Campaigners are warning that the Welsh corgi, beloved companion of the late Queen Elizabeth II, faces an effective breeding ban under new parliamentary guidelines targeting dogs with extreme physical characteristics.
The all-party parliamentary group for animal welfare has introduced an innate health assessment designed to eliminate breeding of dogs deemed to have problematic features from birth.
Critics say 67 of Britain's most popular breeds would automatically fail the appearance-based checklist, including dachshunds, Scottish terriers and shih tzus alongside the iconic corgi.
The monarch owned more than 30 Pembroke Welsh corgis and corgi-dachshund crosses throughout her reign, with the dogs famously accompanying her everywhere.
Queen Elizabeth II 'would be very upset' as beloved corgis face breeding ban
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Her final two corgis, Muick and Sandy, attended her 2022 funeral before being rehomed with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson.
The 10-point assessment examines physical traits, including mottled colouration, excessive skin folds, protruding eyes that turn outward, drooping eyelids, jaw misalignment, and muzzles that impair breathing.
Corgis and other dwarf breeds would be classified as unhealthy due to their short legs and limited ground clearance.
The assessment specifies that dogs whose chest-to-ground gap measures less than one third of their shoulder height risk spinal deformities, joint pain, arthritis and limb abnormalities.
Her final two corgis, Muick and Sandy, attended her 2022 funeral before being rehomed with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson
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Currently voluntary, the scheme requires breeding dogs to score at least eight out of 10. This threshold rises to nine within five years and all 10 criteria within a decade.
The guidelines were launched in the House of Lords, though some local councils are already applying the checklist when evaluating breeding licence applications.
Critics have condemned the assessment as a "blunt tool" that prioritises subjective visual checks over reliable medical testing.
Beverley Cuddy, editor of Dogs Today Magazine and founder of the Union of Good Dog People, told the Times: "We need proper, nuanced tests that don't throw the baby out with the bathwater, or we're going to lose Britain's most beloved breeds in the blink of an eye."
Sarah Ferguson inherited the late Queen's corgis, Sandy and Muick
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She added: "It's going to be the most shocking thing to happen to dog lovers in this country. People will rightly be outraged at being told they can't have the dogs they want.
"It's madness. I think the late Queen would have been very upset by this proposal."
Margaret Hoggarth, secretary of the Welsh Corgi League, said: "They are trying to say any dogs with a certain look are unhealthy, but anybody who has worked with corgis knows they are a very healthy breed."
The Kennel Club has raised concerns about the assessment's effectiveness, with a spokesman stating: "The tool is neither nuanced nor robust enough to effectively support breeders in producing dogs of more moderate conformation."
Queen Elizabeth II with some of her corgis | GETTYThe organisation also criticised the lack of public data recording or breed progress tracking, which it considers essential for responsible breeding practices.
Dan O'Neill, associate professor of companion animal epidemiology at the Royal Veterinary College, who created the tool, said: "The plan here is that in 10 years' time, there will not be a single dog bred in the UK by a licensed breeder that has any extreme conformation."
The assessment has backing from the Royal Veterinary College, RSPCA and Dogs Trust.
Research indicates four of the last 10 Crufts best in show winners would fail the checklist, with the prestigious competition beginning on Thursday.