The British Columbia Labrador
Retriever Club, recognizing our responsibility to the Labrador
Retriever and the Labrador Retriever enthusiast, sets forth
this Breeders’ Code of Ethics to reflect the desire of the
membership to:
Keep the Labrador Retriever sound,
healthy, and free of hereditary diseases by using up-to-date
testing for stud dogs and brood bitches.
Maintain the
original working ability of the Labrador Retriever.
Conform to the Canadian Kennel Club's published
standard for the breed.
Exercise truth in advertising.
Educate prospective buyers.
Maintain the reputation of
the Club by treating other breeders and prospective puppy
purchasers with integrity, dignity, and respect.
Ethics
All Breeders
should familiarize themselves with the CKC By-Laws pertaining
to the breeding, registration and identification of purebred
dogs in Canada Labrador Retrievers used as stud dogs and brood
bitches must be registered with the CKC or a CKC recognized
registry.
The breeder should carefully choose stud
dogs and brood bitches that exemplify the Labrador Retriever
instinct and temperament. Aggressiveness towards humans or
other animals or any evidence of shyness in an adult Labrador
Retriever is a serious fault
Breeders will not
knowingly breed a dog or bitch that has any hereditary disease
A bitch will not be bred before the age of 18 months.
Stud dogs and brood bitches must be certified
radiographically free of hip and elbow dysplasia by the
Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA), the Ontario
Veterinary College (OVC), or other recognized registry.
Stud dogs and brood bitches must be examined within
twelve months prior to breeding and declared free of eye
diseases currently recognized as having a hereditary basis by
a veterinary ophthalmologist.
All pups in a litter
should be examined by a veterinary ophthalmologist before 12
weeks of age and be certified clear of eye disease prior to
leaving the breeder.
DNA testing for PRA (progressive
retinal atrophy), and CNM (centronuclear myopathy) should be
done for stud dogs and brood bitches (or their parents) to
determine their PRA or CNM status.
Breeders should use
this information to make sure they do not breed to produce
affected puppies. The plan should be to eliminate these
diseases by careful breeding.
All puppies leaving the
breeder’s possession must be at least seven weeks of age. All
puppies leaving the breeder’s possession will be in good
medical and mental condition and will have received the
vaccinations and deworming appropriate for its age.
The breeder shall provide the following to a new buyer
at the time of sale:
Written agreement as a protection
for both the breeder and the new owner. By outlining what is
expected of each party, such a contract should help prevent
future misunderstandings.
The breeder should provide a
written guarantee on the health of the puppy including the
time frame during which the puppy or dog may be examined by a
licensed veterinarian, at the buyer’s expense and upon written
recommendation of the veterinarian for specific reasons the
puppy or dog may be returned to the seller for a full refund
of all money paid.
A 3 generation pedigree
A
complete medical history for the puppy
Supporting
documents certifying absence of hereditary disease of the
parents of the puppies.
Written instructions for
feeding, health care, training and grooming.
Guidelines
In order to
obtain objective corroboration that the sire and dam possess
the desired traits in terms of tractability or conformation,
the breeder should use stud dogs and brood bitches that have
earned or are working toward an Obedience, Field, Hunt,
Working Certificate, Conformation, Tracking, Agility, Canine
Good Neighbour or any other CKC/AKC approved titles.
The breeder should sell puppies with a CKC
non-breeding contract.
Breeders should not donate
puppies to auctions or raffles.
No breeder will
knowingly sell a Labrador Retriever to a pet dealer,
wholesaler, or broker. However, donations to non-profit
organizations (such as support dogs, drug dogs and sight dogs)
are encouraged.
The breeder’s responsibility does not
end with the sale of the puppy. It is the breeder’s duty to
accept the responsibility for the welfare of every dog he
breeds and he should be willing to take back or re-home a dog
at any time in the dog’s life.
Buyers are
encouraged to inform the Club if problems relating to the
Breeders’ Code of Ethics should arise with a breeder on our
Breeders’ Referral List.
