Some facts about Danish Kennel Club (Dansk Kennel Klub, DKK) Cavaliers:
All dogs in Denmark, with or without pedigrees, are all chipped.
There are annually bred around 350-400 cavalier puppies that are registered in the DKK.
In Denmark health results that are mandatory have to be shown at the DKK in "Hundeweb" (=Dogweb). (Heart results and DNA results).
In Hundeweb you can also find all born litters; and many breeders / cavalier owners choose to publish other health results in “Hundeweb” too.
These health results may be: examination for patella luxation, eye examination and MRI scan.
The Danish Kennel Club has around 33.000 members.
The Danish Cavalier Club has around 1.000 members.
Most of the Danish cavalier breeders are members of the Cavalier Club (Cavalierklubben).
DNA testing: In 2011 The (Danish) Cavalier Club board asked the Danish Kennel Club to accept breeding restrictions for EFS/CCS. The Danish Kennel Club decided to start restrictions from January 2012. Danish cavalier owners started DNA testing their Danish DKK cavaliers in May 2011, so that the breeding stock would be ready from January 2012.
Heart examinations: Our breeding restrictions for heart scan started from January 2002. The Cavalier Club members voted for or against heart examinations as mandatory or voluntary! Luckily enough there was a majority FOR, and the Danish Kennel Club authorized our voting.
Heart examinations for cavaliers registered in the Danish Kennel Club (Dansk Kennel Klub, DKK):
In Denmark heart examinations are made by specially authorized cardiologists, who use color flow Doppler echocardiography and auscultate the cavaliers. (We have seven authorized cardiologists in Denmark.)
Cavaliers have to examined and be “approved for breeding”, and owner must have received a certificate.
First heart examination must be before mating, not earlier than 18 months. This examination is valid till the cavalier is 4 years and one month.
Next heart examination must be after 4. This examination is for bitches valid for the rest of their lives.
For dogs this second examination is valid till they are 6 years and one month. If they are going to breed again, they have to be reexamined after being 6. This examination is valid for the rest of the dog’s life.
Heart murmur and mitral prolapse:
The murmur is graduated from 0 to 6
Mitral prolapse is graduated from 0 to 3
Approved for breeding is:
Murmur 0 – with a prolaps max 2
Murmur 1 – with a prolaps max 1
Murmur 2 – with a prolaps max 1
0,1 means murmur: 0, and prolapse: 1, which is a fine heart.
SM/CM
The Danish Cavalier Club recommends MR scan and breeding by the BVA scheme.
It´s NOT a breeding restriction, but fully voluntary. The earliest age for registration of SM/CM results in Hundeweb is 18 months.
If you would like more information about the Danish Cavalier Club, please contact
Jeanne Bjørnbirk (chairman) mail: jeanne@bjornbirk.dk or
Lotte Frandsen (chairman health committee) mail: acfrandsen@tdcadsl.dk