Puppy Love: Dating Site For Pedigree Dogs

A 'dog-dating' website has been launched by the Kennel Club to try to ensure pedigree puppies are healthy and free from genetic problems.

Mate Select is the brainchild of the club - whose primary objective is "to promote in every way, the general improvement of dogs" and will connect pedigree dog breeders.

It aims to put an end to genetic problems caused by some breeders mating dogs who are too closely related, or "inbred".

While dogs used to be bred more for work than pet qualities, the changes in society over the past 100 years mean more people are looking for pets and companions and owners who want pedigrees or pure-bred dogs want to have the best-looking animal they can find.

But good looks come at a price. Inbred - or overbred - dogs such as pugs can sometimes have breathing troubles, while German Shepherds and retrievers may be prone to weakness in joints and Dalmatians are often deaf.

The club is hoping that the website will make such problems less likely.

"Mate Select is intended to help breeders and puppy buyers to safeguard the future health of pedigree dogs," a Kennel Club spokesperson told Sky News Online.

"It basically enables breeders to perform hypothetical matings online and see what impact a mating will have on the genetic diversity (ie the long term health and viability) of the breed that they love.

"It will enable breeders to begin to assess the impact that a proposed mating between Kennel Club registered dogs will have on the genetic diversity of a breed. The service is intended to safeguard the future of pedigree breeds."

Puppy buyers are also being taken into consideration.

"It also enables puppy buyers to find out health test results for the parents of potential puppies that they buy," the spokeswoman said.

"This will help to stop people falling into the hands of backstreet dealers, as the results of every single dog registered with the Kennel Club are on this site and so everything is transparent."

"There is nothing of this kind out there for dog breeders and puppy buyers - although clearly there is a need - and we believe it will make a huge difference to the health of puppies and dog breeds."