Canada has only six disqualifications, with the rear dewclaw DQ eliminated. Canada and Great Britain have written their own Chesapeake Bay Retriever Standard based on the ACC version. CBRs shown in conformation classes in these countries are held to this Standard. So, why is this a concern? The American Chesapeake Club is the authority over the official AKC Standard, which is used not only in the US, but also in countries governed by the FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale). In the United States, CBRs with dewclaws removed are allowed in the conformation ring. In the upcoming breed health survey, the question of rear dewclaws will be addressed to have better information available about the prevalence in the breed and its potential genetic transmission. Currently, there is no genetic testing available for the occurrence of rear dewclaws and no research planned for the future. The Breed Standard makes no mention of the removal of rear dewclaws being a disqualification, just that they should not be allowed, so it is near impossible to track, anecdotally, in adults. Puppy buyers or breeders in the US don’t usually think or find it necessary to ask themself the question of what can disqualify my breed from a show. The incidence of rear dewclaws and their mode of inheritance in Chesapeakes is relatively unknown, as most breeders and owners do not actively track or relate the occurrence. We need to retain these disqualifications, for anything that has previously been a problem in the breed can become one again if we do not keep alert and guard against it.” If they are now found only infrequently it is a tribute to the emphasis implied by the potential for disqualification. Janet Horn, in *The New Complete Chesapeake Bay Retriever, addresses all-breed disqualifications in general and states: “The seven disqualifications in our Standard were first laid down in 1936, and at that time, I was told by one who had worked on the Standard Committee in the 1930s, these items were made disqualifications because they were serious problems in the breed. Reviewing past publications, there is little information about the intent behind rear dewclaw disqualification. Since 1963, DQ number three simply states: “Dewclaws on hind legs.” Dewclaws were given their own line and clarified to indicate rear only. However, in 1963, changes were approved that remain part of the current (1993) Standard. The first AKC-approved Chesapeake Bay Retriever Standard in 1918 listed six disqualifications, including: “Dew claws, undershot, overshot, or any deformity.” This disqualification remained the same through the 1933 Standard revision. The JBEC and the ACC Board want members and breeders to be aware of legislation in other countries (most of Europe), and the possibility that, in the future, laws may be passed in the United States forbidding cropping, docking, and dewclaw removal. In no way does this article suggest that dogs be eliminated from our gene pool because they had rear dewclaws. Chesapeake Bay Retrievers: DQ for Dewclaws? The current situation in countries that have laws forbidding the removal of dewclaws (front and rear).
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