If you missed Crufts this year you probably weren’t the only one. The BBC cancelled its broadcast of the 118-year old dog show in early March after highlighting the health problems faced by pedigree dogs in a documentary last year.
Sponsorship from Pedigree dog food and support from the RSPCA and the PDSA was also withdrawn.
Crufts, which celebrates the characteristics of purebred dogs, is perceived as perpetrating the poor breeding practices that have caused certain types of dog to develop diseases and deformities.
Dog shows aside, intensive breeding has meant that owners have had to accept that some purebred dogs will be susceptible to diseases that your typical mongrel likely won’t be prey to. That’s also meant costly pet bills.
Providing insurance
A number of pet insurers have taken that on board and provide bespoke cover for the hereditary conditions suffered by pedigree dogs.
“We have eight different tiers of premium and we assign the breed to the different tiers,” says Laura Bennett, CEO of Embrace Pet Insurance, which is based in the US and underwritten by Brit Insurance and Catlin. “In our case it tends to go by size.”
Dogs such as Great Danes and Mastiffs are more likely to suffer from hip displacements and other joint problems.
Larger dogs also tend to have a shorter lifespan. “It’s like having a seven foot human,” adds Bennett. “Seven foot humans don’t live very long on average.”
Fashions and trends
Fashions also encourage hereditary problems. After the movie 101 Dalmatians was released in 1996 the huge demand for Dalmatian puppies led to over-mating, which has created a predisposition for deafness in the breed.
Barack and Michelle Obama’s children are set to receive a Portuguese water dog as their White House pet, which is expected to cause hype for that variety of dog. “Everybody will want one and it’s quite a rare breed,” says Bennett.
Uncommon practice
Providing insurance for hereditary problems is still far from common practice. Many insurers will not provide cover for certain conditions. “They will say they don’t want to reward poor breeding,” says Bennett. “But it’s not the fault of the person who owns the pet and it’s really just to keep costs down.”
She thinks a more actuarial approach to pet insurance is needed so that owners can reduce the financial risk of owning a pedigree pet.
Some purebreds are more susceptible than others to health problems—particularly those with a smaller gene pool. “If you look at the English bulldog—which is the saddest thing out there—pregnancies are not natural, they can’t physically mate and then the puppies have to be born by caesarean,” says Bennett.
Pricey pooches
Rottweilers are the most expensive breed of dog to treat in the UK. This is according to claims data released by Sainsbury’s Pet Insurance, which is underwritten by Axa Insurance UK. The average treatment cost for a Rottweiler is £441, 32% above the average treatment cost for other pedigree dogs.
And it’s not just dogs. The Maine Coon is the most expensive breed of cat to treat—costing an average of £487.93, 40% more than the average cost of treating all other types of cat.
“The average cost of treating different breeds can be huge, but many people don’t consider the likely difference in cost between different breeds before buying a pet,” said Neal Devine, Sainsbury’s Pet Insurance manager.
Meanwhile, a Sealyham terrier called Charmin was crowned as Crufts’ Best in Show 2009. Crufts TV became the most popular channel on YouTube over the four days of the event, according to the Kennel Club, which organises the dog show.
“There have been so many highlights including the fact that hundreds of breeders have applied to join the Kennel Club Accredited Breeder Scheme, whose members agree to follow high breeding standards including taking the required health tests for their breed,” said Caroline Kisko, a Kennel Club spokesperson.
