Ministers are expected to say that every newborn puppy should be microchipped to make it easier to trace and prosecute owners of violent dogs.

The chip will contain details of the dog’s owner and address, which will be stored on a central database to which the police and the RSPCA will have access.

Supporters, including many major animal charities, say microchipping will help reduce dog attacks by making it easier to trace owners, and that it will speed up efforts to find new homes for stray animals.  They purport it will encourage ‘responsible’ dog ownership.

Critics question the effectiveness and likely cost of the move.  They also argue that responsible owners will microchip regardless of legislation, while the rogues who are the target of the law will disregard it.

There are also those who query why it has to be a microchip specifically, and not some other form of permanent identification, such as a tattoo.

Over half of all dogs are already microchipped voluntarily in the UK, with over 5000 canines chipped each week. Most people say they get their pet microchipped to increase its chances of finding its way home again if it were lost or stolen.

There are also practical and administrative reasons for doing, so such as the recording of some health test results in the case of purebred dogs, and to comply with pet travel regulations. All major organisations, such as the Police and Guide Dogs for the Blind, already microchip their animals so as to give them a unique identifier.

Supporters of the scheme say that it will help reduce the number of dangerous dogs by making the owner of that animal (traceable through the chip) responsible for its actions.

They also believe it will help with issues of animal abuse and abandonment, again because the dog’s history will be known and the perpetrators tracked. In the same way, it will help target puppy farmers and unethical breeders.

Finally, it will guarantee that dogs in rescue centres are genuinely charity cases with nowhere else to go, not misplaced family pets.

The main argument against the proposals is that it would be very hard to enforce, and that, as stated before, it would target responsible owners (not least in terms of cost) while the irresponsible ones will fail to comply. The administrative duties alone would have to be considered, as well as the potential that people will falsify details to avoid being tracked.

There are also those who believe that microchipping – the insertion of a foreign body – is bad for the dog, though these claims are mostly unsubstantiated. Some dogs can have a reaction to the chip, but these cases are rare and not life threatening.

The Welsh Assembly is currently debating these issues, with the view to developing their own legislation. Northern Ireland introduced compulsory microchipping earlier this month.

Scotland has stated that they have no intention of introducing these laws North of the border just yet.

What do our readers think?  Will compulsory microchipping help with problems like abandonment and dangerous dogs, or is it just a way to punish responsible owners?  The Daily Mail estimate that it costs around £35 pounds to microchip a dog, but surely this is a small price to pay for peace of mind, knowing that your dog can be returned to you if it is ever lost?  Are your dogs chipped at present? If not, will you have them chipped if this legislation comes into effect?

All photos by Yulia Titovets of Four Little Paws Photography

The responses so far have been fascinating. If you show your dog AND allow it to run, play and get mucky, we’d love to hear from you. Do please get in touch – you can leave us a message on Facebook or drop us a line via team@dogsinthenews.co.uk.

In the meantime, here’s a few of our reader responses so far:

Meet Igor the Russian Black Terrier: “not too precious to eat ice cream and go for romps in the mud”.

“Dogs are dogs and should be treated as such first and foremost,” says his owner Angela Dickenson.  ”My young Russian Black is shown, but only looks (reasonably) tidy on show day when he’s brushed and on his best behaviour – the rest of the time he’s a normal dog, digging holes in the garden and generally getting up to mischief.”

And here’s Dingo, a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, owned by photographer Yulia Titovets.

“Tollers are working dogs; they are versatile and love doing whatever you ask them to do,” says Yulia. “Yes, shows are a bit boring for them, but you need to make them think at the shows as well, ask them to do some tricks when judge is not watching, etc. When we were getting Dingo I knew I wanted a show dog, but I also knew that I would be doing agility, gundog training and heelwork to music with him.

For some reason loads of people think that show dogs have to be kept inside to prevent them getting dirty or injured. But it also prevents them being DOGS!

Dingo made me very proud at Crufts getting 3rd in Puppy dog and 3rd in Good Citizen Dog (out of 13 adult dogs) and he is only 11 months old now! We are looking forward to him starting competitions in agility this Autumn and maybe obedience as well. We love our dogs being happy and healthy and try to make every day being fun for them, no matter what we are doing.”

You can see more photos of Dingo here.

And then there’s Harvey, a Bull Terrier owned by Lorraine Sheppard.

“Ragnarok Balder at Polanca, or Harvey as he is known outside the show ring, lives life to the full!” Lorraine tells us.

Reader Bonnie Scougall sent us this picture of her Gordon Setter and her Welsh Springer enjoying a day out at the beach.

“They’re both Show Champions and winners of multiple CCs.” she says. “The Gordon even won a Group at a championship show.”

And while we’re at it, here’s Pepper, a spoilt Norwich Terrier owned by Editor Laura Patricia.

“We don’t show Peps, but he is a purebred dog, and his parents and siblings have shown. He loves his cuddles, his walks, and just being a Terrier.”

“

We wanted to take this opportunity to invite you to join one of the biggest canine campaigns of the year.

The international “Don’t Cook Your Dog” campaign was launched in June 2011 as a response to the tragic and preventable death of two police dogs, who were left in a hot car. Dogs In The News have been strong supporters of the campaign since day one.

One of the key elements of the campaign is a car window sticker, which should remind people of the dangers of leaving dogs in cars during the summer. We would love to see one of these in every car in Britain, and to never have to read about a dog dying in a hot car ever again.

This drive to spread the message is more important than ever as summer approaches and the weather warms up.

To that end, we are very happy to help the campaign in our own little way by providing the car window stickers free of charge.

We invite you to order yours now!  Just click HERE and we shall get one out to you very shortly.

We hope you will join us in spreading this important message. Don’t forget to visit the official campaign website for more details.

Regards,

The DITN Team

In association with his event, and the Discover Dogs stands at Crufts in March, Dogs In The News aims to give you a brief preview of some of the dogs you might meet with our new “Dogs of the World” series.

Today, in honour of the Lhasa Apso which won Best In Show at Crufts 2012, Tibetan dog breeds get the spotlight:

There are just four breeds of dogs which can lay claim to origins in Tibet.

The Lhasa Apso is the first of these breeds; pictured is Ch. Zentarr Elizabeth, the lucky bitch who took home the Best In Show trophy at Crufts 2012. A typical Lhasa, her long glamorous coat and dark soulful eyes are classic breed features. Elizabeth will probably enjoy the red carpet treatment which she can expect after her big win; these dogs were originally bred as interior sentinels in the Buddhist monasteries and would have lived a life of luxury as companion dogs and bed warmers for the monks.  Lhasa Apsos also acted as watch dogs, with a deep bark to alert their masters to the presence of intruders.

They worked in partnership with the much larger Tibetan Mastiffs, the next breed in our spotlight, which patrolled the monastery perimeters and acted as guard dogs and unwanted visitor deterrents!  This large, powerful breed is relatively rare in the UK, but is perennially popular in its native Asia. Last year, the breed made headlines when a red Tibetan Mastiff became the priciest dog in the world after being sold for 10 million Chinese yuan, or £945,000.

Money never used to change hands for our next breed, the Tibetan Terrier: historically they were too valuable to their owners to be bought casually and puppies were only ever given as gifts to those who were deemed worthy. The TT, as it is affectionately known, has been in the public eye quite a lot in recent years, due to being the breed of choice of TV presenter Clare Balding, and the winner of the Crufts trophy in 2007. Despite its name, this dog is not actually a Terrier and instead was probably used as a farm dog.

In fact, confusion over breed titles seems to be a theme with our Tibetan dogs – our next breed, the Tibetan Spaniel is, again, not a true Spaniel at all, but actually kept the Tibetan Mastiffs and Lhasa Apsos company at the monasteries, earning their keep turning the monks’ prayer wheels. The Tibetan Spaniel is likely the predecessor of many Oriental toy breeds, including the Pekinese and the Japanese Chin.  These baby-faced little characters are highly intelligent and are popular pets all over the world.

(It should be noted that the FCI also counts the Shih Tzu as a Tibetan breed, although the modern breed was almost certainly developed in China.)

 We hope you have enjoyed our little tour of the dogs from Tibet. Don’t forget you can visit all these breeds and over 196 more at Discover Dogs at Earls Court in November and at Crufts in March each year.

You’re there for the whole event:

You lucky dog you! With four whole days to play with you can well and truly get the full show experience.

We personally like to visit the Discover Dogs stands first, for the Group(s) that are showing that day. This just solidifies the list in our mind (and will help the average, non dog-nerd, visitor have an idea of what they’re looking at), and means we get to meet them all up close and personal.

We then spend the rest of the day playing ‘Breed Bingo’ – you have to try to spot all the Group breeds you saw earlier in the day. It’s much harder than you’d think!

You’ll definitely have time to hit the shops, so don’t forget to pick up all the dog press and take advantage of the show discounts on offer. I would especially recommend that you look out for the latest issue of Companion, as our Head Writer Laura Patricia has an article in it!

And don’t forget to vote in the Friends For Life competition at some point!

You’re only there for the day:

Saturday is the busiest day, and the Working and Pastoral breeds are incredibly popular. So you need to plan your time carefully to stop the crowds ruining your good time.

Beyond all the usual highlights of Crufts, Saturday’s program offers a couple of special treats, including rescue dog agility, the Flyball finals, and the PAT Dog of the Year presentation.

Also, new this year is the Crufts Factor competition, which aims to show off your pet dogs with less conventional talents. You can catch the final at 4:00 pm.

As for the rest of the day, you can find the full program of the rings here, or you can just wander the halls and see where life takes you.

Don’t forget to swing by the second Dogs In The News ‘Tweet Up’ at 4:30 pm in Hall 1, Stand 30.

You’re only there in spirit:

No worries – your feet will hurt less than ours at the end of the day! But you can still follow us on Twitter for all the updates throughout the day.

You can also follow the Kennel Club and/or find the official Crufts page on Facebook.

And don’t forget that you can watch over two hours of coverage on More 4 from 6:30pm – 9:00pm, with Clare Balding and Sonali Shah presenting.

Or you can stream live footage on YouTube all day.

You’ve been dragged along under protest!

Bored by Bearded Collies and Boxers? Not riveted by Rotties, or enamored with Estrella Mountain dogs? Don’t ruin someone else’s day; Dogs In The News is here to help you, with an activity a day to pass the time.

There is plenty to do at Crufts that is NOT doggie related. You could visit the Samsung stand and play with their Galaxy Tablet, for example, or get a shiatsu massage or have your shoes shined. Go off alone for an hour or so and see how many things you can find to do. Oh, and you get bonus points if you spot a cat themed stall!

Have fun guys! Come back soon for a breakdown of even more stuff to do on Sunday, and to find out how I got on with my escapades.

Up to something at the show on Saturday? Let us know, and we’ll give you a mention or a shout out!

Things at Crufts are getting interesting, as today the Clumber Spaniel Best of Breed joined the Peke and the Bulldog in having its title stripped following an unsuccessful vet check.

The KC have stated that they will NOT be revealing the reasons for this (or any) disqualification, but speculation is rife.

However, rather than assuming that the dogs in question (which I have not seen and can not comment on) may have been held back for a legitimate health reason, some people are instead formulating conspiracy theories.

My favourite is that More 4 are trying to avoid negative comments about their coverage, and have bribed the vets to remove the most contentious dogs from our screens!

Another is that one breed from each Group is being made into a ‘scapegoat’ to prove a point. It certainly would seem so so far, but there are no breeds from the Terrier Group on the list of high profile breeds being focused on this year, so this seems unlikely.

Jemima Harrison blogged shortly before the Clumber announcement about her own suspicions regarding the disqualification of the Peke and the Bulldog, and from what we can tell, some vocal Bulldog breeders are campaigning to get the winning Bitch’s title reinstated, despite the KC making it clear that there was no course for appeal on these matters.

It seems sadly typical – the KC are trying to make changes and introduce a force for good, but a few bad apples who don’t want to see the sorry state of their breed’s health are fighting them.

What is important to remember however is that, so far, FIVE breeds HAVE passed their veterinary inspection. The Chow Chow, Shar Pei, French Bulldog, Pug, and Chinese Crested all went through to their respective Groups last night.

All we can say is, it’s certainly an interesting year to be evesdropping in the press room!

Tomorrow,the focus will be on the Dogue de Bordeaux, Mastiff, Neopolitan Mastiff and St Bernards in the Working Group (ironic that the ‘working’ dogs have the most breeds in trouble) and the German Shepherd in the Pastoral; only time will tell. We will keep you updated as and when.

All the details about the vet checks can be found here.

What do you think? Is it positive that the vets are exercising their power, or a shame that these dogs are being targeted? Have you heard any interesting conspiracy theories?

You’re there for the whole event:

You lucky dog you! With four whole days to play with you can well and truly get the full show experience.

We personally like to visit the Discover Dogs stands first, for the Group(s) that are showing that day. This just solidifies the list in our mind (and will help the average, non dog-nerd, visitor have an idea of what they’re looking at), and means we get to meet them all up close and personal.

We then spend the rest of the day playing ‘Breed Bingo’ – you have to try to spot all the Group breeds you saw earlier in the day. It’s much harder than you’d think!

You’ll definitely have time to hit the shops, so don’t forget to pick up all the dog press and take advantage of the show discounts on offer. I would especially recommend that you look out for the latest issue of Companion, as our Head Writer Laura Patricia has an article in it!

And don’t forget to vote in the Friends For Life competition at some point!

You’re only there for the day:

Friday is the day that things start to get busier at the NEC – everyone starts arriving for the weekend. So you need to plan your time carefully to stop the crowds ruining your good time.

Beyond all the usual highlights of Crufts, Friday’s program offers a couple of special treats.  We already have two Group winners, and today will offer up one more.

Friday is Gundog day this year, so you can expect to see plenty of hefty, fit for function, healthy, happy and intelligent dogs; lots of muscle tone and glossy coats.

You will also be able to watch their working cousins in the Gamekeeper classes, and watch a working Gundog display before the Group judging.

This will start at around 5:30, after the Breeder’s Competition in the Arena, which is always one of our favourite events – where else can you see four or five perfectly matched dogs (and owners) moving in unison?

But before that, why don’t you swing by the first ever Dogs In The News ‘Tweet Up’? We’ll be holding it at Stand 30, in Hall 1, at 4:00 pm.

As for the rest of the day, you can find the full program of the rings here, or you can just wander the halls and see where life takes you.

You’re only there in spirit:

No worries – even we won’t be arriving until the afternoon, sadly. But you can still follow us on Twitter for all the updates about the preparations and travel!

You can also follow the Kennel Club and/or find the official Crufts page on Facebook.

And don’t forget that you can watch over two hours of coverage on More 4 from 6:30pm – 9:00pm, with Clare Balding and Sonali Shah presenting.

Or you can stream live footage on YouTube all day.

You’ve been dragged along under protest!

Don’t know your Spaniels from your Setters? Can’t get passionate about Pointers? Don’t ruin someone else’s day; Dogs In The News is here to help you, with an activity a day to pass the time.

Today’s is a game is a drinking game of sorts! Every time a presenter, either on television or in the ring, says something about being “happy and healthy” or “fit for function”, take a drink (or eat a handful of pick and mix, or similar).  It’s an important part of the new Kennel Club ethos, and they are trying very hard to get it across. But, after a while it starts to get repetitive. Try not to get too sozzled!

Or, you can try to spot one of our team in the crowd – we’re wearing black polos with our brightly coloured logos on the back!

Have fun guys! Come back this evening for a breakdown of even more stuff to do on Saturday.

Up to something at the show on Friday? Let us know, and we’ll give you a mention or a shout out!

Hosted by Wendy Turner-Webster for the third year, the awards are being held at the Jumeriah Carlton Tower Hotel, London on Friday 9th March 2012. Founded by not-for-profit organisation Wetnose Animal Aid, the annual Burgess Wetnose Animal Rescue Awards, recognise the valuable and endless work of small, independent rescue centres do in caring for and rehoming abandoned and unwanted animals in the UK and overseas.

The Awards honour the ‘Best Rescue Centres’ for categories such as small animals, cats, parrots, dogs, horses, wildlife with Welfare, Conservation and a Special Hero Award too.

We also have Pippa Langhorne with Buddy from Britain’s Got Talent and much more…

Celebrities include Annette Crosbie OBE, Rick Wakeman, Lorraine Chase, Angela Lonsdale, Roy Marsden, Peter Egan, Christopher Biggins, Louis Harris, Rula Lenska, Sam Fox, Kim Thomson, Jenny Seagrove, Ingrid Tarrant, Dr Roger Mugford, Anthea Turner and more…

Andrea Gamby-Boulger, director of Wetnose Animal Aid, said: “In a time of recession, rescue centres are under even more pressure due to an influx of animals and a huge drop in donations. The work these small, independent rescue centres do is vital for many animals, but we must remember these animals are the lucky ones, many thousands are not”.

Naomi Chatterley, marketing manager at Burgess Pet Care, headline sponsors of the awards, said: “We are proud to support and sponsor the Burgess Wetnose Animal Rescue Awards once again. Burgess Pet Care is a small family-owned Yorkshire business that makes high quality food for all small furry pets. We work with expert nutritionists, behaviourists and vets to ensure we are leaders in the field of pet nutrition and care.

For media enquiries please contact Jessica Suter in the Wetnose press team on 07926760189, or email jess@thechangepr.com

Press Release by: Andrea Gamby-Boulger, Founder/Director of Wetnose Animal Aid

To that end, we came up with a novel idea. We went out and bought a dog directory, and asked any celebs we bumped into to give us their autograph on the page of their favourite breed.

We were lucky enough to get the squiggles of: Marc Abraham (TV vet, Borzoi); Allen Parton (of Allen and Endal fame, Labrador of course); Jessica Holmes and Peter Purves (ring commentators and Crufts veterans, Dachshunds); and Carolyn Menteith (dog trainer and writer, Polish Lowland Sheepdog).

This year, the book will be back, and we hope to get even more signatures.

We’ve already approached some big names on Twitter, with the hope of catching them sometime during the show. We’ll keep you updated as and when we collect them.

Who would you most like to see in the book?