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-Ethics of a Breeder-
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Dog Breeder's Code of Ethics

It is common knowledge that there is a severe pet overpopulation problem besetting our nation today. Each year, millions of perfectly healthy, happy pets -- many of them purebred -- are put to sleep, simply because there are not enough homes for all of these animals. So how can we, as dog breeders, justify putting even one more animal on the face of this earth? The answer is that we can only justify it by producing better dogs. Better dogs that will provide better service, more reliable temperaments, and greater health than the dogs here now. History has set the rules by which we can accomplish this; the process is well known, and documented. In addition, we can address, in some small manner, the pet overpopulation problem by not wantonly over breeding and by ensuring that we do not contribute to the already overwhelming pet overpopulation problems. In short, we justify our right to produce more lives by virtue of the quality of the lives and the integrity with which we produce them. By being Ethical Breeders. So there are valid reasons for being a so-called "Ethical Breeder" that have nothing to do with peer pressure. To summarize the issues, being ethical breeders means adhering to the following:

As Ethical Breeders, We Must:

Breed only to get our next generation and never breed just for the sake of breeding or to make money.

Breed only to improve the breed. Breed only the best dogs we can find/afford and don't breed what we have just because it's what we already have.

Study the breed until we know enough about the breed temperamentally, conformation, and genetically to select parents that will improve the breed, not just add to the numbers. Our goal is to produce pups that are better than the sum of the parents. Only then can we say we are improving the breed. Only then is there a semblance of a reason for us to breed.

Be objective enough with our own stock to effectively evaluate its contribution to the gene pool. We must love the breed more than the individual, and we must preserve and protect the gene pool even if it means omitting our own stock from that gene pool in order to protect it.

Be responsible enough to study the genetics of dog breeding in general, and of our breed in particular, before the litter is born that has all the genetic problems.

Take responsibility for the lives we create by always taking back our own stock so that no dog we ever produce ends up in a pound, adding to the animal overpopulation problem.

Be knowledgeable enough in our breed that we can effectively educate potential puppy buyers about the breed's positive and negative traits so that our pups go to prepared, responsible, loving homes.

Love our own breeding stock enough to ensure that the dam and sire are physically and mentally healthy before breeding.

Be responsible enough not to breed until we have enough homes lined up for the pups we produce. Be responsible enough to keep the pups we can't place instead of selling them cheap to whoever answers the ad, or dumping them at a shelter or with the local breed rescue group.

Be responsible enough to put our pups out on spay/neuter contracts (or better still, use Early Spay/Neuter) to ensure that our care in protecting the gene pool is not ruined by someone else over breeding one of our pups.

Back our faith in our breeding program with a meaningful guarantee.

Recognize that not everyone who wants a dog should have one and that not everyone who gets a dog will keep it. We must be careful in our placements. We owe it to our pups and to the breed.
Educate potential breeders that this effort should not be undertaken lightly. Dogs love us. They are born loving us, and unlike cows or horses, sheep or parakeets, it is in every fiber of the dog's being to love man. We owe a great debt to them, for their loyalty, for their service, and for their unconditional love. The least we can do is to protect them in turn.

The responsibility begins here. We, each of us, through our thoughts, our actions, our decisions, shape the future of our breed. We cannot counter the animal rights activist who would ban purebred breeding, we cannot face the overworked animal rescue groups, unless --minimally-- we are breeding to improve the breed and we are not adding to the overpopulation problem. Unless and until we can face our own image in the mirror and state with certainty, "I am protecting the gene pool and improving my breed" we should not be breeding.

These are the things we must always remember as we consider breeding our dogs. Everyone feels his or her dog is just the best most wonderful animal there is. We're all slightly bias in our opinion. It is hard not to want to breed then love and play with all those tiny cute puppies. You must ask yourself and answer honestly, do I have an animal that meets or better yet exceeds the standard? If your answer is Yes, Then I welcome you to the wonderful world of breeding, (the nights of lost sleep, the trips to vets at midnight costing hundreds of dollars, the grocery shopping for generic brands for you to eat, while your buying Iams for your dogs.lol) Its not an easy or always happy life style but it is rewarding and God has a special place in his heart for people who are good and kind to animals, just look what he did for Noah.