|
Membership Application
Contact Us Today
|
|
|
Club
Guidelines |
|
|
|
The St. Bernard Club of the Pacific Coast, in
keeping with its goal of protecting and improving the St. Bernard, has
adopted the following Guidelines to promote and foster the highest
standards among owners and breeders, and to encourage cooperation in the
protection and improvement of our breed. All members of the SBCPC will
abide by these Guidelines. |
| Member
Relations |
|
1. Members will be aware at all times that
the club exists to protect the breed and that these aims are to be
uppermost in the minds of members in all their breed activities
2. Members will at all times display good sportsmanship and conduct
themselves in a way that is a credit to the breed and the club.
3. Members will refrain from unnecessary and non-constructive criticism of
other dogs and from personal attacks upon fellow members.
4. Novices are encouraged to seek advice and help from more experienced
members, and in turn the more experienced will assist the novice and share
for the good of the breed the benefits of her/his knowledge.
Members will bear in mind that a Guideline is more than a set of rules; it
is a commitment to a high standard of practice in owning and breeding.
|
| Treatment |
|
All St. Bernards owned by or in the care of
members will be given a proper and healthy environment, nutrition, and
care at all times. Regular veterinary care, including immunization and
parasite control, will be provided. Training will be provided so that the
dog will behave in a manner that allows it to move safely in society and
reflect well on the breed. Members’ dogs will be treated in a humane
manner.
Members will be diligent in the handling of their dogs in public places.
Members recognize their responsibility to protect the name and reputation
of the breed and will not allow their dogs to roam at large unsupervised,
not to become a public nuisance, nor to become a public trust.
|
| Breeding |
|
It is our intent that no dog bred by a member
of the SBCPC will be homeless, turned in to a rescue organization, or
surrendered to an animal shelter. Breeders will be responsible for the
offspring of their dogs and bitches.
A breeder carefully selects the stud and brood bitch for good temperament
(of first importance), conformation to the standard, soundness, and
amenability to training. The breeder will carefully study the breed
standard, the individuals, their near relatives, and their pedigrees. Stud
and brood bitch will be selected to avoid doubling faults.
A breeder will not use an individual for breeding who although free from
hereditary defects consistently produces afflicted offspring from
different mates.
Any St. Bernard breeder has an ethical obligation to disclose to puppy
buyers those hereditary defects that are prevalent in the breed.
Potential stud dogs and brood bitches will be x-rayed for hip dysplasia;
It is suggested that they are also x-rayed for elbow dysplasia. The
results of these x-rays will be made known to the owner of the stud dog or
brood bitch and to all buyers of pups. If the stud or bitch has hip or
elbow dysplasia, the implications of that fact will be disclosed to puppy
buyers. If an animal is bred on the basis of a screening x-ray taken at
under 2 years of age, it will be re-x-rayed at age 2 or older. X-rays must
be either sent to OFA, GDC, or a member of the American Board of
Veterinary Radiology for interpretation. Some worthy specimens of the
breed who are affected with non-disabling hip dysplasia might be bred. It
should be the intent of the breeder to minimize the impact by selecting
non-affected mates for dysplastic dogs. No dog with severe dysplasia
should be bred.
|
|
Brood Bitches |
|
Any one breeding a bitch bears great
responsibility to the future of the breed. Each breeding will be planned
with the intention of protecting and improving the breed, and only when
the owner of the bitch can provide proper care for the bitch and her
puppies. Proper care includes:
• Safe, clean, and healthy environment with adequate protection from the
elements (rain, heat, and cold)
• Adequate nutrition for the bitch and her puppies
• Initial immunization against disease and parasite control (more)
• Socialization of the puppies
• Competent human supervision of whelping and daily care
Recognizing the extended growth period of a giant breed, the breeder will
not breed a bitch before her she is 18 months of age, or before her second
heat cycle, or after her 7th birthday. Exceptions are allowed for
extenuating circumstances with the express approval of a veterinarian. No
bitch will have more than two litters out of three heat cycles, and it is
anticipated that over a lifetime a brood bitch will have no more than two
to four litters.
The bitch owner will provide this information prior to the breeding to the
owner of the stud dog:
• if the bitch has had puppies
• if the bitch has had breeding problems
• hip and elbow evaluation
• results of any other testing (e.g., thyroid, brucellosis)
|
|
Stud Service |
|
It is our intent that no dog bred by a member
of the SBCPC will be homeless, turned in to a rescue organization, or
surrendered to an animal shelter. Breeders will be responsible for the
offspring of their dogs and bitches.
A breeder carefully selects the stud and brood bitch for good temperament
(of first importance), conformation to the standard, soundness, and
amenability to training. The breeder will carefully study the breed
standard, the individuals, their near relatives, and their pedigrees. Stud
and brood bitch will be selected to avoid doubling faults.
A breeder will not use an individual for breeding who although free from
hereditary defects consistently produces afflicted offspring from
different mates.
Any St. Bernard breeder has an ethical obligation to disclose to puppy
buyers those hereditary defects that are prevalent in the breed.
Potential stud dogs and brood bitches will be x-rayed for hip dysplasia;
It is suggested that they are also x-rayed for elbow dysplasia. The
results of these x-rays will be made known to the owner of the stud dog or
brood bitch and to all buyers of pups. If the stud or bitch has hip or
elbow dysplasia, the implications of that fact will be disclosed to puppy
buyers. If an animal is bred on the basis of a screening x-ray taken at
under 2 years of age, it will be re-x-rayed at age 2 or older. X-rays must
be either sent to OFA, GDC, or a member of the American Board of
Veterinary Radiology for interpretation. Some worthy specimens of the
breed who are affected with non-disabling hip dysplasia might be bred. It
should be the intent of the breeder to minimize the impact by selecting
non-affected mates for dysplastic dogs. No dog with severe dysplasia
should be bred.
|
|
Sales |
|
A breeder will be discriminating in a sale of
puppies and concerned with the type of home in which they are placed. No
member will engage in wholesaling litters, or in individual sales or
consignments of pups or adults to pet shops, dealers, catalog houses, or
other commercial establishments. Nor will dogs be donated or given as
prizes in contests, raffles, or fund raising events no matter how
charitable.
A breeder will be available to his buyers for whatever advice, reasonable
aid and assistance they may need for the life of the dog. SBCPC members
will help and support their fellow members in fulfilling this obligation.
Breeders will provide adequate written contractual proof of sales and
guarantees. No promise will be made orally which is not put into writing.
It is the ethical obligation of member breeders to guarantee pups produced
and sold by them to be as represented. Any replacement or refund
arrangement should be part of this contract which is agreed to by breeder
and buyer, and fair to the interest of both parties. A typical refund
replacement arrangement might be to provide a replacement for a dog who
must be destroyed before the age of 15 months due to hereditary disability
or unstable temperament.
The breeder will supply AKC individual registration form or a written
guarantee that it will be supplied by the time the pup is four months old
or upon completion of sale.
It is recommended that any animal sold as pet/companion quality be sold
under limited registration and with mandatory spay / neuter proviso.
Upon releasing a puppy the breeder will follow these guidelines:
• Supply a five generation pedigree
• Provide written information on the care of the puppy and suggested books
and reading materials
• Provide written instructions for feeding for the first year
• Supply records which will detail all dates and types of medical care
given the pup, including shots and worming
• Release only pups which are to the best of his or her knowledge in good
health
• Puppies released will have all necessary inoculations and worming for
their age
• All pups leaving the breeder will be a minimum of 7 weeks of age (more)
• Request that buyers take their pup to a veterinarian of their choice
upon receipt, and if the puppy has a health problem, allow the buyer 72
hours to return the pup at the buyer’s expense for a full refund
• Supply puppy buyer with a copy of these guidelines
|
|
Advertisement |
|
All advertisement of puppies and adult dogs,
written or oral, shall be factual and honest in both substance and
implication.
Advertising and promotion, written and oral, will be confined to the
aspects of the breeders stock and shall not degrade the stock of others.
The breeder will be cautious in discussing the show prospects of any
puppy, less a guarantee of show success be implied.
Breeder will be cautious in encouraging buyers as to breeding prospects in
as much as the breeding of a St. Bernard is not to be taken lightly.
|
|
Implementation |
|
Not adhering to these Guidelines may be
considered conduct “prejudicial to the best interest of the club or the
breed”. Article VI of the SBCPC Bylaws defines discipline procedures.
|
| |
|