As a contentious & caring breeders, we have over the number of years we have been involved with dogs always exceeded the requirements of the scheme.  In addition to being an Accredited Breeder, I have also studied the Dog Breeding Diploma (passed with Distinction) and the Diploma in Advanced Canine Care (also passed with Distinction).  More information about the Animal Care College Dog Breeding Diploma can be found here and further information about the Advanced Canine Care Diploma can be found here.

We have been 'inspected'!

On Tuesday 30th March 2010, we had a visit from a Breed Advisor who came to meet the dogs & us as part of the Kennel Club Accredited Breeder Scheme Breeder Advisor visits. The visit was to check our compliance with the scheme and to inspect our home to ensure the living environment we provide for our dogs and puppies is to good welfare standards and that the care, safety and comfort of our dogs and our puppies is given high priority.

We are pleased to say that the Kennel Club has confirmed our adherence to the terms of Accredited Breeder membership.

For your reference, details of this scheme are shown below:

Once potential owners have made the important decision to have a puppy would they know where to go to find a responsible breeder & where they can find a puppy that will be credit to both them and to the breeder.

It is understandable, as a prospective new owner to want some kind of reassurance that you are purchasing a puppy from someone whose priority is the health and welfare of his or her puppies. Someone who will provide you with a healthy well-adjusted puppy and a quality, supportive and informative service both before and after you take your puppy home. One way to do this is to contact a Kennel Club Accredited Breeder.

The scheme, which is voluntary and was launched in 2004, promotes good breeding practices, giving prospective owners the best opportunity to bring home a healthy well adjusted puppy. As a puppy buyer there is now some kind of benchmark to help you in your search to find a responsible breeder.

The Accredited Breeder Scheme has been established to set a standard for the breeding of healthy well-adjusted puppies. This allows people to buy a puppy with the assurance that the breeder has made a commitment to putting the health and welfare of the dogs they breed as a high priority. Accredited breeders have the required health checks for their breed carried out, socialise their puppies, provide safe, secure & appropriate living conditions for their own dogs and their puppies and they agree to be spot-checked by the Kennel Club.

But what does this mean?

The aim of this scheme is to encourage breeding of healthy, well-adjusted puppies. By laying down a series of requirements that breeders must follow in order to participate in the scheme, it provides puppy buyers with an assurance that the breeder has agreed to follow good breeding practices.

What are the Requirements?

1. Ensure that all breeding stock is Kennel Club registered, and take all reasonable steps to ensure that it is healthy and able to function normally (i.e. fit for function; fit for life.)
2. Hand over the dog's registration certificate at time of sale if available, or forward it to the new owner as soon as possible. Explain any endorsements that might pertain and obtain written and signed confirmation from the new owner, at or before the date on which the dog is physically transferred, that the new owner is aware of the endorsement(s), regardless of whether or not the endorsed registration certificate is available.
3. Follow Kennel Club policy regarding maximum age and number/frequency of litters.
4. Permanently identify breeding stock by DNA profile, microchip, or tattoo.
5. Make use of Kennel Club health screening schemes, relevant to their breed, on all breeding stock. These schemes include DNA testing: OptiGen PRA and OptiGen/Antagene FN testing; KC/BVA Hip Scoring and KC/BVA Eye Screening.
6. Give written, breed-specific advice in the Puppy Sales Wallet on: a) tendencies or potential traits in the breed b) socialization, exercise and training c) feeding and worming programmes d) grooming.
7. Inform the buyer in writing of any vaccination which has been carried out.
8. Provide reasonable post-sales telephone advice and endeavour to deal with any issues arising in good faith.
9. Inform buyers of the requirements and the recommendations that apply to Kennel Club Accredited Breeders as well as the existence of the complaints procedure.
10. Draw up a contract of sale for each puppy and provide a copy in the Puppy Sales Wallet.

In addition, there are a number of recommendations:

1. Make sure that whelping facilities accord with good practice.
2. Follow any relevant breed specific recommendations.
3. The contract of sale should clearly lay out to the buyer the nature and details of any guarantee given e.g. time limit and/or any provisions for refund or return and replacement of puppy. If endorsements are being used the contract should also explain why these have been placed and under what circumstances they would be removed (if any). The contract should be signed and dated by both breeder and purchaser, showing that both have agreed to these terms.
4. Encourage new owners to take their puppy to the vet as soon as possible after taking delivery of it.
5. Commit to help, if necessary, with the re-homing of a dog, for whatever reason, throughout the dog's lifetime.
6. Accredited Breeders should participate in any breed health survey or other health initiatives in their breed.

Other Requirements - Not Published or Publicised by The Kennel Club:

The Kennel Club have a number of requirements they expect Accredited Breeders to adhere too, they are not published as part of the scheme literature or indeed on the scheme application form! The KC expect breeders to comply with their own "Expectations of Good Management”. This document appears to be a plagiarized version of the Breeding of Dogs Act 1973 (section 4) and the BVA ‘Guidance and Model Conditions for Local Authorities and their Authorised Officers’.

Expectations of Good Management:

1. Dogs should be housed in clean and comfortable conditions with adequate heat and ventilation with particular regard for the animals' health, age and breed.
2. Dogs should be provided with suitable and adequate food, drink and clean bedding material on a regular basis.
3. Dogs should be exercised and visited at suitable intervals, and should be in the care and supervision of a fit and responsible person.
4. A secure and safe environment should be provided, with sufficient space proportionate to the number of dogs kept to ensure good physical and mental wellbeing.
5. Arrangements should be in place to provide adequate exercise to ensure the dogs' physical and mental wellbeing.
6. Facilities available should be in a suitable and fit condition for the keeping of dogs and maintained or kept in a good state of repair.
7. Breeders are expected to make reasonable efforts to ensure that the dogs are kept under control and do not cause a nuisance to neighbours and visitors to the property.
8. Reasonable precautions should be taken to ensure prevention of the spread of infectious or contagious diseases, and facilities should be available for the treatment of dogs in an emergency.
9. Dogs should receive adequate grooming and veterinary treatment and records of any veterinary treatment should be easily accessible.
10. Arrangements or plans should be available for the transport of animals to and from the accredited breeder's establishment.

How are the Kennel Club going to ensure the breeders ARE up to their standard and complying with their requirements?

Policing the Scheme

Recent consultation with breed clubs has highlighted a lack of awareness of policing measures used in connection with the Accredited Breeder Scheme. The Scheme is policed by the Kennel Club in the following ways:

Prior to acceptance

Acceptance of Membership - All applications will be fully considered.

• Further information and a Breeder Advisor visit may be required so that the Kennel Club is satisfied the breeder is fully capable of meeting the requirements of the scheme.
• An application may be subject to Committee approval by its Review Panel.
• An applicant must own a bitch of current breeding age of each of the breeds(s) listed.
• If an applicant has not previously registered a litter, their ABS membership will be held in a pending status until such time as they submit an application to register a litter.
• If an applicant has bred 5 or more litters during the previous 12 months, then a Breeder Advisor visit must be satisfactorily completed before membership is permitted.
• Any breeder subject to KC disciplinary penalties under Rule A42/43 will not be eligible for Accredited Breeder Scheme membership.
• The Kennel Club reserves the right to refuse an application.
• If the applicant is under 18 years of age then the parent/guardian must countersign the application by way of guarantee for the young person’s obligations and to agree to be bound by the Rules and Regulations and requirements of the Scheme on behalf of the young person.

When Accredited Breeders register a litter

Every time an Accredited Breeder registers a litter, the sire and dam of that litter are checked for compulsory permanent identification (microchip, tattoo or DNA profile are currently acceptable). In addition, both sire and dam are checked for compulsory health screening scheme results that are relevant to their breed. All the usual Kennel Club rules and regulations must be complied with.

When Accredited Breeders sell their puppies

Accredited Breeders are required to use ABS puppy sales (purple) wallets for every puppy that they sell. Included in these wallets is a 'feedback form' that the new owner is requested to return directly to the Kennel Club. There are questions on this form that inform the Kennel Club about the Accredited Breeder's compliance with aspects of the Scheme that they are not able to police in any other way, for example whether the breeder provided advice on training, feeding, socialisation etc.

Feedback forms come back to the Kennel Club every day, and almost without exception are complimentary about the breeder concerned. Where any problems are mentioned, these are taken up with the breeder.

Litters and numbers of puppies registered by Accredited Breeders are monitored and compared with orders for additional puppy sales wallets. If Accredited Breeders do not seem to be purchasing adequate supplies of wallets, they are contacted regarding this matter. The Kennel Club has the facility for further investigation, as upon joining the Scheme all Accredited Breeders sign a declaration as follows:

“I have read and understood the requirements of being an Accredited Breeder and I undertake to comply with them and hereby apply to be a Kennel Club Accredited Breeder. I will provide the Kennel Club upon request with the opportunity to review my compliance procedures and to investigate any anomalies or complaints. I accept that in the event of non-compliance, my name may be removed from the list of Accredited Breeders and I will no longer be entitled to use the Scheme literature or accreditation.” This ensures that the Kennel Club can investigate any complaints thoroughly.”

Breeder Adviser Visits

The breeder agrees that the Kennel Club may visit facilities upon giving reasonable notice.

If there are issues of concern arising from a visit and it is considered that the facilities fall short of the standards expected for an Accredited Breeder then this may result in the breeder being removed from the scheme or in some cases suspended pending improvements being made.

What happens if they breach any of the Scheme requirements?

• Temporary Suspension - at any time during the investigation of a complaint, a breeder may be suspended from using or operating under the scheme pending the conclusion of such an investigation. During such suspension, puppies must not be sold under the scheme & breeder's must not advertise themselves as Accredited Breeders.
• Grievance Procedure - there is a grievance procedure which will be followed in the case of a complaint by a purchaser of a puppy under the scheme. A copy of the Grievance Procedure is available from the Kennel Club on request.

For full information about the scheme visit the Kennel Club Accredited Breeder Scheme webpage.