[News] Breeder's Code of Ethics Is Key to a Healthy Pet

[fasteddie]

A friend bought a Yorkshire terrier from a breeder in southern Ohio. The puppy had inherited major medical problems, but the purchaser had become attached to the puppy and spent thousands to save the puppy's life. The breeder refused any assistance.

A business acquaintance bought a West Highland white terrier over the Internet. That dog, too, developed major hereditary medical problems that cost big bucks to save its life. The breeder agreed to refund the purchase price, but never did.

A reader purchased her two Yorkshire terriers from a breeder in Pennsylvania. One of them had luxating patellas, a defect more commonly seen in toy dogs. Dogs with this hereditary defect should not be bred. The surgery cost around $1,500. The purchaser is suing the breeder.

See a pattern here?

How do you find a reputable breeder and avoid heartache and major veterinary bills?

Look for a breeder who is a member of the parent club of the breed in which you are interested.

While the following method is not foolproof - and some repu- table breeders might choose not to be a member of a parent club - this route does help eliminate some of the unscrupulous breeders.

Parent clubs usually have strict codes of ethics. To remain a member of the club, the breeder must adhere to the code of ethics, and most of them do because they have a sincere interest in the breed. Breaking the code of ethics usually results in expulsion from the club and a "black eye" in the dog community of breeders and exhibitors.

Here are a few random excerpts from a couple of breed clubs' codes of ethics:

Poodle Club of America: All poodles under consideration for breeding will be tested for hereditary defects common to the breed. Proof of this testing must be made available to puppy buyers.

Breeders may not intentionally allow a poodle to be bred to any other breed of dog.

Great Pyrenees Club of America: A breeder shall not offer a buyer the choice of purchasing the same pup for one price with full registration and another price with limited registration.

Any member selling or placing a Great Pyrenees is expected to assist any buyer in finding a suitable new home for that dog at any time that the buyer wishes to relinquish it. If the buyer is unable or unwilling to find such a home, the member shall assume physical and/or financial responsibility for that animal.

Coton de Tulear: If the buyer is not satisfied with the puppy, the breeder will always be willing to accept the return of the puppy within a reasonable period of time and will return to the buyer all or a reasonable percentage of the purchase price. In such cases, the cost of shipping, if any, is the responsibility of the buyer.

Most breed clubs have a code of ethics. Go to www. thedogsbestfriend.com/code.htm to find the code of ethics for the breed in which you are interested. Try a few other breeds for comparison. This will give a better idea of what to expect from the breeder.

The next step is to find breeders who are parent-club members. This can be done with a Google search for the parent club. The name might start out with American as the first word, i.e. American Brittany Club or "of America" at the end of the name, as Poodle Club of America. Navigating through the screen will bring up a list of breeders.

Don't be shy about asking the breeder if he or she subscribes to the parent club's code of ethics.

A few other tips:

Ask the breeder if the parents have been screened for health issues that are common to the particular breed you have selected. Learn these health issues before you look for a pup by referring to the parent club Web site and talking to breeders listed by the club.

Beware of the breeder who promises to send registration papers later. These should be provided at the time of sale, or you are unlikely to get them.

If you are interested in showing your dog, make sure that the parent club is recognized by the American Kennel Club or United Kennel Club and that the dog is a good specimen of its breed. Other registries offer no support in the way of shows or additional events, nor may dogs registered in other agencies be shown in AKC or UKC events.

Don't be surprised if the breeder asks you questions, too. Responsible breeders want to be sure that pups they sell will have a good home for life.

http://www.cleveland.com/living/plai...l=2&thispage=1

[txshopper73]

hmmm...interesting!

[wnalegria]

Don't allways put your faith in the parent club. I could knock your socks off with a story that has been related to me by a person who puchased dogs from a very well known yorkshire terrier breeder. This person is still a member of the parent club and has not been sanctioned- they like the AKC will turn their heads at many problems and let you settle it the best that you can. In other words buyer beware.

[Paisleypup]

Interesting, but there are many good breeders who are not members of a parent club. "One bad apple doesn't spoil the whole basket."

[wnalegria]

Most dogs that are AKC registered can be registered in other registries. The AKC on the other hand does not accept all the other registries. Your dog can be shown in conformation at here in the US at AKC, International ,UKC and just found out the other day that APRI is now offering conformation shows. Across the borders are your Canadian and Mexico shows.

With the AKC in favor of the Pet and Paws legislation- I feel that you will find more breeders not using the AKC and using other registries. Just look at the number of dogs that are with the CKC at this time. A few years ago 80% of all the dogs were AKC and now the % is dropping all the time.

[lilbumbleybees]

That is an interesting article.

[shelbysmom]

Parent Clubs are one useful tool in the search to find a good breeder. Good place to start anyway.