The Club's Code of Ethics

The Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Great Britain, in keeping with its aims of breeding the best possible dogs while preserving their unique beauty and character and of promoting the best possible care and training of these dogs, adopts the following:

1.      Members shall strive for perfection of the Bernese Mountain Dog and only breed for the specific purpose of improving the breed in accordance with the official standard set forth by the Kennel Club. In this regard they shall:

    (a) Maintain a high standard of health and care for their dogs, only keeping such numbers that can be socialised and cared for.

    (b) Ensure that all stock to be bred from shall be free from contagious disease. Breeding shall be carefully planned and must be carried out selectively in an attempt to reduce as much as possible hereditary defects such as hip dysplasia, osteochondrosis of the shoulder and elbow, ectropian/entropian, trembler (hypomyelinigenesis) and elongated soft palate.

    (c) Ensure that nervous or aggressive Bernese shall not be bred from.

    (d) Refrain from whelping a bitch until she is 22 months of age, ensure that no bitch shall be bred from in any way that is deleterious to the bitch or the breed and that the last litter shall be wehlped before the bitch’s 7^th birthday except in exceptional circumstances and with veterinary approval.

    (e) Ensure that stud dogs are over 12 months of age before being used at stud and not used excessively. The use of a stud dog shall be refused on any bitch considered to have poor health, temperament or quality.

    (f) Ensure that puppies are only bred from Kennel Club registered Bernese Mountain Dog parents.

2.       

    (a) It is recommended that all breeding stock shall be X-rayed for evidence of hip dysplasia from 12 months of age and the X-ray plates are submitted to the KC/BVA scoring scheme. Breeders shall treat mild cases as they would any other fault and exclude from their breeding programme, dogs with more severe evidence of hip dysplasia.

    (b) It is recommended that all breeding stock shall be X-rayed to screen for osteochondrosis of the elbow at the same time that they are X-rayed for hip dysplasia, and the plates submitted to the KC/BVA scoring scheme. Breeders shall treat mild cases as they would any other fault and exclude from their breeding programme, dogs with more severe evidence of elbow osteochondrosis.

3.      Members will not sell stock without true representation to the purchaser and not use misleading or untruthful statements in selling or advertising.

4.    No member shall sell adults or puppies to any known retailor wholesale outlet, nor to any country not covered by club constitution paragraph 23. Puppies shall not be sold for export nor exported unless the recipient is personally known to the breeder or is approved by a local veterinary surgeon or local Bernese Mountain Dog Club.

5.      Ideally no puppy shall go to its new home before 7 weeks of age.

6.      A buyer shall be supplied with at least a 4 generation pedigree with information on innoculations and other veterinary care that the dog has had and with instructions on the care, feeding, exercise and training of Bernese.

7.      A breeder shall guarantee the health of his or her stock subject to a veterinary examination within 48 hours of the sale or transfer and shall insure puppies for a minimum of 4 weeks against illness, loss or sudden death.

8.      A breeder shall try and keep in touch with the progress of dogs of his or her breeding.

9.      A breeder or stud dog owner must be prepared to take back any dog of his or her breeding, or to be instrumental in rehoming the dog at any time thoughout the dog’s life.

10.  Members shall, at all times, exhibit good sportsmanship at allevents relating to the club and to dog shows.

11.  Members shall not denigrate any other member or kennel.

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