The Czechoslovakian Vlciak Club of America

Adopted January 1, 2017

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AS A CSVCA MEMBER, I SHALL ADHERE TO THE FOLLOWING PRACTICES:

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1. Appreciate the unique nature of the Czechoslovakian Vlciak and try to preserve its characteristics of type, temperament, and health as a versatile, working breed.

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2. Abide by the Constitution and By-laws of The Czechoslovakian Vlciak Club of America (“CSVCA”) and the rules of the American Kennel Club (“AKC”).

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3. Each member shall present an accurate image of the Czechoslovakian Vlciak to the public, and shall promote responsible ownership by both words and actions.

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4. Honestly represent the breed and their own dog(s). Not make false or misleading statements about another competitor and their dog(s) and bear responsibility for the truth and accuracy of any information and/or photographs submitted for publication.

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5. Each member shall demonstrate tolerance, regard for others, and a willingness to work together for the welfare and benefit of the Czechoslovakian Vlciak and CSVCA.

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6. Each member shall accept any majority vote of the club as the wishes of the club. Proposed changes that might benefit the breed or the club will be made in an orderly and responsible manner.

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7. Each member must realize that his or her behavior reflects the public image of CSVCA and shall act accordingly. No person who has been convicted of felony or misdemeanor – cruelty, abuse or negligence to any animal shall be admitted as a member. Humane training methods should be used.

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8. Display good sportsmanship and conduct, whether at home or at shows in such a manner as to reflect praise upon themselves and the CSVCA. Each member shall, at all times, exhibit good sportsmanship at all dog events and demonstrate honesty and fairness in dealing with other breeders, purchasers of dogs and/or the general public.

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9. Maintain the best possible standards of health, cleanliness, safety, and care of their dogs. Dogs shall not be maintained in a way that poses danger to their health or safety, or to the health and safety of the general public, including the property of others.

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10. Dog owners must comply with all city, county, state and federal laws and regulations concerning their dogs, including but not limited to: rabies vaccinations, humane laws, nuisance and dangerous dog laws, and leash laws. It is in the owner’s best interest to be vigilant of all proposed and current legislation that will affect ownership of their Czechoslovakian Vlciak.

 

AS A CSVCA MEMBER, WHOSE DOG OR BITCH IS USED FOR BREEDING PURPOSES, I SHALL ADHERE TO THE FOLLOWING PRACTICES:

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Selection of Studs and Bitches for Breeding

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1. Study and strive to conserve and improve the breed in structure, health, temperament, genetic diversity and working ability. A prerequisite for the owner of the purebred Czechoslovakian Vlciak is a thorough knowledge of the breed, which can be acquired through reading, study of the live animal, guidance from fellow members with greater experience and from other experts. Only with this knowledge can successful breeding be developed. Both stud and bitch should be free of major faults, particularly of those in conflict with the Standard. Every effort should be made to exclude dogs with genetic defects. The intent should be to produce Czechoslovakian Vlciaks of exceptional quality in physical health, temperament, and conformation to the Standard.

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2. Plan all litters with the goal of improving the breed giving consideration to individual health benefits and concerns. Breed only AKC/FSS or FCI registered mature dogs which are no less than 2 years of age, have passed all required health tests, have stable temperament and no disqualifying physical faults according to the AKC/FCI Czechoslovakian Vlcak Standard.

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3. Evaluate honestly according to the AKC/FCI Czechoslovakian Vlciak standard, and state clearly to the Buyer the quality of any Czechoslovakian Vlciak sold. All advertising shall be honest and informative and shall in no way misrepresent the stock offered. Prices shall be based on individual merit and shall not be included in any advertising.

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4. As this is a rare breed with a small population in the United States, it is advisable to use extreme care and restraint in line-breeding and/or inbreeding, and to utilize out-crossing frequently in order to discourage recessive genetic health issues from arising and to encourage genetic diversity within the Czechoslovakian Vlciak population. It is also advisable not to use a stud dog in more than eight (8) breedings.

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5. CSVCA will not recognize any breeder that practices extreme inbreeding (mating siblings, mother to son, or father to daughter).

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Health of Studs and Bitches Used for Breeding

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1. Breeders shall keep well informed in the field of genetics and work to eliminate hereditary defects from the breed.

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2. In the interest of full disclosure of any identified health issues, any dog or bitch to be bred must have a CHIC certificate which provides a source of health information for owners, breeders, and scientists that will assist in breeding healthy dogs. CHIC is meant to encourage health testing and sharing of all results, normal and abnormal, so that more informed breeding decisions can be made in an overall effort to reduce the incidence of genetic disease and improve canine health. CHIC requires permanent identification (Microchip or Tattoo) and requires that certain evaluations are done and results released, regardless of pass or failure.

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3. It is required that prospective breeding candidates and their immediate relatives are not affected with hereditary disease for which there is diagnostic testing. For Degenerative Myelopathy, or other genetic tests which are determined to be carried in the Czechoslovakian Vlciak in the future, and are genetically passed in the same way, the following combinations shall not be made: “carrier x carrier”, or “carrier x at-risk”, or “at-risk x at-risk”.

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4. All dogs and bitches used for breeding must have a DNA profile logged with CSVCA.

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5. Refrain from further use of any dog/bitch that has produced serious defects detrimental to the animal’s well-being, affecting normal functions or impairment of vital functions, and produces like results with a different mating partner.

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6. Use restraint in breeding dogs or bitches with temperament defects, including overly shy or aggressive dogs.

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7. Only breed dogs and bitches which have OFA certified hips, or Penn-Hip results in the top 50% of Czechoslovakian Vlciaks, with no Degenerative Joint Disease. Imported dogs of mature age, or fresh or frozen semen donors not residing in the United States must have normal hips by the standard of their country of origin. Only dogs that are free from elbow dysplasia may be bred.

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8. Categorization of hip results and appropriate matching.

• Breeding Group I – Dogs who are graded HD OFA Excellent or Good (FCI equivalent A1 and A2, respectively) AND both parents have the same grade.

• Breeding Group II – Dogs who are graded HD OFA Fair or Borderline (FCI equivalent B1 & B2) AND/OR one or both parents have Fair or Borderline grades. And, dogs who are graded HD Excellent or Good AND one or both parents have Fair or Borderline grades.

• Breeding Group III – Dogs who have any passing grade (OFA Excellent through Borderline, FCI equivalent A1-B2) but whose parents have either unknown or have been graded HD Mild Dysplasia (FCI equivalent C), HD Moderate Dysplasia (FCI equivalent D) or worse.

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The recommendation proposals are that Breeding Group I dogs can be freely used as it relates to hip health*.  Breeding Group II dogs can be used with preference going to Group I but Group II permitted; and Breeding Group III must only be used with dogs from Breeding Group I.

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*Obviously, other health issues exist in the breed and an appropriate match will also take these other issues into mind even if two breeding dogs are both from the proposed Breeding Group I

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9. Dogs and bitches being imported into the United States must have all of the above required health clearances before being used for breeding. The following applies to both dogs and bitches which reside outside of the U.S. and are being used for/bred to, either via a natural, fresh or frozen semen breeding: must be certified for hips and elbows, as well as be a suitable match for the degenerative myelopathy status of the dog being bred to. CERF is not required; however the dog or bitch would be required to have certification from EVCO (European College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists) or another recognized registry. Because a CHIC # requires CERF, the dog or bitch would be exempt from this requirement.

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10. The age and conditions of the bitch shall be given consideration before she is bred. Generally, it is not advisable to breed a bitch under 2 years or over 7 years, although an older bitch may be determined by a veterinarian to be in good condition and capable of whelping a litter. When a bitch’s cycle is under one year, there should be no breeding at two successive seasons, unless there is a very exceptional reason. Bitches should have no more than 5 litters in their lifetime. One should use restraint in a breeding program to avoid contributing to overpopulation.

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11. Offer at stud, with a signed written contract, only mature (no less than 2 years of age) healthy dogs, free of communicable diseases, and meeting all of the above requirements. Refuse stud service to any bitch not meeting the same requirements.

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12. All dogs/puppies sold must be guaranteed to be in healthy condition, including adequate protection against known diseases.

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13. Complete and return CSVCA Breed Survey within one (1) month from the survey’s mailing date. I understand that noncompliance will result in automatic removal from the CSVCA Breeder’s List.

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Registration

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1. Follow AKC requirements for record keeping, identification of breeding stock, and registration procedures.

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2. Accurate records of all breedings shall be kept in accordance with the requirements of AKC.

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3. All puppies/dogs should be permanently identified with a microchip or tattoo. It is recommended that the breeder co-register on microchip registration, in the event the dog becomes lost, stolen, or displaced as a precautionary measure.

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4. It is required that all dogs and bitches used in breeding have a DNA profile. In the United States, this profile must be maintained under the guidelines of the AKC. Members shall not cross-breed or breed to an unregistered Czechoslovakian Vlciak. Dogs imported from litters known, or later determined by FCI affiliated clubs, to contain mixed-breed heritage or falsified pedigrees shall not be used in breeding, or be registered with the AKC.

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5. Bitches bred to more than 1 sire during a single season must adhere to the AKC regulations: http://www.akc.org/dna/multisire.cfm

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6. Sellers shall provide puppy/dog buyers with the following papers free of charge for each puppy or dog sold: a written Contract of Sale specifying conditions of the sale and signed by both buyer and seller, a four generation pedigree, and written instructions for care, feeding and immunizations. North American Breeders must provide AKC registration papers within six (6) months. Breeders outside of North America who export to the United States must provide registration papers for the exported dog within eighteen (18) months.

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Sales or Adoptions

1. Owners of bitches shall not undertake the breeding of a bitch unless they are prepared to keep the resultant puppies until each is suitably placed.

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2. Inform prospective puppy buyers of the lifelong responsibilities of Czechoslovakian Vlciak ownership: training, grooming, socializing, veterinary expenses, equipment needs, nutritional needs, spatial needs, and exercise.

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3. Seller should ascertain that the prospective buyer has knowledge and facilities to properly care for a growing or grown dog of a large, active, working breed, considering both the physical and mental well-being of the dog. Breeders should emphasize to puppy buyers the importance of proper socialization and training of the Czechoslovakian Vlciak puppy and encourage the achievement of a Canine Good Citizen certificate.

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4. Sell all dogs with a signed, written contract. Keep and pass on to buyers accurate health, breeding and registration records and pedigree records of at least 3 generations. Registration papers may be withheld or breeder’s rights retained only by mutual agreement in writing, signed by both parties. Require that all Czechoslovakian Vlciaks not purchased as show and breeding stock be made incapable of reproducing, and require that limited AKC/FSS registration forms be provided, or that registration papers be withheld until a veterinarian’s certificate is received as proof of sterilization. Release puppies to their new home only after they reach 8 weeks of age.

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5. All puppies should receive proper inoculations, worming, permanent identification, socialization, and be recorded by the breeder with the AKC/FSS before leaving the breeder’s home.

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6. No member or breeder shall, either singly or in litter lots: (i) knowingly consign, donate or sell dogs to commercial dog wholesalers, franchised commercial facilities, brokers, pet shops, puppy mills, laboratories, or agents of the foregoing, (ii) offer, or donate or sell any dog to be offered as a prize in any form of raffle, contest or other like activity or for sale in a mail order catalog. No member or breeder shall sell a dog to a person(s) convicted of felony or misdemeanor cruelty or negligence to animals.

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7. Breeders recognize that they have a LIFETIME responsibility for puppies produced by their brood bitch or stud dog. Breeders and stud dog owners recognize the inherent obligation to provide a stable environment that protects each puppy’s physical and emotional well being. As a condition of sale or placement, the breeder(s) should retain the right of first refusal should the purchaser ever decide to transfer ownership, thereby giving the seller every opportunity to help the purchaser find a new home for the dog if necessary. This includes helping to relocate to a new home a puppy (or adult dog) with which the owner is dissatisfied, or returning that puppy (or adult) to the breeder. Any provisions for refunds or reimbursement of expenses shall be handled in the contract between breeder and owner. Unless required to do so by law, no puppy or adult dog bred or owned by a CSVCA member shall be disposed of in an animal shelter or pound or knowingly be allowed to remain in the care of a rescue organization.

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8. Demonstrate honesty and fairness in dealing with other breeders and purchasers of dogs. Not make false or misleading statements about breeders or purchasers of dogs.