1. Purpose
The purpose of this Code of Ethics is to establish standards of conduct for members of the Western Coton de Tulear Club (hereinafter referred to as “the Club”).
All members agree to abide by the Constitution and By-Laws of the Club and the rules, regulations, policies, and Code of Ethics of the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC).
Members shall conduct themselves in a manner that protects the welfare, integrity, and reputation of the Coton de Tulear and promotes ethical breeding and responsible ownership.
2. General and Event Conduct
Members shall:
a. Support the objectives of the Club and promote goodwill among members, exhibitors, breeders, judges, and the public.
b. Display good sportsmanship at all times and avoid conduct prejudicial to the best interests of the Club, the breed, or the sport of purebred dogs. Members shall represent the Club and the breed in a professional and respectful manner toward exhibitors, officials, judges, and the public.
c. Comply with all applicable municipal, provincial, and federal laws relating to the ownership, breeding, and care of dogs.
d. Represent their dogs, breeding programs, and the breed honestly in all communications and advertisements.
e. Recognize the CKC breed standard as the standard of excellence by which the breed shall be judged in Canada, ensuring that dogs represented during conformation showing, “meet the breed”, or other public events fall within the standard- this includes size, type and temperament.
f. Work toward the preservation, protection, and improvement of the health, temperament, conformation, and public perception of the breed.
g. Encourage education regarding the breed for members, judges, exhibitors, and the public.
h. Mentor and support new members and responsible dog owners.
i. Respect judges’ decisions and comply with event rules.
j. Help and support other exhibitors when possible in exhibiting, grooming, holding dogs ringside, sharing benching, catching and releasing dogs at sprinters and CAPs events or showing support at other events.
3. Care & Welfare of Dogs
Members shall:
1. Raise and maintain their dogs ethically, by providing safe and clean housing, nutrition, grooming, exercise, training, and medical care.
b. Never subject an animal to neglect, abuse, or mistreatment.
c. Transport and handle dogs and puppies in a safe and humane manner.
d. Seek and comply with medical care and advice only from licensed veterinarians.
e. Expect the same standard of care from their peers, colleagues, and mentees.
f. Notify the club of any Coton de Tulear in need of rescue, and assist where possible.
4. Breeder Member Requirements
Members applying for or maintaining Breeder Membership must adhere to the following breeding standards. Both owners of bitches and stud dog owners may apply for Breeder Membership if in compliance.
Breeder Members shall comply with the requirements of the Animal Pedigree Act.
All puppies must be registered through the Canine Federation of Canada (CFC) via the Canadian Livestock Records Corporation (CLRC), and have ownership transferred to purchaser within six (6) months of the date of sale, if born in Canada. Dogs and puppies may carry recognized international registration where applicable.
Breeding Practices
Minimum and maximum ages described in breeding practices should be treated as superlative limits, not an average baselines suitable for every situation. Each bitch, litter and puppy will be considered individually, and decisions made in their best interest.
Breeder Members shall:
a. Breed dogs only after they have reached a minimum age of eighteen (18) months, with twenty-four (24) months recommended.
b. Ensure that no bitch produces more than five (5) litters in her lifetime, and no litters are produced past her eighth birthday. Adequate recovery period and rest seasons should be allowed to bitches, never breeding more than three seasons consecutively.
c. Ensure that no litter is produced from two untitled parents.
d. Ensure that at least fifty percent (50%) of dogs within a breeding member’s kennel have earned recognized titles in conformation or performance events.
e. Ensure that all breeding animals are appropriately registered through the Canine Federation of Canada (CFC) or their appropriate recognized international registry.
f. Ensure that every puppy produced in a litter is properly registered in accordance with Canadian law.
g. Have cognizance of flaws in their stock, and carefully select breeding pairs which compliment each other in conformation, health, temperament, and pedigree. Ideal pairings should not be compromised in favour of proximity or convenience.
h. Cooperate with other breeders whose programs align with a similar calibre of ethics
i. Provide appropriate prenatal and postnatal care for their bitches, and raise puppies in a safe and enriching manner
j. Maintain accurate breeding, health, and registration records.
k. Reference Canadian Veterinary Medical Association’s (CVMA) Code of Practice of Canadian Kennel Operations when considering a safe environment for their breeding dogs and puppies
5. Health Testing Requirements for Breeder Members
Breeder Members must conduct appropriate health testing on all dogs within their kennel prior to breeding, and display those results transparently.
Results of required health testing should be published with the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) or an equivalent internationally recognized registry.
If any accidental breeding occurs in which the required health testing, or practices listed above have not been met, this should be reported to the club.
Required Health Testing
Patella Evaluation
- Evaluation by practitioner or specialist at a minimum of 12 months of age with results recorded through OFA.
CAER Eye Examination
- To be completed by a licensed ophthalmologist at a minimum age of 4 months of age, with results recorded through OFA. Repeat exams during the dog’s breeding age are recommended.
Cardiac Examination
- Basic or Advanced Cardiac examination performed at a minimum age of 12 months with results recorded through OFA
Hip Evaluation
One of the following:
- PennHIP evaluation at a minimum of 6 months of age, OR
- OFA preliminary hip evaluation at a minimum of 12 months of age, with recommended repeat at 24 months for official score.
- Results must be published to OFA
DNA Testing
Dogs must have DNA results from an approved laboratory or clear-by-parentage results for:
- BNAT (Bandera's Neonatal Ataxia)
- CMR (Canine Multifocal Retinopathy)
- DM (Degenerative Myelopathy)
- HU (Hyperuricosuria)
- PH (Primary Hyperoxaluria)
- PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy)
- VWD1 (Von Willebrand Disease Type 1)
- CDDY (Chondrodystrophy)
Any dog which is a carrier of any of the conditions above shall not be bred with another carrier of the same condition. Carriers of autosomal recessive conditions shall be bred to specimens testing clear without incident. Carriers of CDDY will be considered with care, and it should be in the breeder’s generational goals to lessen the incidence of CDDY carriers in their program.
Breeders should have laboratory results or affected-by-parentage results for:
- CDPA (Chondrodysplasia)
Results for DNA should preferably be published in the OFA database or made readily available upon request and provided to puppy buyers. Clear-by-parentage should not be relied on for consecutive generations in order to mitigate laboratory error.
Recommended Health Testing
The following are strongly recommended:
- Dentition evaluation recorded with OFA
- Elbow evaluation at 24 months (or preliminary at 12 months with repeat at 24 months)
- Thyroid evaluation completed at an eligible laboratory and recorded through OFA
- Spinal radiographs evaluated by licensed veterinarian or radiologist
All required or recommended tests may be performed through recognized international equivalent registries where OFA testing is unavailable.
The use of foreign dogs, including imported semen, especially of elderly or deceased dogs, shall consider health testing acceptable as applicable for its country of origin, and time period of activity. All imported dogs, whether purchased or leased, are to follow the guidelines outlined above.
Health and Quality of Life conditions that do not have a definitive health test should be contemplated with equal weight. The presence of non-testable conditions such as, but not limited to: allergies, cancers, anxiety in active stock, littermates or their vertical pedigrees, will receive discretion when considering their potential in a breeding program.
6. Sale and Placement of Dogs
Ethical practices of placement will apply equally in the sale of puppies and placement of adolescent or adult dogs.
Breeders shall:
a. Represent dogs honestly regarding pedigree, health, temperament, and registration status.
b. Carefully screen prospective homes to ensure responsible placement.
c. Provide buyers with ongoing support regarding care, grooming, and training.
d. Provide comprehensive contracts including a health guarantee, an outlined standard of care, and an enforced take-back clause in the event that the new owner can no longer care for the dog.
e. Encourage participation of new owners in kennel club events, sports, and public representation whenever possible.
f. Properly maintain and transfer permanent identification and registration in a timely manner
g. Allow puppies to leave for their new homes only when they show physical, emotional, and medical readiness, no younger than eight (8) weeks of age.
h. Provide new owners with accurate medical records of the dog including previous vaccination date, and provide dates of recommended vaccine schedule
i. Never knowingly sell dogs to brokers, wholesalers, pet stores, commercial resellers, or any person who would intentionally breed outside of the written standard or the Code of Ethics
7. Breeder Listing Enforcement
Breeder Members listed as preferred breeders on the Club website must remain in compliance with this Code of Ethics.
If a Breeder Member:
- fails to meet the breeding requirements outlined in this Code,
- fails to complete required health testing,
- fails to register litters appropriately, or
- violates the ethical standards of the Club,
the Board of Directors may, by majority vote:
- remove the breeder from the Club’s breeder listing,
- suspend breeder membership privileges, or
- revert the member to Regular Membership status.
8. Board Accountability
All Officers and Directors of the Club are equally bound by this Code of Ethics.
Members of the Board must adhere to the same ethical, breeding, and conduct standards as the general membership.
Any Board member found to be in violation of this Code of Ethics may be subject to the same disciplinary procedures outlined in the Constitution and By-Laws and may be removed from office by a vote of the membership in accordance with those procedures.
9. Compliance and Enforcement
Adherence to this Code of Ethics is a condition of membership.
Violations may be addressed through the disciplinary and conflict resolution procedures outlined in the Club’s Constitution and By-Laws.
Possible disciplinary actions may include:
- Written warning
- Suspension of privileges
- Removal from breeder listings
- Suspension or termination of membership
- Expulsion from the Club
Members suspended by the Canadian Kennel Club shall automatically be suspended from the privileges of the Club for the same duration.
10. Agreement
All members of the Western Coton de Tulear Club shall acknowledge that they have read, understand, and agree to abide by this Code of Ethics as a condition of membership.
Effective date: October 9th, 2025 | Western Coton de Tulear Club