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For years I have thought Crufts just a beauty pageant for dogs. I find the constant need in these owners/breeders for what they think is perfection sickening to say the least. I have been a Border Collie owner for years and love to watch fly-ball, agility and heel work but I wish these activities weren't associated with Crufts.
I sincerely hope that the BBC consider dropping Crufts, maybe that will bring well needed changes in the way dogs are bred.

- Moira Frew, Dollar, Clackmannanshire

Well done BBC for taking the first step and exposing the abhorent practices of pedigree dog breeders. Now take the all important next step and refuse to show Crufts.

- Rob Morgan, Worcestershire, England

I had to turn over towards the end, the breeders insisting that healthy dogs be destroyed to eliminate defects (when in fact the dogs were healthy and the dogs kept were the ones with the defects) made me so angry, i was shouting abuse at the TV!
If i ever get another dog (i have three mogs) it would be a mongrel, and a rescued one at that.
I do hope the BBC drops Crufts, supporting inbreeding amongst these dogs can only result in many breeds being lost.

- Alison, Stafford

I applaud the BBC for drawing the public's attention to these problems, which not only lie with top show breeders, but within the "cottage industry" of small time owners who look to make money out of their pedigree pet and turn out pups with a large price tag, nevertheless. Add to that unscrupulous scams on the internet to sell dogs bred abroad. The recent rapid increase in the price of pedigree dogs, just serves to escalate the problem. The whole dog breeding world is in a mess.
In my view, the matter needs to be looked at under cruelty legislation which may need amending accordingly to stop the profiteering, in breeding and downright greed involved in dog breeding. It's not only the dogs who need protection but the prospective owners who pay large sums of money in the hope of a much loved and healthy pet.

- Eden, London

Why don't the government introduce a licence to breed dogs (if there is not already one?), with the breeders having to prove that the parents of the puppies born are not related to each other, also any dogs that entered dog shows would need to have a licence to prove that they have not been inbred, are healthy and look as they were intended to look through evolution and not selective breeding. I hope that the BBC do not present any future dogs shows, and that any other prospective channels follow suit.

- Michael, Newport, Wales

The breeders who are breeding from diseased dogs should be prosecuted, as they are knowingly doing this and only seem to care about making a profit. I also agree that the time has come to drop Crufts as this is only just encouraging the breeders.

- Ann, Bath

I agree entirely with the comments of G from London. She used that dog for 26 more diseased litters - an absolute disgrace and it should be a criminal offence. Also the German Shepherds that can barely walk are classic examples of dysfunctional freaks and yet they are show winners!

- David, Stevenage UK

After watching the TV documentary last night, I was left feeling slightly confused and upset.

Sleeping either side of me were my two male pugs Rufus (1 year 4 months) and Wilbur (18 weeks) both were bought from Amanda Ellis who was featured in this documentary. We researched the breed, for at least a year, before getting our first dog so me and my partner were aware of the health risks connected to pugs. But felt if we got our dog from a recommended breeder these risks would be minimal. Amanda has over 30 years of knowledge of this breed and to just include a tiny fragment of an interview portraying her in a negative light is totally out of order. Both our pugs are strong and healthy and would not hesitate to get another pug from her.

The programme painted a very poor image of pedigree dogs, the breeders and their owners. It suggested that all of them are sick and unhappy and bred for show purposes and I happen to disagree strongly. I know many people who have healthy pugs and other pedigree dogs which live to a good age, but like humans some are not always healthy.

I agree there should be more policing of breeds and there health issues, but to go to the lengths of banning Crufts is a little too far, and just to let you know The Miss World beauty pageant is still going strong!

Perhaps the BBC should make another documentary on the POSITIVES of owning a pedigree dog, there more and welcome to come to the seaside and visit me and my pugs!

- C Perkins, Eastbourne, East Sussex

I found the programme very upsetting to say the least, these poor dogs & its the cruel breeders that have caused it all, it just is not natural. These people...how can they call themselves animal lovers, there just using there dogs to line there own pockets....selfish arrogant snobs & they want stopping now!

- Deb, west mids

Dee Jay. I am glad you go to the extra effort in ensuring that your dogs are health checked before you breed with them however you comment regarding mongrels breeding (by the stray dog) makes no sense at all. Isn't this a more natural way of breeding the animals. I think many vets will agree that the health issues suffered by pedigree dogs are much higher than mongrels. Also isn't this were natural selection comes in and eventually the deformities will be diluted further down the line? I own a pedigree Lhasa Apso who I adore but after watching last nights programme I was disturbed by the narrow mindedness of many dog breeders who have absolutely no regard to the well being of their animals and are more than happy to keep breeding with in order to satisfy their (and the Kennel Clubs) ideal on what a dog should look like. I hope that there is a serious change to the practices that are going on and mindless suffering (like the poor dog writhing on the floor in agony) are drastically reduced. The guilty breeders should be ashamed of themselves.

- Neil, Nottingham

The wolf is the only dog breed that should be winning any sort of competition, it is nature's perfection, not human interference that produces the 'best in show'

- Mike, Manchester

We have just had our cavalier put down due to neurological problems. After watching the programme last night, we are coming to the realisation that many of the traits he had (which we thought were nothing to worry about), were most probably due to a form of syringomyelia. He also had a heart murmer!
We feel that as dog owners, crufts does not do anything positive to alleviate the suffering of many pedigree dogs and irresponsible breeders should be prosecuted.

- Chris, Baildon

Regardless of who tests for what, or what assurances breeders put in place to screen, or whatever the Kennel Club have done to improve the health of breeds - people seem to forget that while this arguing and blame making goes on, dogs are suffering, this is a fact and if people are blind to it they need to open their eyes.

- Mike, Manchester

The Kennel Club are doing everything they can to police breeding and registrations to stop this kind of problem.
It's really more down to the breeders themselves but if the KC don't keep records of these breeders, they will continue to breed and sell their dogs regardless.
I don't think we can blame the Kennel club since, after all, they are a charity trying to make dogs' lives happier and healthier.
The BBC really has missed the point and gone about this all the wrong way.

- Sally, Birmingham, UK

Alex-"Father-grandson breeding"er this breeding would be impossible as male to male breeding isn't possible in dogs.

I have pedigree Border Collies-they are from health tested parents & they themselves are part way through their health testing.

They are DNA tested clear for CEA(CH), CL, TNS & MDR-1. They have been clinically screened for CEA as well & will also be clinically tested for HD, ED & PRA

Can this be said of the mongrel produced by the local straying stud dog? I think not

As for kelpies being suitable as pets, sorry but the are a 24/7 working breed & do not do well in pure pet homes & yes there are puppy farmers who have got their hands on the breed & will be cashing in on the breed.

As for the oodles of designer dogs produced from two different pedigree breeds they are rarely health tested & often put two breeds with the same genetic conditions together-eg Labrador & Standard Poodles-both have HD, PRA & epilepsy(the two worse breeds for epilepsy & this is across the board for KC reg & non reg'd dogs)

Around 50,000 non KC registered Labradors are bred a year from un health tested dogs The Kennel Club cannot police these breeders & the "other"registries such as the Dog Lovers Registration Club keep no health records & allow anyone to register puppies with them & also advertise unage puppies as "ready to go" The KC cannot be held responsible for this as well

- Dee Jay, Driffield, UK

I had a cavalier with Syringomelia it is not very nice to watch a loving pet suffer in such a way, we had to have her put to sleep in 2007. The kennel club & breeders are only interested in making money not in the welfare of the animals. I was quite shocked at the program as I didn't realise the extent of the disease.

- Doug Easson, Stroud Gloucestershire

It's not only the inbred animals that have mental problems, breeders who inbreed have mental problems, it's an insane practise, these people need therapy and should be locked up to protect animals

- Michael, london, uk

Mother-son and Father-grandson breeding is despicable, never mind fatal. If humans did this there would be uproar - the word incest comes to mind. Why can't these ignorant breeders see that they are breading death into the animals before they are born?
Are some of these societies blind? The poor excuses that they come up with for inbreeding such animals as the ridgebacks in unbelievable - if a dog is born with a hole in its skin that can let serious infection into the spine, then there is obviously a fault with the dog - but breeding these ones, and murdering the healthy puppies, just because they don't have this freakish defect is sickening.
Someone has to open the eyes of these breeders, and for the people that are already trying to do this, you have my full support.

- Alex, Beverley

The Australians have got it right again - Not that you will see many Australian Kelpies in London, but they are a fantastic breed of dog and indeed did win the Crufts agility round 2007.
The reason the Aussies have got it right is although the breed is acknowledged by the Kennel Club here in the UK, They are not an official breed on the UK Register because the Aussies and most breeders do not want them subject to the same K.C. rules that cause all the defects in the first place. Kelpies are catching on in the UK, so there is no need for inbreeding, there are quite a few around if you know where to look. This is not a breed you will find in your local paper, or cheap papers like Quids In or Loot either...so there are no puppy farmers (yet !!)
Do some searching on the internet or better still find someone who owns one (you just have) and they will tell you what loyal, happy, healthy & intelligent dogs they are. As all breeds should be. Having owned 2 of them - the eldest I lost 7 months ago (having had her since 5 weeks old and she lived to a ripe old age of 17 years). The other one I still have is her daughter from the one litter she had and she is now 10 years old.

I still get odd comments from people who don't know what they are, maybe because they are being too snobby with their poor inbreed pedigrees.

At least my conscience is clear with a happy healthy dog.

- Mark Stevens, Llandudno, North Wales

Breeders fault or consumers? I do not support inbreeding of any kind. However I do not believe inbreeding has not caused such problems - the strife for perfection possibly -, however has made such illness and disease severely worst.

These problems have existed for decades and many breeders have strived to rid the breed of these problems. However they have failed miserably, the want of a perfect dog - no such thing - has corrupted tenths of breeds. I do believe action should be taken and now, not in a few months time or years!

However I do feel that many breeders have been portrayed in an unfair light. Little has been mentioned about the several tests that are able to be undertaken and neglected the fact a majority of breeders do have their dogs tested.

I do hope it is not to late to reverse this considerably damage. To say pedigree animals have always suffered from such problems, is an unfair statement - hybrids also suffer from various problems. I do believe both parties are acting in a childish and neglectful manner.

- Bln, South East London

"BBC could drop Crufts over unhealthy 'freak show' breeds" - Can Channel 4 apply the same logic and torch Big Brother?

- Srs, London

Yes, yes, yes! It is high time the BBC dropped crufts.
They should not be a party to encouraging this FREAK SHOW!
Surely it is much more offensive to the eye than the Miss World show & that was dropped years ago.

- Ptarmigan, Ballymoney, Northern Ireland

I saw a picture of a Pekingese dog's skull in Juliet Clutton-Brock's "A Natural History of Domesticated Mammals" and it's shocking. It looks like some bizarre sort of monkey with an undershot jaw and fangs.

People think scientists are cruel, but the people who propagate deliberately inbred strains of lab mice are far kinder than these dog breeders - at least lab mice are bred to have only one disease at a time.

- Shi-Hsia Hwa, Penang, Malaysia

Having watched the documentary tonight and being the owner of a Cavalier - purely as a pet - I am incensed that in today's "enlightened" society that this breeding for money at the risk of the well being and happiness of the dog is allowed to knowingly continue. This has to stop. I would like to see the BBC take a stand against shows like Crufts if they think that this will bring about the change that is needed to protect these breeds.

- Sam, Oxford, UK

If it's true, that the woman shown, knowingly bred from a diseased cavalier, then the RSPCA should be involved, she should be charged with cruelty to animals, and banned from keeping pets.

- G, london

I've never fully understood the difference between 'pure bred' and in-bred, either applied to dogs or royalty.

- Ben, London

Should be a crime, the breeders should be forced to buy back all such animals, and personally take care of each.

- Donald Filak, Bisbee, Az USA

This isn't new information. Pedigree animals have always suffered from diseases due to inbreeding. A friend of mine has a Highland Terrier which has awful scaly skin problems which is apparently quite common. Other friends' dogs are very highly strung and almost seem to have mental problems. All the results of a narrow gene pool.

- Mcw, London

Oh Yes.

- Churchill The Jowly Insurance Hound, Islington

For goodness sake, let's stop these "beauty pageants" as we have done for women. Competitions, yes, but for healthy, functional examples of breeds who can and do enjoy life.

- Dawn Parsons, London, England

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