Midland Border Terrier Club

B.T. TIMES

Two Items Relating to Artificial Insemination
(reproduced by kind permission of Our Dogs)

Amendment to B Regulations (from the Kennel Club Factfile)

In September 2006, the Kennel Club relaxed some of its requirements for registering litters sired by artificial insemination (A.I.). Full details regarding the use of A.I. appear on the Kennel Club’s website (http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/478).

In order to bring the current regulation into line with these changes, on 09 January 2007 the General Committee has agreed that, with immediate effect, Regulation B17 should be amended as below:-

B17. Artificial Insemination. Breeding by artificial insemination, with a view to Kennel Club registration, must be conducted in line with the requirements set out from time to time by the General Committee.

These changes now reflect the fact that breeders no longer need to apply in advance to breed a litter using A.I. provided that all the following requirements are met and that the A.I. does not involve surgical insemination.

* All litters produced by A.I. will be subject to existing Kennel Club registration regulations.

* The donor dog must have produced at least one registered litter naturally.

* The General Committee will not normally accept an application to register an A.I. litter if the donor male is alive and domiciled in the United Kingdom, with one exception namely that Irish Wolfhounds of 8.5 years or older and domiciled in the UK can be used as donors in A.I.

* Maiden bitches – Litters produced by A.I. from bitches that have not previously produced a registered litter naturally may now be registered, but the Kennel Club will not register a litter produced by A.I. from one of her female progeny, unless the said progeny has already produced at least one registered litter naturally.

For further information please contact the Health and Information Department at the Kennel Club on 0870 6066750 or email info@the-kennel-club.org.uk.

Artificial or the real thing? (extract from Furthermore by Frank Jackson)
Some years ago the Canadian Kennel Club announced that since A.I. could be carried out by any competent breeder using a milkshake straw and a kitchen spoon there was no point in trying to legislate against its use. This seemed to me to be a realistic attitude to take but it is not one that endears itself to the Kennel Club which appears to prefer regulation to realism.

I have known of two dogs, of different breeds, both owned by Kennel Club members, whose stud life was prolonged by the use of A.I. and I suspect that there may be many more, given that most members and others have access to milkshake straws, spoons and the necessary expertise.

The Kennel Club however has delivered itself of an edict intended to outlaw A.I. except as approved by the Kennel Club. The edict in my opinion remains just as ineffectual as it was when the Canadian Kennel Club recognised the simplicity of the process and the futility of trying to legislate against it. The only way that the Kennel Club could exert effective control would be to insist that every mating should be observed by an independent Kennel Club observer. Such a process would be impossible to organise and police.

It would be necessary for the Kennel Club to define precisely what it means by A.I. I assume that using implements to carry ejaculate from the dog to a bitch would be regarded as an artificial process but would the Kennel Club regard manual assistance to achieve a mating as artificial. Where is the line between natural and artificial? The Kennel Club is silent on the matter which seems to suggest that they now forbid that which they don’t define.

	Two Items Relating to Artificial Insemination (reproduced by kind permission of Our Dogs)
	Amendment to B Regulations (from the Kennel Club Factfile) In September 2006, the Kennel Club relaxed some of its requirements for registering litters sired by artificial insemination (A.I.). Full details regarding the use of A.I. appear on the Kennel Club’s website (http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/478). In order to bring the current regulation into line with these changes, on 09 January 2007 the General Committee has agreed that, with immediate effect, Regulation B17 should be amended as below:- B17. Artificial Insemination. Breeding by artificial insemination, with a view to Kennel Club registration, must be conducted in line with the requirements set out from time to time by the General Committee. These changes now reflect the fact that breeders no longer need to apply in advance to breed a litter using A.I. provided that all the following requirements are met and that the A.I. does not involve surgical insemination. * All litters produced by A.I. will be subject to existing Kennel Club registration regulations. * The donor dog must have produced at least one registered litter naturally. * The General Committee will not normally accept an application to register an A.I. litter if the donor male is alive and domiciled in the United Kingdom, with one exception namely that Irish Wolfhounds of 8.5 years or older and domiciled in the UK can be used as donors in A.I. * Maiden bitches – Litters produced by A.I. from bitches that have not previously produced a registered litter naturally may now be registered, but the Kennel Club will not register a litter produced by A.I. from one of her female progeny, unless the said progeny has already produced at least one registered litter naturally. For further information please contact the Health and Information Department at the Kennel Club on 0870 6066750 or email info@the-kennel-club.org.uk. Artificial or the real thing? (extract from Furthermore by Frank Jackson) Some years ago the Canadian Kennel Club announced that since A.I. could be carried out by any competent breeder using a milkshake straw and a kitchen spoon there was no point in trying to legislate against its use. This seemed to me to be a realistic attitude to take but it is not one that endears itself to the Kennel Club which appears to prefer regulation to realism. I have known of two dogs, of different breeds, both owned by Kennel Club members, whose stud life was prolonged by the use of A.I. and I suspect that there may be many more, given that most members and others have access to milkshake straws, spoons and the necessary expertise. The Kennel Club however has delivered itself of an edict intended to outlaw A.I. except as approved by the Kennel Club. The edict in my opinion remains just as ineffectual as it was when the Canadian Kennel Club recognised the simplicity of the process and the futility of trying to legislate against it. The only way that the Kennel Club could exert effective control would be to insist that every mating should be observed by an independent Kennel Club observer. Such a process would be impossible to organise and police. It would be necessary for the Kennel Club to define precisely what it means by A.I. I assume that using implements to carry ejaculate from the dog to a bitch would be regarded as an artificial process but would the Kennel Club regard manual assistance to achieve a mating as artificial. Where is the line between natural and artificial? The Kennel Club is silent on the matter which seems to suggest that they now forbid that which they don’t define.