AT THIS year’s Discover Dogs the Kennel Club launched the Kennel Club ‘Accredited Breeder Scheme’ to all those thinking of buying a puppy. The aim of the scheme is to encourage the breeding of healthy, well adjusted puppies, which in turn will provide potential puppy buyers with an assurance that the breeder has followed good breeding practices.

This initiative is something that the world of dogs has been waiting for and has been implemented to promote responsible breeders and in turn, place puppies with better informed owners, ensuring that man’s best friend is given the best opportunity in life right from the start.
The Scheme sets out a list of requirements that breeders must follow in order to be accredited.

Just some of these include; that they make use of health screening schemes relevant to their breed, for all breeding stock; they permanently identify breeding stock by DNA profiling, microchip or tattoo; they socialise the puppies, as well as providing written advice on socialisation, exercise, training and feeding and offer a ‘post-sales’ telephone advice service to the new owners.

Visitors to Discover Dogs were able to find out more about the scheme and obtain contact details of Accredited Breeders by visiting the Kennel Club stand.