintain interest and ac vity in the dogs, for example by changing toy types to increase novelty. Monitoring of behavioural signs The behaviour of all dogs should be monitored during daily inspec ons. Changes in behaviour, such as the occurrence of aggression, cowering, hiding, abnormal behaviours, or inac vity, should be recorded. Veterinary advice should be sought where significant or persistent changes in behaviour are noted. Inac vity, or lack of interest in enrichment devices other dogs or people, should be noted and any physical or psychological causes inves gated. Abnormal behaviour such as self-mu la on, high levels of vocaliza on and repe ve behaviour can be a sign that dogs are distressed. Possible causes for these signs in individual dogs should be inves gated, and the advice of a clinical behaviourist sought where necessary. Where mul ple dogs within an establishment show signs of abnormal behaviours, such as repe ve behaviours, over-excited behaviour, lack of interest in surroundings, fearful behaviours, aggression, or persistent inac vity, the housing and husbandry rou nes of the establishment should be reviewed. Advice from a veterinary surgeon and / or clinical behaviourist (see Appendix) should be sought where necessary. Socialization, habituation and training Puppies Socialisation Socialisa on is a process which occurs in puppies between five and fourteen weeks during which they learn most readily about the characteris cs of dogs, other animals and humans they come into contact with. Lack of opportuni es for socialisa on during this period is a major risk factor for behavioural disorders associated with fear and/or anxiety including aggression towards unfamiliar people later in life. 7

8 In addi on to husbandry, all puppies should be handled daily for at least two minutes from five weeks of age. This handling should be conducted by a minimum of four different (over the following three weeks) people including both male and female adults. Puppies should be carefully introduced to children before they are homed. Where possible, puppies should be carefully introduced to vaccinated, healthy, calm, adult dogs from outside their li er between six and eight weeks of age. Habituation Puppies should be gradually introduced to a full range of normal household sounds through supervised daily exposure. The level of exposure to such sounds should be increased very gradually to avoid induc on of fear. Household sounds may occur naturally in domes c environments but could be achieved through the playback of recordings for dogs housed in kennels. From two weeks of age, puppies should be gently examined daily e.g. picking up, checking ears, handling feet etc. This can be included within the handling specified above, and should occur prior to first examina on by a veterinary surgeon and microchipping. Training When employed, any training should be reward-based. Harsh training methods which may result in pain or fear must not be used. Adults Habituation Adult dogs which will be expected to live in a domes c environment should be habituated to a full range of normal household sounds through supervised exposure introduced gradually to avoid induc on of fear. Household sounds may occur naturally in domes c environments but could be achieved through playback of recordings for dogs housed in kennels. All adult dogs should be introduced carefully to a range of male and female adults and subsequently to children. Adult dogs should be habituated to physical examina on, general handling and grooming. Breeding bitches should be habituated to the process of ar ficial insemina on before it is first used. Adult dogs for rehoming should be gradually accustomed to periods away from other dogs. Training Kennel housed adults intended for re-homing should be given access to grass for toile ng, to ini ate the process of toilet training. As a minimum, dogs should be trained to walk on a lead and recall on command using reward based training methods prior to homing. Training methods which may result in pain or fear should never be used. Company Grouping Adult dogs without li ers (including pregnant bitches up un l a few days before they are expected to whelp see sec on on care of bitch under Pain, suffering, injury and disease) should be pair- or group-housed whenever possible. New pairs or groups should be gradually introduced under supervision. Some minor or temporary signs of aggression, such as growling or raised hackles may occur on first introduc on of unfamiliar dogs. However, where more severe or persistent signs of aggression are shown (e.g. bi ng, chasing, pinning down, blocking movement) dogs should not be housed together. Dogs should not be housed with other dogs which they either try to avoid or of which they appear fearful, for example, by avoiding contact, persistently hiding or cowering. Puppies which remain on the premises a er weaning should be housed with their li ermates or be housed with other puppies of a similar age and size. Group or pair housed dogs must have sufficient space and adequate resources to avoid compe on and monopolisa on in the kennel (see Environment sec on). Housing en re males and en re females within olfactory range of one another can cause frustra on and must be avoided. Staff ratio/stocking density 8

9 Dogs o en find human company rewarding and calming. Sufficient adequately trained staff should be available every day to carry out all the interac ons and procedures with dogs specified within this document, in addi on to rou ne care and management. Staff should be able to iden fy those dogs which are anxious or fearful about contact with people from their body postures, and gradually accustom such dogs to handling and human contact (see habitua on above). Dogs which enjoy human contact get more benefit from exercise if people are involved so whenever possible such dogs should be exercised with or by people. Pain, suffering, injury and disease Veterinary Inspection of Premises Addi onal to the licensing inspec on, there should be a twice yearly recorded veterinary inspec on of every animal on the premises. The vet conduc ng this inspec on should have received appropriate CPD training. Licenses, and license renewals, should only be granted by the Licensing Authori es to breeding establishments that have a signed report from a veterinary surgeon to say that they have passed their veterinary inspec ons during the preceding year. Similar to the inspec on process under the Riding Establishments Acts 1964 and 1970, a mechanism is required whereby the inspec ng veterinary surgeon can alert the Licensing Authority to any serious breach(es) of licensing condi ons, or major health or welfare concerns. A possible model for veterinary inspec ons involves the inspec ng veterinary surgeon having three possible repor ng op ons: 1) Green level would indicate no welfare concerns, or concerns sufficiently minor to warrant no addi onal veterinary inspec on. The report would be signed by the veterinary surgeon and retained by the licensee for inspec on at subsequent license renewal. 2) Amber level would indicate welfare concerns for individual animals, requiring further a en on. In this situa on, the vet would make recommenda ons for further ac on and arrange for a follow up inspec on to take place within an appropriate period of me. The veterinary surgeon would not sign an amber level report un l any concerns had been resolved, as determined by a further inspec on. The system should allow amber level reports to be raised to red level at the vet s discre on if insufficient ac on is taken. Resolu on of concerns would lead to the signing of reports and reten on by the licensee as above. 3) Red level would indicate a major welfare concern. Red level reports should be alerted to the Licensing Authority immediately for further ac on this should result in an inspec on and the possibility of the licence being revoked. The signed report would be retained by the licensee for the next inspec on by the Licensing Authority, with the excep on of red level reports. Health inspection responsibilities of licensees There should be a daily physical inspec on of every animal, to check for any signs of illness or distress. Advice from a veterinary surgeon must be sought urgently where a dog shows signs of disease, injury or illness. All dogs should have a documented health plan derived in consulta on with a veterinary surgeon. As part of the twice yearly veterinary inspec on, health plans should be checked by the inspec ng veterinary surgeon to ensure compliance. All adult dogs should be vaccinated by a veterinary surgeon. Puppies should be vaccinated by a veterinary surgeon prior to sale or homing where this occurs at 8 weeks of age or above. All dogs should have rou ne control of ecto- and endoparasites as directed by a vet. Records must be kept for veterinary inspec on. Any medica on given to dogs must be prescribed by a vet, and recorded. Surgical ar ficial insemina on must only be used in excep onal circumstances under the advice of a veterinary surgeon. 9

10 Hygiene All places where dogs are kept, living accommoda on, corridors, common areas, kitchens etc., must be kept clean and free from accumula ons of dirt and dust so that disease control is maintained and the dogs are comfortable. In specific dog accommoda on, a cleaning schedule must be implemented and displayed outlining daily, weekly and monthly cleaning and disinfec on du es which must incorporate a recognised formula on effec ve against micro-organisms responsible for canine diseases. This programme should be included in the health plan developed with veterinary advice. Each occupied kennel must be thoroughly cleaned with an appropriate disinfectant at least once daily and at least twice daily for faeces. Husbandry routines Dogs should always have access to a dry, clean area, and be able to avoid wet floors a er cleaning. Husbandry procedures should have a consistent daily pa ern such that they are predictable to the dogs. Dogs kept in kennels should be removed during high pressure and steam cleaning and any other cleaning procedures which result in dogs showing fear behaviours. Adult dogs should be given the opportunity to toilet outside the space in which they are kept (e.g. their kennel) at least three mes a day. Isolation facilities Veterinary advice about the isola on of animals with poten ally infec ous diseases should be documented and followed immediately. Isola on facili es must be provided and be physically isolated from all other dog housing. Adequate procedures must be in place and understood by all staff, to prevent the spread of infec ous disease between isolated animals and the remainder of the dogs. Procedures and facili es must be in place to allow the quaran ning of new arrivals as devised in consulta on with a veterinary surgeon. Veterinary advice should be sought when new arrivals show any signs of disease before they are mixed with other dogs. Identification All adult dogs should be microchipped by a person trained to do so. All puppies should be microchipped (by a person trained to do so) by 8 weeks of age, and prior to homing. All puppies should be handled by unfamiliar individuals on at least two occasions prior to microchipping (see sec on on habitua on under Behaviour ). Ta oos must not be used as a method of iden fica on. Record keeping A record card (generated by the Licensing Authority) must be kept for every dog, recording details including: microchip number, sex, name, date of birth, breed, Kennel Club registra on number, address kept at and record of health status. Individual dog records must also show the details of any sales of the puppy/dog; the date, name and address of who was supplied and the status of the purchaser (i.e. private owner or pet shop). A signed copy of the record card should be given to the new owner on any sale. All original records must be kept by the breeder for 10 years and made available to the inspec ng veterinary surgeon as well as the Licensing Authority on request. In addi on to the details required on the record card, a log book should be kept for each breeding animal (bitch or stud dog). This should include: results of any BVA/KC health screening tests, results of any validated DNA tests appropriate for the breed, and details of any ma ngs. For bitches it should also include details of all li ers (ini al details to be entered at birth) as required by the Breeding of Dogs (licensing records) Regula ons 1999; date of birth and sex of the resul ng puppies, weight descrip on and total number in the li er. Breeding Bitches must not be bred from before 12 months of age. It is the responsibility of the licensee to obtain, and follow veterinary advice before breeding any bitches which may be under or overweight or have other health concerns. A breeding bitch must not give birth to more than six li ers of puppies in a life me. 10

11 Breeding bitches must not give birth to more than one li er of puppies in a period of 12 months. Bitches which have required a caesarean sec on should only be bred again if a vet provides wri en confirma on that they are fit and unlikely to require surgery again. Bitches which have had two caesarean sec ons should not be mated again. All sires and bitches must be screened to ensure the absence of all inherited diseases for which gene c tests are generally available in that breed. It is the responsibility of the licensee to make every reasonable effort to ensure that both sires and bitches are in good health prior to ma ng. This includes checking for the presence of both infec ous and gene cally inherited diseases which may affect the health of either parent or resul ng puppies. Where necessary, veterinary advice should be sought. The breeding of closely related animals must be avoided. Ma ngs between brother and sister, father and daughter, mother and son, grandparent and grandchild or half brother or sisters, must not occur. When breeding types of dog which can suffer as a result of exaggerated physical features (for example this includes, but is not limited to, very large or heavy dogs, dogs with short flat faces,, dogs with folded or wrinkled skin, dogs with very long backs etc.),sires and bitches should be selected that have less extreme characteris cs. Breeding from sires or bitches which show behavioural signs of fear (such as cowering away, avoiding contact or hiding from people, other dogs, or in response to loud noises) or aggression (such as growling, snapping or bi ng at people or other dogs) must be avoided. Sires must not be bred from un l at least two years of age - this will ensure that they have fully matured and hence their temperament is known and at least some heritable diseases will have manifested before they are bred from. Care of bitch Bitches should generally be housed with other dogs in a pair or group, but should be individually housed from a few days prior to whelping. However, they should con nue to have sight, sound and smell of other familiar bitches and daily contact with humans. All bitches must be provided with a designated area/kennel prior to whelping, with a suitable whelping box/bed. Hea ng facili es must be adequate and secure. An area should be provided within the whelping kennel where a bitch can rest away from her pups. From approximately 3 days a er parturi on, bitches should be given short periods of exercise away from their li er. Bitches should be returned to group or pair housing, with familiar dogs as soon as her milk has dried up a er the puppies are removed. Whelping Bitches due to whelp in the next 24 hours should be inspected either in person or via a video link at least every 4 hours un l all puppies have been born and checked. Regular monitoring of body temperature can help to guide when to expect whelping to begin as this frequently drops to below 100 F 24 hours beforehand. If the bitch has a prolonged gesta on of over 70 days and fails to show signs of labour, veterinary advice must be sought. When in labour, bitches should be closely monitored (con nuously or at least every 30 mins) and if any signs of difficulty are shown, a vet should be contacted as a ma er of urgency. Indicators that veterinary a en on is required include: - there are visible signs of a puppy being lodged in the pelvic canal or known pelvic fractures; - a green discharge is present and there has been no puppy produced in the last 2 hours; - 3 hours has elapsed since the birth of the last puppy; - the bitch is in crying, unwell herself or in severe pain; - the whelping con nues past 24 hours. - there is an abnormal discharge such as severe bleeding or a foul odour. Care of litter Puppies should not be housed away from the bitch, sold or rehomed un l at least 8 weeks of age unless this is under veterinary advice, and the reasons are cer fied on the dog s records. 11

12 For the week prior to homing or sale, each puppy should be separately removed from siblings and bitch each day for periods of ini ally a few minutes, and then increasing length (see sec on on habitua on under Company ). Euthanasia of unhealthy puppies must be humane. Euthanasia must only be conducted using a method which ensures painless and rapid induc on of unconsciousness. Ideally, euthanasia should be carried out by a veterinary surgeon, but any staff that euthanize animals must be adequately trained, mentally prepared, empathe c and competent in the method to be used. Puppies should never be euthanized for reasons associated with colour, appearance or other cosme c factors. Retirement of breeding bitches (and stud dogs where appropriate) All healthy re red breeding animals should be rehomed to an individual who can meet their individual welfare needs. Any animals not suitable for rehoming due to health or behavioural problems (as cer fied by a veterinary surgeon or qualified behaviourist (CCAB or APBC)) should be humanely euthanized. See Appendix for informa on on qualified behaviourists. Ideally, euthanasia should be carried out by a veterinary surgeon, but any staff that euthanize animals must be adequately trained, mentally prepared, empathe c and competent in the method to be used. Staff training/competency License holders are responsible for ensuring that they, or a responsible member of staff, have adequate knowledge and skills to implement guidelines and ensure the well-being of dogs in their care. Where exis ng skills and knowledge are not demonstrable, comple on of a programme of training from an accredited educa on provider should be a ained by the licensee and / or responsible member of staff. References Council of Europe (2006). Appendix A of the European Conven on for the Protec on of Vertebrate Animals used for experimental and other Scien fic Purposes (ETS No.123) - Guidelines for the accommoda on and care of animals (Ar cle 5 of the Conven on). Council of Europe: Strasbourg. DEFRA (2006). Protec ng the welfare of pet dogs and cats during journeys advice for owners. h p:// Accessed 05/05/10. Presco MJ, Morton DB, Anderson D, Buckwell T, Heath S, Hubrecht R, Jennings M, Robb D, Ruane B, Swallow J & Thompson P (2004) Refining dog husbandry and care: Eighth Report of the BVA(AWF)/FRAME/RSPCA/UFAW Joint Working Group on Refinement. Laboratory Animals 38, (Supplement). RSPCA (2010). Dog care informa on. h p:// Accessed 05/05/10. RSPCA (2010). RSPCA Guidelines for the Welfare of Performing Animals Species Specific Advice: Domes c Dog ( Canis familiaris ). RSPCA: UK. Appendix Identifying a qualified behaviourist The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour (ASAB) accredits Cer fied Clinical Animal Behaviourists (CCAB), who possess the appropriate skills, knowledge and abili es. This includes having an Honours or higher degree in a relevant subject, a endance at appropriate specialist courses, and at least three years of regular clinical experience. The Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (APBC) also represents animal behaviourists. APBC members will 12

13 have at least a relevant degree and two year's experience or a postgraduate qualifica on and one year's experience. CCAB and APBC behaviour experts will work to iden fy the cause of the behaviour problem and then develop structured treatment plans that are suitable for you, your pet and your circumstances. To find an ASAB Cer fied Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CCAB) - visit: and click on 'Accredita on Scheme' To find an APBC behaviourist - visit: 13