A report looking into the breeding of pedigree dogs has concluded that sweeping changes are required to ensure the health of pedigree dog breeds.

This follows a documentary on the BBC which claimed that breeders are purposefully exaggerating certain traits in pedigree dogs, to the detriment of the health of the animals concerned. The programme also caused the BBC to pull out of its coverage of Crufts.

The Kennel Club and Dogs Trust funded the independent inquiry after the concerns were highlighted in the programme.

In November, an all-party parliamentary group report found many pedigree dogs suffered from serious health and welfare problems and recommended good breeding practices such as health screening and restrictions on the breeding of closely-related dogs.

Sir Patrick Bateson's report includes proposals concerning the running of puppy farms, inbreeding and breeding for extreme features.

In 2008, the RSPCA pulled out of Crufts saying exaggerating features like jowls of bulldogs led to painful deformities. The Kennel Club introduced new standards for 209 breeds last year.

Changes put forward include compulsory microchipping of all puppies prior to sale, and an upgraded accredited breeder scheme.

Sir Bateson said: "Many breeders exercise high standards of welfare, but negligent management on puppy farms is a major welfare issue as is inbreeding in pure-bred dogs. Fashions for extreme conformations are also a cause of welfare problems."

Key recommendations from the report include:
• the creation of an independent non-statutory council to develop breeding strategies addressing issues of inherited disease, extreme conformation and inbreeding
• changes in the law including requirements for the compulsory microchipping of all puppies and a duty of care on all breeders to have regard to the health and welfare of both the parents and the offspring of a mating
• a robust accredited breeder scheme to set out requirements, including pre-mating health tests, allowing purchasers to view a puppy with its mother, and microchipping all puppies before sale
• the creation of a computer-based system for the collection of anonymous diagnoses of breeds from veterinary surgeries
• a publicity and education campaign to encourage a major improvement in how the public buys dogs
• the Dangerous Dogs Act should be amended to apply to all dogs that have been shown to be dangerous, rather than to specified breeds, and should address the problem of dogs being bred and reared specifically as weapons for fighting.

Sir Patrick had earlier told the BBC that the condition of some puppy farms was "not good" and "probably in breach of the Animal Welfare Act."

The Kennel Club and Dogs Trust said they "broadly welcomed" the report.

In a joint statement they said they "particularly welcomed the report's recommendation that the Dangerous Dogs Act should be overhauled to tackle those who breed and rear dogs as weapons, and that the legislation should apply to all dogs that have been shown to be dangerous rather than to specific breeds."

The Kennel Club has said that standards had been revised to exclude "anything that could in any way be interpreted as encouraging features that might prevent a dog breathing, walking and seeing freely."

Changes introduced by the Kennel Club at the start of 2009 said bulldogs would no longer be encouraged to have heavy jowls and deep, overhanging wrinkles, the forelegs of German shepherds should not be overlong and chow chows which "must not have so much coat as to impede activity or cause distress in hot weather".
The Kennel Club has stated that the report could have gone further and that its recommendations do not appear directly to cover those breeders who breed fewer than five litters per year and who are not part of the Kennel Club Accredited Breeder Scheme.