PROPOSED INTERBREEDING PROGRAMME BETWEEN MINIATURE BULL TERRIERS AND BULL TERRIERS

PROPOSED INTERBREEDING PROGRAMME BETWEEN MINIATURE BULL TERRIERS AND BULL TERRIERS.
INTERBREEDING PROTOCOL

All breeders taking part in this programme will be required to adhere to this

protocol as a condition of litter registration, and sign a declaration to this effect.

2. Interbred litters will only qualify for registration as Miniature Bull Terriers.

All participating Miniature Bull Terriers and Bull Terriers will need to meet the

following criteria:

be identifiable by means of tattoo or microchip. (Only in exceptional

circumstances may this requirement be waived by the Miniature Bull

Terrier Club (MBTC))

(b) have current health certification as listed in (9).

Copies of current, clear health certificates, registration certificates and proof of

permanent identification of participating animals to be submitted to the KC Canine Genetics Co-ordinator who will issue an Interbreeding Pass, valid for 6 months, and record passes issued and offspring produced.

The Kennel Club will only register interbred litters where both the dam and the sire hold a current Interbreeding Pass at the time of mating.

Progeny of interbreeding can be mated to a Miniature Bull Terrier, other interbred

progeny or a Bull Terrier, provided that, in the latter two categories, all animals have met the current interbreeding criteria.

The main purpose of the Interbreeding Programme is to reduce the frequency of PLL in the Miniature Bull Terrier. One generation of interbreeding will not reduce the frequency of the PLL gene sufficiently and whatever reduction is achieved will be quickly diluted out by mating progeny of an interbreed back to Miniature Bull Terriers. Mating progeny of an interbreed to Bull Terriers, and to a lesser extent other interbreed progeny, will achieve a greater reduction in the frequency of the PLL gene.

Blood samples of all participants in, and progeny of, the interbreeding programme

must be provided to the Animal Health Trust(AHT) where they will be used to check the authenticity of litters, using DNA profiling. Each blood sample will become the property of the AHT and held by them, possibly for future research.

The Interbreeding Programme will run for three years in the first instance, with a

review, and possible extension, to take place at the end of this initial period.

SELECTION OF ANIMALS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAMME.

Animals selected for use in the interbreeding programme must have been examined and passed clear for the following criteria.

It is strongly recommended that older animals are used in the programme wherever possible, subject to existing Kennel Club Regulations. Identification of the most suitable animal will be generally easier in older animals; their health status will be more apparent and they are more likely to have produced adult offspring. This will give an indication of the overall quality of their offspring with regard to type, and identify those Bull Terriers who are likely to produce offspring of an appropriate size. Those taking part in the Interbreeding Programme are reminded that although health screening may identify the presence of certain conditions at the time of testing, it does not guarantee that later onset will not occur.

BULL TERRIER SELECTION

Nephropathy: certificate required confirming that the participating animal

has a urinary protein:creatinine (UPC) ratio of less than 0.3 within 6 months of the date of mating.

Aortic Stenosis and Mitral Displasia: certificate required confirming that

the participating animal has a maximum of grade 1/6 heart murmur, tested

within 6 months of mating.

Deafness: All participating Bull Terriers must have a BAER hearing

test to demonstrate that they have bilateral hearing.

Although interbreeding has been specifically introduced to reduce the incidence of

Primary Lens Luxation (PLL) within Miniature Bull Terriers, breeders are strongly recommended to be selective in their choice of Bull Terrier, particularly in regard to size and bull-terrier type.

MINIATURE BULL TERRIERS.

Nephropathy: certificate required confirming that the participating animal

has a urinary protein:creatinine (UPC) ratio of less than 0.3 within 6 months of the date of mating.

Aortic Stenosis and Mitral Displasia: certificate required confirming that

the participating animal has a maximum of grade 2/6 heart murmur, tested

within 6 months of mating.

animals have tested clear on the current BVA/KC/ISDS scheme within 6

months of the date of mating.

Miniature Bull Terrier / Bull Terrier Interbreeding Schedule.

NOTES ON PROCEDURES

Breeders wishing to participate in the programme should submit the following documentation to the Kennel Club Canine Genetics Co-ordinator for each dog or bitch to be used:

a) Copies of registration documents

Proof of permanent identification of the dog/bitch (copied documentation with tattoo or microchip number)

Evidence (obtained within 1 month of application, except where stated otherwise) showing that the dog/bitch has:

For Bull Terriers: 1. A urinary protein:creatinine ratio of less than 0.3

2. A grade 0/6 or 1/6 heart murmur

3. Bilateral hearing (hearing test does not need to be within 1 month of interbreeding application)

For Miniature 1. A urinary protein:creatinine ratio of less than 0.3

Bull Terriers: 2. A grade 0/6, 1/6 or 2/6 heart murmur

3. Eyes clear of primary lens luxation (certified within previous 6 months)

A signed declaration agreeing to abide by the accepted interbreeding protocol

Breeders are then issued with an Interbreed Pass valid for 6 months.

Once the litter is born, the offspring are registered with The Kennel Club. Both parents will require an Interbreeding Pass valid on the date of mating for the litter to be registered and all offspring will be registered as Miniature Bull Terriers.

Applications for registrations should be made as usual and normal registration documents will be issued by The Kennel Club.

Interbreed litters will also be recorded on a special Interbreed Register that will be kept by The Kennel Club Canine Genetics Co-ordinator.

At an appropriate time, blood samples from both parents and all offspring must be taken and submitted to the Animal Health Trust via The Kennel Club Canine Genetics Co-ordinator.

Miniature Bull Terrier / Bull Terrier Interbreeding

DECLARATION

Name of dog/bitch*: ………………………………………………………………………

KC Registration Number: ………………………………………………………………..

Name(s) of owner(s): ……………………………………………………………………...

………………………………………………………………………

Contact telephone no:……………………………………………………………………..

(Note: if a dog or bitch has more than one owner, all owners are required to sign the declaration below)

I / We* agree to provide the Kennel Club Canine Genetics Co-ordinator with copies of all relevant current, clear health certificates (see the attached copy of the Interbreeding Protocol), copies of registration certificates of dam and sire and proof of permanent identification.

I / We* further agree to provide blood samples of both parents and all interbred puppies to the Animal Health Trust and we understand that these samples become the property of the Animal Health Trust and may be used for future research. The Animal Health Trust guarantee that absolute confidentiality will be adopted in their use and that no specific results pertaining to an individual will be published without the prior consent of the owner(s). Blood samples can be sent directly to Kennel Club Canine Genetics Co-ordinator at the Animal Health Trust (full address below).

I / We* understand that the Kennel Club will register all offspring from an interbreed cross as Miniature Bull Terriers and that no litters will be registered unless both the sire and dam have a current Interbreeding Pass.

I / We* will adhere to the agreed protocol for interbreeding between Miniature Bull Terriers and Bull Terriers:

Signature:………………………………………… Date: ………………………………

Signature:………………………………………… Date: ………………………………

* Delete as appropriate

Please return this signed declaration to: Dr Jeff Sampson, Animal Health Trust, Lanwades Park, Newmarket, Suffolk, CB8 7UU

ADDENDUM

The attached protocol for the interbreeding programme between Miniature Bull Terriers and Bull Terriers has one important amendment from the version originally circulated at the MBTC AGM and reported in the Dog press. Following release of this initial version, several comments were returned. One in particular came from a research student in Australia who has been studying renal and cardiac problems in Miniature and Bull Terriers for three years. As a result of her observations the required urinary protein:creatinine (UPC) ratio has been lowered from 1.0 to 0.3. All other aspects of the protocol remain unaltered.