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Purpose
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:
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Keep the
Labrador Retriever sound, healthy, and free of hereditary diseases by
using up-to-date testing for stud dogs and brood bitches. |
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Maintain
the original working ability of the Labrador Retriever. |
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Conform to the
Canadian Kennel Club's published standard for the breed. |
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Exercise truth
in advertising. |
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Educate
prospective buyers. |
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Maintain the
reputation of the Club by treating other breeders and prospective puppy
purchasers with integrity, dignity, and respect. |
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Ethics
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All Breeders
should familiarize themselves with the CKC By-Laws pertaining to the
breeding, registration and identification of purebred dogs in Canada
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Labrador
Retrievers used as stud dogs and brood bitches must be registered with the
CKC or a CKC recognized registry.
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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
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Breeders will
not knowingly breed a dog or bitch that has any hereditary disease
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A bitch will not
be bred before the age of 18 months.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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All puppies
leaving the breeder’s possession must be at least seven weeks of age.
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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.
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The breeder
shall provide the following to a new buyer at the time of sale:
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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. |
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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.
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A 3 generation
pedigree |
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A complete
medical history for the puppy |
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Supporting
documents certifying absence of hereditary disease of the parents of the
puppies. |
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Written
instructions for feeding, health care, training and grooming.
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Guidelines
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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.
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The breeder
should sell puppies with a CKC non-breeding contract.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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