BC Labrador Retriever Club

The Club has several annual awards that are presented at our Annual General Meeting.

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The Labrador Retriever

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Breeders Code of Ethics

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:

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.

Stud dogs and brood bitches must be certified radiographically free of hip and elbow dysplasia by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA).

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.

DNA testing is available to determine if a Labrador Retriever carries the gene to produce certain diseases. Breeders should use the information from these tests to make sure they do not produce affected puppies. These diseases can be eliminated by careful breeding. Testing is currently available for the following diseases:

PRA - Progressive Retinal Atrophy
CNM - Centronuclear Myopathy
EIC - Exercise Induced Collapse
RD - Retinal Dysplasia
DM - Degenerative Myelopathy
TVD - Tricuspid Valve Dysplasia

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:

A 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 three 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.