1. Bitches shall whelp not more than once in any 11 month
period. A bitch's cycle may vary from dog to dog; it is the intention that a bitch not
whelp from every season, as this would place a unnecessary burden on the health of the
bitch.
2. All breeding stock shall be OFA certified. The sire and
dam of all breeding stock shall also be OFA certified. OFA certification numbers shall be
freely provided upon request. (For imported dogs, see the waiver clause, #12)
3. All breeding stock shall have a current written eye
clearance from a Board Certified Veterinary Ophthalmologist.
4. All breeding stock shall have a written negative Canine
Brucellosis test dated within 30 days prior to breeding activities.
5. All breeding procedures shall strictly follow the rules
established by the AKC.
6. Studs shall not be suffering from monorchidism.
7. All breeding stock shall be in a general state of good
health and the prospects of whelp shall not place any unusual burden upon the bitch or
offspring because of a known health problem.
8. All breeding stock shall be temperamentally sound,
neither overly aggressive nor overly shy.
9. Breedings shall be accomplished with the intent to
achieve specific goals towards the improvement of the breed, not just to produce puppies
for sale.
10. Stud dog owners will carefully screen prospective
bitches for which stud service has been requested from their dog, and should such a
breeding be agreed to, be willing to share responsibility with the breeder to ensure that
the ensuing litter is protected by the provisions of this code.
11. While it is understood that appropriate breeding stock
may not always have been proven in the show ring, obedience ring or field, it is the
responsibility of conscientious breeders to generally prove the results of their breeding
programs in the accepted objective forums recognized in the sport of dogs. Some of these
forums are the AKC Conformation Ring, the AKC Obedience Ring, the AKC or NAHRA Hunting
Retriever Tests, the AKC Licensed Field Trials and the Working Certificate examinations
sanctioned by the Flat-Coated Retriever Society of America. In most cases breeders can
satisfy this requirement by careful placement of puppies in homes that wish to compete in
different areas of the sport.
12. All stock bred to members stock shall meet the criteria
established by this code. It is understood that on occasion a breeder may wish to use a
dog for which proof of meeting the code is not available or may feel he or she has a sound
reason for seeking a good cause exception to this code. In such cases the Breeder's Ethics
Committee shall be asked for a waiver and they WILL make a timely ruling.
II. SALES
1. All dogs shall be sold with accompanying written
agreements and warranties.
2. Advertising offering puppies for sale in other than dog
oriented publications shall include the following statement: "to qualified homes,
spaying or neutering required".
3. No dog's ownership shall be transferred to wholesale or
retail commercial sources, third party agents; nor to laboratories or health organizations
for the purpose of experimentation.
4. A minimum advertised price on dogs shall be $250, if a
price is listed.
5. Unless there are compelling reasons otherwise, puppies
shall not be released to new homes before their 42nd day of age.
6. To help ensure against accidental and/or unwanted
breedings, pet buyers shall be urged to spay or neuter their puppies by the time they are
6 months of age or at the age recommended by their veterinarian. Only under the most
unusual of circumstances should spaying or neutering of pet stock be delayed past the age
of 1 year.
7. The seller shall be prepared, if necessary, to step in
at any time during the life of a dog who is sold to protect its well-being, should the
buyer no longer want, or be derelict in his or her responsibilities to the dog.
8. Only litters and breeding stock that meet the criteria
of this code shall be eligible to be announced or advertised in the Club's newsletter.
Dogs offered for humanitarian reasons or "Rescue dogs" are also eligible.
III. CARE
