Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee Written evidence submitted by Sheila Atter, Ridley Cesky Terriers

I have been following with interest the EFRA hearings and evidence on the breeding of pedigree dogs, particularly the discussions around genetic diversity and Coefficients of Inbreeding (COI). I thought it important to share with you some research that highlights the dangers of taking a superficial approach to COI and the assumption that a low COI is always desirable.

I am not a vet, a scientist nor a geneticist. I am just an ordinary dog breeder. I try very hard to breed healthy puppies of good temperament that nevertheless look typical of their breed.

Like all good breeders I have an in-depth knowledge of my breed, its bloodlines and its health status. The Cesky Terrier is a numerically very small breed (only 24 puppies were registered with the KC in 2011), and since all Cesky Terriers are descended from just four individuals, genetic diversity has to be one of the foremost considerations in my breeding programme.

Much has been made in the current debate on dog breeding of the desirability of lowering Coefficients of Inbreeding in order to maintain as much genetic diversity as possible. In a breed that is as genetically compromised as the Cesky Terrier this is not necessarily the best approach. Because all our dogs are so similar genetically every tiny bit of genetic material is important. Some years ago I started a project to DNA profile as many Cesky Terriers as possible, and it soon became evident that a low COI is not always indicative of genetic diversity. Using the profiles it is possible to identify individuals that have more diversity—this is an approach that is used by zoos to choose breeding pairs that will maximise the overall diversity of an endangered species.

Put simply, a dog with a low COI may actually be far more homozygous than a dog with a higher COI and the latter would be a better choice in order to maximise diversity. I am therefore extremely concerned that any decision to impose limits for Coefficients of Inbreeding would be counter-productive in my breed and, indeed, in others that have a similar limited genetic makeup.

If you would like more information on the Cesky Terrier Genetic Diversity Project I would be happy to meet you and explain its findings.1

December 2012