There are a lot of us breeders who only breed when we want something for the ring and do ensure we abide by all the health testing.
Lesley,
I am glad to hear this and have always believed it to be the case, but it doesn't alter the fact that so many breeders don't. The less somebody knows about Cavaliers the easier it is for them to assume that whatever they are being told is true, simply because they are being told by a CKCS Club/Kennel Club listed breeder.
When I phoned Kennel Club listed Cavalier breeders 18 months ago I didn't know much about SM, but did know about heart problems. I had a naive faith that breeders would be acting in the best interests of their dogs, but found that there were several who were not happy with me asking about heart certificates. Nobody mentioned SM to me at all.
I blame myself for not reading up more about SM (I vaguely knew about it from CKCS club letters, but still thought that MVD was the main problem) so I have now been making up for this by reading everything I can. Next time I want a puppy I will know which question to ask, but not everybody does.
I've recently read a post which I have mentioned on this site before, where Gordon Inglis says:
"The TV programme was called Pedigree Dogs Exposed. But, in respect of Cavaliers, how can you expose something that was already apparent. The conditions MVD and SM were already extensively documented and Cavalier enthusiasts were neither hiding nor ignoring these conditions, as has been suggested."
Actually, SM in particular was being exposed to the general public. The Cavalier community might have known about it, but the breeders I spoke to weren't keen to share this information.
Also:
"....while the UK and indeed the EU continue to preserve the principles of freedom of choice and views, surely those who consider this research as ongoing and, as yet, inconclusive, should be permitted to act as they consider appropriate without being verbally attacked and vilified by those who take a different view"
Gordon Inglis is a CKCS Club member who, as can be seen from this quote, supports ignoring the recommendations the Club makes. He may choose to do this, but should then stay a member of the Club? Also, if he is asserting his right to breed as he chooses, should he not also take responsibilty for his choices and inform any prospective puppy buyer that he is not following the protocols recommended to the Club he belongs to (which is often seem as a recommendation by buyers)?
I am getting a bit fed up of these 'it's not conclusive' comments. Research takes time and is often not conclusive, but can point strongly to a certain course of action, as it has done with SM. No one is pretending the problem will be cured overnight, but while breeders decide that they are better judges of the matter than the researchers there's not much hope of improvement.
It is a pity to have to look for legislation to regulate breeders, but voluntary breeding protocols don't seem to be working, particulary as breed clubs are not tracking or trying to enforce them.
I note that Clare Rusbridge has signed the petition to introduce legislation to dog breeding. Must be frustrating to do all that work and still have breeders ignoring it