GREATER MILWAUKEE POODLE CLUB,

ETHICAL GUIDELINES

The Greater Milwaukee Poodle Club is an affiliate club of the Poodle Club of America. The Poodle Club of America is a member club of the American Kennel Club. The Greater Milwaukee Poodle Club puts on two Poodle Specialty Shows per year that are approved by the Poodle Club of America and the American Kennel Club.

Any member of the Greater Milwaukee Poodle Club who is an active breeder shall keep accurate and complete records of his or her dogs, their pedigrees and matings. All breeding dogs should be registered with the American Kennel Club. Any member who falsifies registration papers or knowingly misrepresents pedigree information shall be expelled from the club, and such action reported to the American Kennel Club and The Poodle Club of America.

Both the stud dog and brood bitch should be of good quality and free of any serious faults, and be sound both mentally and physically. The objective should always be to produce puppies that are better quality than the parents.

Be honest about heritable defect screening. Be honest in your advertising. Do not mislead prospective buyers or misrepresent your dogs.

Avoid indiscriminate or excessive breeding for the purpose of selling puppies. It is recommended that toy and miniature poodles not be bred prior to one year of age and that standard poodles not be bred prior to two years of age, and that all genetic testing be completed appropriate to their age and variety prior to breeding.

The following are tests that should be done before you even consider using your poodle for breeding:

Progressive Retinal Atrophy and Juvenile Cataracts

von Willebrands Disease (DNA test for vWD)

Thyroid Disorders

Baseline Blood Work Up

Luxating Patellas

Hip Certification after two years of age, preliminary x-ray may be done at an earlier age

Entropian Eye

Hip Certification after two years of age, preliminary x-ray may be done at an earlier age

Entropian Eye

Sebaceous Adenitis

Addison’s Disease

Bloat and Gastric Torsion

Seizure Disorders

Legg-Perthes Disease

Umbical Hernia

Conduct any business dealings concerning your dogs in an ethical manner.

All service and sales arrangements should be mutually agreed upon, stated in writing, and signed by all parties involved.

Furnish copies to each buyer of all veterinary procedures, pedigree and AKC registration or transfer documents, unless written agreement is made at the time of sale that papers are to be withheld. Explain limited registration if that is the way the dog is to be registered.

Honestly evaluate the quality of your poodles for potential buyers.

Prices of poodles should represent individual quality. You should maintain prices so as not to be injurious to the breed.

Pet animals should be sold with limited registrations and with written agreement, signed by all parties, that the animal will be spayed or neutered.

No breeding should ever be done for commercial purposes, including sales to puppy brokers, puppy mills, pet shops, litter lot sales or any other business involved with the wholesaling of dogs.

Act at all times so that your conduct reflects credit upon the sport of showing purebred dogs. Use good manners and be courteous to others. Do not spread rumors about other dogs or other people. Maintain the highest standards of animal husbandry. The Poodle needs socialization and a great deal of human contact. If you don’t have time to spend with your dogs, don’t breed more dogs.

Any just complaint shall be brought to the attention of the Greater Milwaukee Poodle Club Board of Directors, otherwise the complaint is deemed to lack merit.

Revised: December 1998