Dachshunds, the German dog breed known for their characteristically long bodies and short legs, face an uncertain future if proposed changes to an animal protection law are approved, Germany’s kennel collective said.
A draft of the bill, from Germany’s Ministry of Food and Agriculture, was published in February and aims to combat “torture farming”, or breeding to produce animals with traits that will cause them suffering, and to regulate the online trade of animals.
However, the draft contains requirements that could end the breeding of some dogs, such as the dachshund, according to a statement from the VDH, the German kennel.
The bill lists several disease characteristics, such as abnormalities of the skeletal system, that would be outlawed. This could be interpreted as a ban on breeding animals with any significant size deviation from the “original wolf type”, the VDH said.
Restrictions could be applied to the length of dachshunds’ legs. Breeding of greyhounds, Jack Russell terriers and miniature schnauzers, as well as short-nosed dogs such as the English bulldog, French bulldog and pug, could also be affected.
“Some of the characteristics of the disease mentioned in the draft law are very vague and undefined,” Leif Kopernik, chief executive of the VDH, said in a statement on Thursday. “Whether it’s too small or too big, if the Animal Welfare Act is implemented in its current form, many popular and healthy dog breeds could be banned from breeding.”
Mr Kopernik said the VDH was calling for a clear and scientific list of characteristics of the disease that would provide legal certainty and more effectively combat the reproduction of torture.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Agriculture and Food said the draft was at an early stage and was likely to be amended by the German parliament.
“The issue at hand is about traits resulting from breeding for deformity and general animal welfare, not, as has been wrongly argued, a blanket ban targeting specific breeds,” the spokesman said.
The purpose of the bill, he said, was to supplement the established regulations governing breeding for deformity, which were introduced in 1986 and further strengthened in 2013, by adding an incomplete list of possible symptoms indicative of breeding for deformity, such as blindness, deafness or dental abnormalities.
“The focus remains on preventing breeding efforts involving animals exhibiting traits that can cause distress or distress,” he said.
Much of the debate surrounding the proposed changes has focused on Germany’s beloved dachshund, often called a “dackel” by Germans, which has long been a national symbol. The breed’s history dates back several hundred years, when it was developed to dig and claw in underground dens for hunting badgers, according to the American Kennel Club.
Dachshunds have sharp teeth and claws, both of which are useful when hunting. Today, the dogs are known for their sausage-like shapes, intelligence, and fierce demeanor.
Sandra Karthäuser, who has bred rough-haired dachshunds for 13 years in Münster, about 40 miles east of Germany’s border with the Netherlands, said Thursday it was incomprehensible that officials were now starting to regulate the breed.
“Because there’s no evidence that the dog is somehow sick because of its exterior,” he said of dachshunds. “Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to survive the hunt.”
Ms. Karthäuser acknowledged that certain breeds may be predisposed to herniated discs and other conditions.
“But to ban the entire breed because of this, it doesn’t make sense to me,” he said. “Then you might as well ban Labradors” because some suffer from hip dysplasia, he added, along with other breeds that can suffer from debilitating diseases and conditions.
Tatiana Firsova contributed reporting from Germany.
