I expected how the ban on a certain breed affect on that breed's gene pool

Note: I'm not a geneticist. So this post is about a hypothetical scenario, not the actual result.



In fact, what I felt when researching the health and genetic status of Dobermans is that public awareness of them is not very high, at least compared to breeds with more "obvious" health problems, such as brachycephalic breeds (which is why brachycephalic dog breeds' popularity has declined in many countries these days).

However, given that many countries already have broader laws ("qualzucht") prohibiting the breeding of animals with genetic makeup likely to produce unhealthy offspring, and that this trend has not weakened, I investigated cases where other breeds were banned and predicted the impact such measures would have on the Doberman gene pool.

I think there are two scenarios regarding this.


1. A complete ban on using them for breeding

In this case, using animals of a banned breed for breeding is itself illegal; this applies to all individuals with physical characteristics that have harmful effects on health, regardless of breed. An example of this is the ban in the Netherlands on using dogs with a CFR (Craniofacial Ratio) of less than 0.3 for breeding. This also leads to discussions regarding the subsequent ban on import, sale, exhibition, and future ownership, and that decision will be made in 2028 (I think the reason is the black market). 

Predicted Impact of This on the Breed's Gene Pool

First, breeding will shift to the black market, where health checks and other compliance measures are not observed. Consequently, health issues among the remaining puppies will become even more severe. When import bans are subsequently added, it will become impossible to expand the gene pool from the outside; Plus, when a ban on future ownership is added on top of this, the black market will decrease, causing the population to approach zero. Additionally, other countries will lose the opportunity to expand their gene pools.


2. Prohibition of Purebred Breeding

This is a case where breeding between purebreds is prohibited, but outcrossing is permitted. At this time, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is currently the only dog breed to which this intervention applies. 

Predicted Impact of This on the Breed's Gene Pool

This intervention could put pressure on kennel clubs to begin outcrossing to increase genetic diversity and reduce the risk of genetic diseases. In fact, the Norwegian Kennel Club's outcrossing project to CKCS was approved after the Supreme Court ruling.

But the long-term dilemma is with backcrossing. When the process finally reaches the F4, will this be considered "purebred" by the court? If so, is it possible to breed them? So the effect on the breed's gene pool will depend on how the law responds to the F4 and subsequent generations at that time.


Will Dobermans be banned somewhere in future?

No one knows about the Supreme Court ruling in the future. And people will have different opinions about that. 

Speaking of my personal feelings, especially since the purpose of this blog and my petition is to contribute to the conservation of Dobermans by raising awareness of their health and genetic status, I think I would be quite heartbroken emotionally if I heard the news that one of my favourite breeds is being banned somewhere on Earth. So, I don't think I can say anything about this.

However, I think that while these legal interventions were taken with good intentions, the blind spot is that the judgment itself only affects some "unhealthy" breeds, but doesn't affect the system greatly, which currently uses outdated methods. For example, the pedigree COI currently used among breeders was created in 1922, a time when the understanding of genetics was lacking compared to the present. Therefore, I think that for sustainable breeding, the registries need more than banning some "unhealthy" breeds. The veterinary and genetic communities should be actively involved in the breeding process, and the registries should be more open to discussions regarding opening studbooks and outcrossing.

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