Dear Readers,

2014 is drawing to an end. It was a successful year, with great achievements for the FCI and for dogs worldwide.

2015 will be a challenging year for our Federation. We are indeed faced with anti-canine legislations and different issues that might badly affect our beloved 4-paw friends. However, I am convinced that, working together, the FCI team, all over the world, will succeed in overcoming those difficulties, for the benefit of dogs worldwide.

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Rafael de Santiago
FCI President
2nd International Dog Health Workshop
February 14–15, 2015 in Dortmund

We would like to cordially invite you to attend the 2nd International Dog Health Workshop, arranged by the German canine organisation (VDH), member of the FCI, on February 14–15, 2015 in Dortmund. The workshop is arranged as a following-conference event to the 1st Workshop in Stockholm in 2012.

Attention to and awareness of health problems in pedigree dogs have increased. The next step is collaborative actions to deal with existing and future issues influencing the health and well-being of dogs.

The workshop aims at providing an opportunity to exchange experiences and views on the enhancement of canine genetic health and to create an international platform for various stakeholders, e.g. geneticists, veterinarians and representatives from cynological and animal welfare organisations that share a responsibility for dog health. Participants are expected to be well-acquainted with issues related to dog breeding and actively participate in the discussions. The workshop will be held in English. Take the opportunity to participate in the collaborative actions for healthier dogs!

To stimulate collaborative actions for enhanced canine health, various key issues will be introduced and discussed in the format of workshops:

  • Behaviour
  • Breed Specific Health Strategies
  • Genetic Testing
  • Dogs in Motion

For each workshop, key persons have been invited to introduce the topic and to facilitate the discussion. Among the participants will be members of the FCI Standard, Breeding and Scientific Commissions, which will meet in conjunction with the workshop.

On Sunday, DogWellNet.com will be launched. DogWellNet.com will be the web platform. It will function as an information hub, providing links, documents and additional resources to breeders and others in the dog world.

Please visit our web page at http://www.vdh.de/dog-health-workshop/ for more information. Note that the number of participants is limited. Hotels nearby the conference are available here: http://www.vdh.de/dog-health-workshop/hotel/.

If you require more information, please do not hesitate to contact us at doghealthworkshop@vdh.de