Code of Conduct for Members

GENERAL

All premises housing dogs shall be well fenced, clean and warm.  The dogs should be provided with adequate food and water and clean dry bedding, allowed adequate exercise and plenty of human companionship and under no circumstances should they be restricted to a confined space for more than a few hours.  Regular grooming and bathing and companionship is essential for the dogs well being and should be considered as vital as exercise.  Veterinary assistance should be sought without hesitation should it be necessary.  The welfare of the animal should come before any monetary consideration.

BREEDING

1.            Before breeding a litter, equal weight should be given to type, temperament, health and soundness.  It cannot be stressed too strongly that nervous or aggressive dogs are not satisfactory as pets or breeding stock.

2.            All breeding should be aimed at the improvement of the breed.  Members should do all in their power to discourage breeding from clearly inferior specimens and those members who own stud dogs should refuse service to such specimens.

3.            Member who have bred Bearded Collies which suffer from conditions classified by their veterinary surgeon as inherited defects, or which exhibit serious divergences from the standard, should take all possible steps to give publicity to the fact, and owners of stud dogs concerned should agreed to such publicity being given.

4.            Members agree not to breed from a bitch/dog which is in any way deleterious to the bitch/dog or the breed, and are strongly recommended to submit all breeding stock to the BVA/KC Hip Dysplasia Scheme and to the BVA/KS Eye Testing Scheme.

5.            For the protection of the breed members must b e prepared to put the appropriate endorsements (i.e. not to be bred from) on the registration of any puppy if necessary (e.g. a predominantly white puppy).  The buyer of such puppy must be made aware of the same at the time of sale.

6.            No bitch shall be bred from until she is fully mature i.e. 2 years or over and not after the age of 8.  No bitch should be required to have more than 4 litters.  When mating any bitch consideration must be given as to how often she cycles, the age of her last litter and how many puppies she has reared in previous litters.

7.            No member should breed a litter unless he/she has the time and facilities to devote property care and attention to the rearing of the puppies and the well being of the dam, and no member should provide stud service unless he/she is satisfied that the owner of the bitch has such time and facilities.

8.            No member should breed a litter unless they have the facilities and commitment to retain all unsold stock.  The Midshires Bearded Collie Club will maintain a Members Puppy List and put prospective buyers in touch with members on the list but is it not an agency for the sale of puppies.

SALES

1.            Anyone breeding a litter must be prepared to take back and rehome all puppies aged under 6 months.  All breeders should advised all new owners to communicate with them should anything go wrong and/or if the dog/bitch should need rehoming at any time in its life.  The breeder should be expected to help in any way possible, should it be necessary, to take the dog/bitch into rescue.  A breeder must be prepared to have put to sleep any dog/bitch they have bred, which it is impossible on veterinary advice to rehome.

2.            Prospective buyers of Bearded Collies should be screened for suitability and should be advised of the characteristics of the breed with emphasis placed on boisterousness, jumping, chewing, digging, barking, need for grooming, exercise and human companionship.  Puppies should not be sold to homes where they will be left on their own all day.  Buyers should be shown an adult specimen of the breed in its normal habitat in order to fully appreciate its characteristics and size when fully grown.

3.            No puppy which has a known defect or which shows signs of any definite departure from the Standard should be sold without the buyer being made fully aware of such defect or departure from the Standard and its possible consequence.  Members should well only puppies which to the best of their knowledge are in good health at the time of the sale.  Any puppy sold over the age of 12 weeks should be fully inoculated or at least have started the course of inoculations.

4.            Each buyer of a puppy should be provided at the time of sale with a pedigree, diet sheet and information about grooming, training, inoculation and the ne3ed to worm on a regular basis through the animal’s life.  Relevant Kennel Club registration papers should be provided as soon as possible.

5.            It should be impressed on buyers that they should contact the breeder in the event of any problem with the Bearded Collie at any time during its life. Breeders must be of assistance in these circumstances.

6.            No puppies should leave the breeder before the age of 7 weeks and should have been wormed at least twice.

7.            No puppy for which a firm booking has been obtained from one individual will be sold to another individual, without first obtaining a definite cancellation of the booking by the first individual.

8.            No puppy that is of unregistered or partly unregistered parentage should be sold without the buyer first being made aware that he/she will be unable to register it on the Breed Register and the consequences of the same.

9.            No puppies should be exported before they are fully inoculated to comply with the regulations of the country of entry or before the age of three months, unless they are travelling in the personal care of the owner or his known representative.

10.         No Bearded Collie should be sold to countries where they are not protected by anti-cruelty laws.

11.         No Bearded Collie should knowingly be sold to laboratories, pet shops or dealings in dogs, or to any persons previously known to sell to laboratories, pet shops or dealers, nor should stud service be provided to any such persons.  (For this purpose a dealer is defined as any person who regularly buys animals in the hope of reselling them for profit).  No Bearded Collie should be sold or offered as a prize in a raffle or competition.

GENERAL CONDUCT

1.            Members should refrain from making unfair or untrue statements about the dogs or practices of others.

2.            All exhibits should be clean and in good health.  If an exhibitor feels that they must show an in-season bitch the animal should be kept away from male dogs and deodorised.

3.            All judges are expected to produce a critique after each appointment.  Critiques are important to exhibitors in understanding placements and they also assist the Committee in assessing the judge’s understanding of the breed.

4.            Members shall keep accurate records of breeding, sales and registrations and will be at all times extremely cautious when advertising or selling as to the true and realistic description of stock, especially as to the potential prospects of young stock.

5.            No false information shall be given to the Kennel Club when applying for registration in respect of pedigrees, sire, dam or date of birth.

6.            Stud dog owners shall be expected to supply an accurately completed Kennel Club form on payment of the stud fee.  Should no puppies result from the first mating(s) a repeat mating will be expected at no charge.

7.            Officers and Committee Members of the Club are always ready to do their best to help members with any queries or problems.

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