The 2023 Status of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels in Nordic Countries
*I’m writing this in April 2023 therefore whatever the future holds for cavaliers, I will do a follow-up post and link it here.
I promised that this website would be your number-one resource for everything related to Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. I’ve written informational posts as well as busted some myths about the breed. This time I will be writing an article about current news.
Read more cavalier-related articles here!
As a cavalier enthusiast and an aspiring breeder, I follow the dog breeding world and I keep my eye out for cavaliers since cavaliers have their own share of health problems.
Europe Against Harmful Dog Breeding
The health issues of purebred dogs are more and more discussed in mainstream media and that’s good, awareness needs to be spread.
This discussion has had an impact and Europe has started to take serious action against harmful dog breeding.
Whereas there used to be dog breeding guidelines and recommendations set by Kennels Clubs, now certain countries have taken strict action against harmful dog breeding by establishing animal welfare acts.
The new law reflects changes in society’s attitudes towards animal welfare and incorporates new scientific insights into the treatment of animals:
For example, in the Netherlands, under the Animal Welfare Act (Wet dieren) breeders are required to ensure that the dogs they breed are healthy, well-cared for, and free from pain and suffering. The law also sets out specific requirements for the housing, feeding, and medical care of dogs.
In Germany, the Animal Welfare Act (Tierschutzgesetz) sets out specific requirements for the breeding of dogs, including mandatory health tests for certain breeds and limits on the number of litters that a female dog can produce. Additionally, breeders must obtain a permit to breed dogs from the local animal welfare authorities.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Breed in Nordic Countries
We live in a time where cultural shifts happen fast. The culture of breeding purebred dogs in Europe is changing too.
Nordic countries have been pioneering the way to breed healthier purebred dogs with mandatory health examinations, open databases for breeders, and much more. Dog health is constantly being researched in local universities.
Recently, a high-profile ruling in Norway has gotten other Nordic countries alerted. Is banning the cavalier king charles spaniel going to be our future?
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Now how do the winds of change impact cavalier king charles spaniels? Next, I will go through how different countries in Northern Europe have started to adapt to this cultural shift.
Finland Approved a Crossbreeding Program in 2022
SEPTEMBER UPDATE: The first crossbred litter Beagle x Cavalier has been born!
In April 2022 the Finnish Cavalier Club (Cavalieryhdistys) voted unanimously to kickstart a crossbreeding program. The goal of the crossbreeding program in their words is “to improve the health of the breed, particularly regarding Mitral Valve Disease, Syringomyelia, and possibly even Chiari Malformation“.
You can read the whole statement in English here!
The Finnish Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club acknowledges that mitral valve disease is a significant problem within the breed and that traditional breeding between two Cavaliers will not be sufficient to eliminate the condition or significantly reduce the number of affected dogs.
The plans are to introduce genetic material from other breeds that are free from severe health conditions, which will increase cavaliers’ genetic diversity. All the crossbred cavalier litters will be bred by registered breeders and supervised by The Finnish Kennel Club and the Finnish CKCS Club.
However, the selection of partner breeds has not been finalized yet, but there are specific criteria to follow, such as the breed must not have any brachycephalic traits, and its temperament must match that of the typical cavalier.
The club intends to carry out several litters with different breeds to observe long-term health results and gather sufficient data for further study. A four-generation (F4) line will be created, with the final generation registered as a purebred cavalier king charles spaniel.
Read the Finnish Kennel Club’s article in English here!
Sweden Starts Their Own Crossbreeding Program in 2023
At the beginning of March 2023, the Swedish Cavalier King Charles Breed Club (Cavaliersällskapet) published a statement on Facebook explaining their next course of action.
In their statement, The SCKCSC explains how despite the success of mandatory heart screenings, there is still a lot to improve when comes to cavalier health.
To address this, Cavaliersällskapet will create an open register for dogs that have been MRI scanned with a documented diagnosis.
The Breed Club is willing to admit one of the painful truths:
These two serious diseases [mitral valve diseas and syringomyelia] are near to impossible to extinguish in a screening programme unless new genes are added to the breed.
Cavaliersällskapet’s statement
And that’s why we are getting big news: the Swedish Cavalier King Charles Breed Club plans to start a crossbreeding program in collaboration with the Swedish Kennel Club, veterinarians, and genetic scientists.
The program will involve breeding some cavaliers to a different breed genetically far from the cavalier, and the puppies produced in the first generation will be bred back to cavaliers. This breeding method is commonly known as outcrossing.
“Crossbreeding programs have previously been proven successful in several other breeds.” The statement points out.
The aim is to spread new and healthy genes throughout the breed population. Proper documentation and follow-up will be done for all offspring.
I salute this decision and wish great success for the breeders who will embark on the crossbreeding journey!
Court Battle and a Possible Ban in Norway
The Norwegian Society for Protection of Animals (NSPA) lodged an indictment against the Norwegian Kennel Club (NKK), the Norwegian Bulldog Club, the Norwegian Cavalier Club, and six individual breeders in 2020 for breaking section 25 of the Animal Welfare Act related to breeding practices.
the (Norwegian) Animal Welfare Society says the future of the two breeds lies in crossbreeding them with other types of dogs to get rid of their genetic flaws.
Thelocal.no
After the filing of the complaint, the NKK states that the following has happened:
- The Court of Appeal found that the breeding of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels is in violation of section 25 of the Animal Welfare Act, but that the breeding of English Bulldogs could continue.
- It also ruled that the breeding ban only concerned the three sued breeders and that the NKK and the Norwegian Cavalier Club could not “facilitate” breeding.
- This means in practice that the breed can no longer be registered with the NKK, while anyone other than the three breeders can continue to breed Cavaliers without registering the puppies.
So essentially breeding registered cavaliers has been prohibited.
This court battle has been ongoing for the last three years. Last December the Norwegian Kennel Club published an update, where they announced that NKK is appealing a judgment delivered by the Borgarting Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court.
The outcome of this case may set a precedent for the future in other countries as well. This is why crossbreeding programs are almost desperately needed.
I will be following this case and might do a separate post where I solely focus on Norway’s circumstances.
Denmark Sets New Restrictions to Combat Syringomyelia in 2023
The Danish Cavalier Club (Cavalierklubben i Danmark) has successfully obtained approval from the Danish Kennel Club to improve the breed’s health and secure its future. The local cavalier club made the announcement in late March 2023.
The restriction is related to syringomyelia (SM) and requires both parents to have an official examination for SM before breeding.
The examination is valid for life and can only be performed by approved MR-scanning facilities. The breeding restriction will come into force on August 1st, 2023.
The club is also working on breeding recommendations related to SM and welcomes input. MRI scanning facilities can be found in the March 2023 edition of Cavalierposten or on the club’s website.
Conclusion
The Finnish and Swedish Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Clubs are starting a crossbreeding program to improve the health of the breed.
The efforts of the Finnish and Swedish clubs to improve the health of the breed through crossbreeding programs are a step in the right direction.
In contrast, the Norwegian Society for Protection of Animals (NSPA) has lodged an indictment against the Norwegian Kennel Club (NKK), the Norwegian Bulldog Club, and the Norwegian Cavalier Club, demanding a ban on the breeding cavalier king charles spaniels.
The outcome of the legal battle in Norway will be closely watched by dog breeders, enthusiasts, and animal welfare activists alike.
The changes in Europe regarding dog breeding laws are a welcome development for the dog breeding community.
