Watching the Health of Dogs

THE ROYAL KENNEL CLUB’S Breed Watch Program is a kind of “Check-engine light” program that groups breeds of show dogs into three folders.

◼️Category 1: Breeds with no visible health concerns linked to conformation, requiring standard monitoring.  Most breeds fall into this folder.

◼️Category 2: Breeds with visible health concerns linked to exaggerated conformation that need closer attention and monitoring. Breeds in Category 2 include:

▪️Bedlington Terrier

▪️Bloodhound (as of 1st January 2025) 

▪️Borzoi

▪️Boston Terrier

▪️Boxer

▪️Bull Terrier

▪️Bull Terrier (Miniature)

▪️Bullmastiff

▪️Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

▪️Cesky Terrier

▪️Chihuahua (Long Coat)

▪️Chihuahua (Smooth Coat)

▪️Chinese Crested

▪️Chow Chow

▪️Collie (Rough)

▪️Dachshund (Long Haired)

▪️Dachshund (Miniature Long Haired)

▪️Dachshund (Miniature Smooth Haired)

▪️Dachshund (Miniature Wire Haired)

▪️Dachshund (Smooth Haired)

▪️Dachshund (Wire Haired)

▪️German Shepherd Dog (as of 1st September 2025)

▪️German Spitz (Klein)

▪️German Spitz (Mittel)

▪️Gordon Setter

▪️Great Dane

▪️Griffon Bruxellois

▪️Irish Terrier

▪️Irish Wolfhound

▪️Keeshond

▪️King Charles Spaniel

▪️Leonberger

▪️Maremma Sheepdog

▪️Newfoundland

▪️Norwich Terrier

▪️Old English Sheepdog

▪️Pomeranian

▪️Pyrenean Mountain Dog

▪️Retriever (Golden)

▪️Retriever (Labrador)

▪️Rottweiler

▪️Shar Pei

▪️Shetland Sheepdog

▪️Siberian Husky

▪️Spaniel (American Cocker)

▪️Spaniel (Clumber)

▪️Staffordshire Bull Terrier

▪️West Highland White Terrier

◼️Category 3: Breeds with visible health concerns linked to exaggerated conformation, requiring increased support and proactive measures.  Breeds in Category 3 include:

▪️Basset Hound (as of 1st January 2025) 

▪️Bulldog 

▪️Dogue de Bordeaux 

▪️French Bulldog (as of 1st January 2025) 

▪️Mastiff 

▪️Neapolitan Mastiff 

▪️Pekingese 

▪️Pug 

▪️St. Bernard 

The Royal Kennel Club’s Breed Watch program was not started lightly, and it was not created without cause.  It is, in fact, a measured response to a large and increasing body of evidence that morphological exaggeration has harmed some breeds, causing unnecessary pain and dysfunction.

See the Royal Kennel Club’s web site for more information >> https://www.royalkennelclub.com/activities/heritage-sports/dog-showing/judging-dog-shows/breed-watch-health-and-welfare-of-show-dogs/

See the Royal Kennel Club’s  Breed Watch Illustrated Guide (PDF) >> https://shorturl.at/udiqs