The annual meeting of the FCI Breeding Commission was arranged in Olso, May 28th, with the excellent hospitality of the Norwegian canine organisation.

Representatives from the following members were present at the meeting: Margit Brenner (Austria), František Nahodil (Czech Republic), Birgitte Schjoths (Denmark), Janne Orro (Estonia), Ruth O’Connor (France), Maria Ceccarelli (Italy), Inga Cerbule (Latvia), John Wauben (The Netherlands), Astrid Indreboe (Norway), Elzbieta Augustyniak (Poland), Luis Gorjão-Henriques (Portugal), Svetlana Nazarikhina (Russia), Rafael Malo Alcrudo (Spain), Annica Uppström (Sweden), Yvonne Jaussi (Switzerland), Olena Skliarova (Ukraine).

The following guests also attended the meeting:
Mr Leschenko and Mrs Gladkikh (Russia), Mrs Renata Berlinska (Poland) and Mrs Kim Bellamy (Norway).

The Secretary for the Commission was Dr Janne Orro.

The President, Dr Astrid Indrebø, decided to leave her position and the meeting began with elections. There was one candidate to each position and there was no voting as decision was made consensually; new president, vice-president and secretary were named as follows: :
President: Luis Gorjão-Henriques; Vice-president: Maria Ceccarelli and Secretary: Janne Orro.

The following issues were discussed:
Type of coat, colour and size should be added in the three-generation pedigrees, including export pedigrees.

This is of uttermost importance, especially in the case of crossbreeding between closely related breeds and varieties.
This proposal was approved by the General Assembly and written down in the Standing Orders, but some members are still not following it. The FCI Breeding Commission asked the General Committee to make a circular to be sent to all members, with a possible transtition period and the deadline from which this decision starts to be compulsory. Although varieties and coat types are easy to identify on every pedigree, colours are more difficult to describe in a uniform way.
As it is not possible to create a transition period for the countries that cannot follow this rule at the moment -the rule is effective from the date of the General Assembly- the proposition was turned down.
It was also suggested that the BC should ask that the Scientific Commission makes a Code table with accepted colours and genetic code to be distributed to all NCO in order to be used on pedigrees and Export pedigrees. This table of colours will have the scientific description of the colour and the breeds in which it is accepted, so no pedigree will be issued with wrong colours.
There is a need for a standardised nomenclature of coat colours as it is now required to write the coat colours on the pedigrees. The NCOs are using different descriptions.
The FCI Breeding Commission asks the General Committee to turn to the Scientific Commission to make a table with colour codes (for pedigrees and export pedigrees).

GC decision October 2016
The idea was found interesting by the GC, and is appreciated. The matter will be referred to the FCI Scientific Commission. The GC drew the attention on the curious division of the colours in Pug (the correct distribution for CACIB should be Black and Fawn, only).

Registration of imported dogs that would have been registered with limited registration (not allowed for breeding) if they were born in the country to which they are imported (amendment in the FCI Standing Orders)
This was approved by the GA, and added to the Standing orders, but the FCI Breeding Commission feels that a circular should be sent on this subject to all FCI members.

Each dog of a litter has to be provided with only one pedigree and only one export pedigree, which must include the name of the owner of the dog; if the owner’s name is not written on the pedigree, a separate owner’s certificate must be issued by the national kennel organisation.
This was approved by the GA, and added to the Standing orders, but the FCI Breeding Commission feels that a circular should be sent on this subject to all FCI members.

FCI should take actions against the new EU law that does not allow each country to decide that puppies less than 3 months can be imported from just some EU countries (free of rabies); the new law says that if a country allows import from some EU countries, they have to allow import from all EU countries.

• According to the new rule, EU does not permit to discriminate between countries regardless the situation of contagious diseases; the same rules must be valid for all countries.
• It is of major importance for the organised dog scene in Europe that FCI now takes action in this matter, to help dog breeders and dog owners in Europe, and to show the members the strength of FCI as a the largest dog organisation in the world, working for dog welfare and genetic diversity in pedigree dogs.

The FCI Breeding Commission felt that the proposal to FCI European Section should be done once again. We do understand that each country can make its own decision to enforce or not this decision of the EU, but FCI should ask the European Union that when to impose such a rule, there must be an exception for FCI pedigree dogs.

GC decision October 2016
FCI European Section indicated that it’s a European Section matter, which is being taken care of.

Guidelines regarding criteria for limited registration
Proposal to the FCI General Committee should be done once again. We do understand that FCI should not have too many rules, but what we are proposing are just guidelines. The FCI Breeding Commission understands the General Committee’s reluctance to impose and implement more regulations. BC’s proposal, however, is made with the goal to recommend and educate. As background information, BC was again approached by several NCO’s delegates asking for recommendations on how to use limited registration. BC understands that NCOs may differ in how they use and implement regulations. The guidelines for limited registration are offered for information and education for those NCOs that need it.

GC decision October 2016
The GC reiterated its opinion, communicated at the meeting held in Zagreb in 2015.

White Swiss Shepherd Dogs
It was noted that a lot of countries do not follow the FCI circulars from 2007 and 2013 which state that it is not allowed to use dogs with German Shepherd Dogs in their 3-generation pedigrees. Genetic diversity is needed and as stated by Dutch statistics of the Raad van Beher, 74% of their WSS would have to be taken off the breeding pool if the circulars were followed. For the same reason, most countries do not apply FCI’s circulars. The FCI Breeding Commission has decided that Swiss NCO will have a meeting with the concerned NCOs before October. The Netherlands, France, Italy, Russia and Germany should be involved in this meeting. The FCI Breeding Commission is available to be involved in this discussion. From this meeting a decision can be addressed to the FCI.

GC decision October 2016
The General Committee will wait for the outcome of that meeting before taking any further decision.

«Breeding for function» presentations and discussions on that subject
The Brachycephalic syndrome / BOAS
The FCI Breeding Commission would like the following sentence to be added to all standards of all breeds: “The length of the muzzle in relation to the skull should be at least 1:2 (measured respectively from the tip of nose to the inner corner of the eye to occiput).”

The FCI Breeding Commission asked the General Committee to refer the subject to the Scientific Commission and the Standard Commission to work out a general rule to be applied to all breeds concerning the minimum length of the muzzle compared with the length of the skull, to prevent brachiocephalic obstructive airways syndrome (BOAS). This proportion is not just a mere opinion of some but is the result of scientific studies made by NKK with the cooperation of SKK, with a written paper on this subject. The FCI Breeding Commission considered by majority that the above sentence should be added to all breed standards.

FCI should also spread the idea that “FCI pedigree dogs are health-screened” and that “we care for the health of dogs, while no-pedigree dogs cannot be controlled”.

GC decision October 2016
The GC believed that the above proposal does not apply to all breeds and that it is against the rights of the countries of origin. This matter needs to be discussed within the Standards and Scientific Commissions.

Breeding for longevity
There was a request for volunteering to prepare a presentation about breeding for longevity. The delegate from Switzerland explained that this is a difficult subject as various aspects are affecting longevity and it is controversial whether very long age necessarily means good quality of life. This subject will be worked out at the next meetings.

Proposal from Spanish delegate about special prize / title for dogs in the veteran class: the presentation of Veteran dogs at dog shows with more awards and titles and separate classes for the Veterans and the older Veterans should be promoted worldwide. The more these older dogs are shown, the better we can spread the idea that pedigree dogs can live long and healthy until old ages, as the general public has the opposite perception.

Registration of puppies in the studbook of a country different from where the breeder lives
FCI should send a reminder to its members that NCOs have to obey Breeding Regulations and the FCI Standing Orders. Pedigrees for dogs from unrecognised organisations should not be certified as FCI official pedigrees.

International Partnership for dogs 3rd International Dog Health Workshop
The FCI Breeding Commission urged the NCOs to send committee members to participate on the Dog Wealth Workshop in Paris.

How to handle an outcross programme when the country of origin is still doubting
There are 2 examples from the Netherlands:
a. A breeder mated a Griffon Bruxellois with a Border Terrier. One of the Dutch breed clubs wants to develop a plan of action for more outcrosses. How to handle that when the country of origin doesn’t agree?
b. One of the Dutch breed clubs wants a crossbreeding programme for Irish Wolfhounds with Alaskan Malamute in order to widen the gene pool and improve the health. The country of origin is strictly against.

Conclusion of the Breeding Comission: Any crossing between unrelated breeds should be based only on scientific evidence, with health, genetic diversity and conformation proof that it should be done. All dogs resulting from these crossings should be registered with the appendix studbook. Only crossing allowed by the FCI circular can be performed, and any other crossing should be presented to the NCO of the country of origin of the breeds in question.

Ethical discussion about double mating
The topic was also sent to us by the Netherlands, and the delegates were asked to inform about the situation in their country:
What countries have rules for this? What are your rules?

The following is stated in FCI International Breeding Rules:
Art 18 (last paragraph): “Pedigrees, which are in fact birth certificates, must be issued for correct parentage only. Normally, a female is to be mated by only one male for the same litter. In cases of deviations, the kennel clubs are obliged, at the breeder’s cost, to have the parentage proved by DNA testing.”

Conclusion of the FCI Breeding Commission: Double mating can be accepted, but it should also be done with previous request by the breeder and authorisation by the NCO. No more than two different males should be accepted for one and the same mating.

Designer Breeds
Conclusion of the FCI Breeding Commission: Overall conclusion is that we do not need more breeds! There are established rules for the recognition of new breeds, Annex 1a) of the Standing Orders, and Designer Breeds do not meet them.
Unaccepted colours resulting from the crossing of breed varieties can only be accepted in the appendix studbooks or with a limited registration.

HD screening
HD screening results seem to be worse in Scandinavia: are Scandinavian requirements more severe?

The FCI Breeding Commission asked the General Committee for the Scientific Commission to organise a Conference between all official X-ray readers in order to have the same criteria, which do not change from one country to the other or from one official reader to the next one. FCI should promote this conference.

GC decision October 2016
The matter will be referred to the FCI Scientific Commission. The last similar conference was held many years ago in Copenhagen and many new vets are now involved in the dog world. It would be good to give them the opportunity to be updated.

Luis Gorjão-Henriques
President of the FCI Breeding Commission