Among the “blacklisted” features are the pendulous jowls of the British bulldog, the floppy ears and stubby legs of the basset hound and the bulging eyes of the King Charles spaniel. Dog experts fear that about 100 breeds might be “harmonised” by the measure.
The European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals is being considered as part of the Animal Welfare Bill, on which the government recently completed a round of public consultation.
The convention, passed by the Council of Europe, of which Britain is a member, has already been adopted by states such as Sweden and Finland. It seeks to alter breed standards or prohibit the breeding of many dogs. It is claimed that excessive inbreeding among pedigree animals causes unnecessary health risks and long-term suffering.
Phil Buckley, external affairs manager of the Kennel Club, said: “There are only a handful of breeds that have a serious health risk, and if we adopt this far-reaching legislation it will threaten the future of too many breeds.”
Supporters of the convention want to rule out a long list of characteristics bred into dogs. In addition to curbs on folded skin, oversized ears and pop eyes, the new law would set guidelines for maximum and minimum heights for each breed to avoid skeletal disorders.
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Ginette Elliott, a bulldog breeder and campaigner against the legislation, said: “The result would be a Euro-mutt, with the same length legs and the same length back. The basset hound would look totally different.”
Under the proposals, breeders would be expected to “breed out” the basset’s little bow legs and make them straighter and longer to prevent spinal damage. Its back would also be shortened and excess skin removed from the face to prevent eczema. Ears would also need to be shortened to prevent injury and eyelids shrunk to enable the dog to see better.
James Kirkwood, scientific director of the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare, blamed breeders for the health problems. He said: “For four billion years, nature honed what a dog should be like. Then we come along and say, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to have one bigger or smaller’.”