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Abstract
The United Kingdom pedigree-dog industry has faced criticism because certain aspects
of dog conformation stipulated in the UK Kennel Club breed standards have a detrimental
impact on dog welfare. A review of conformation-related disorders was carried out
in the top 50 UK Kennel Club registered breeds using systematic searches of existing
information. A novel index to score severity of disorders along a single scale was
also developed and used to conduct statistical analyses to determine the factors affecting
reported breed predisposition to defects. According to the literature searched, each
of the top 50 breeds was found to have at least one aspect of its conformation predisposing
it to a disorder; and 84 disorders were either directly or indirectly associated with
conformation. The Miniature poodle, Bulldog, Pug and Basset hound had most associations
with conformation-related disorders. Further research on prevalence and severity is
required to assess the impact of different disorders on the welfare of affected breeds.