Tibetan Mastiff Breeders
Code of Ethics

For those breeders who wish to agree to adhere to the Code of Ethics please note that if it comes to the attention of TMINFO that these principals have not been followed we may remove your stamp of excellence and in some cases may prevent you from future advertising or representation on our site.

Principals

I will recognize the Tibetan Mastiff Standard adopted by the National Breed Club of my country as the ideal with which I will plan and execute my breeding plan.

I will maintain the purity of the Tibetan Mastiff and will not knowingly procreate crossbred litters.

I will make an honest representation to the buyer of any Tibetan Mastiff dog or puppy that I offer for sale. I will not knowingly misrepresent the characteristics of the breed nor encourage anyone to purchase a puppy or adult without informing them of the unique nature and habits of the Tibetan Mastiff.

I pledge to educate myself, potential owners and fanciers of the breed on the proper care, training and socialization of the Tibetan Mastiff.

I will do my best to be supportive of the breed as a whole by assisting people new to the fancy who have interest in showing, breeding or participating in other events. I will encourage and invite the new owners of any dog sold by me to attend some type of training class and to join in becoming guardians of the Breed by participating in local dog club activities, and educational programs. I will not engage nor encourage activities such as dog fighting or aggression training of Tibetan Mastiffs.

I recognize that many people can only be properly introduced to the Tibetan Mastiff with a physical meeting. I will do my best to help prospective owners have contact with people who have experience with the breed, especially those who are in their geographic area. Whenever possible, I will make buyers aware of other available litters and encourage them to interview the breeders and make their decision about a puppy after careful consideration.

I will do my part to see to it that Tibetan Mastiffs do not find their way into rescue or shelters by educating buyers and breeders about the importance of accountability, by encouraging people to volunteer as foster homes, by staying in contact with shelters and rescue organizations.

I will take responsibility for any Tibetan Mastiff that I breed for the life of the dog. I will do my best to cooperate with other breeders of Tibetan Mastiffs and to contribute to a network of support and foster homes when needed.

Practices

I will maintain a secure, safe, sanitary and pest and disease free facility for my Tibetan Mastiffs and will make sure that they receive the proper and appropriate veterinary care.

I will breed a litter of Tibetan Mastiffs solely when I believe that the outcome has the potential to improve the breed. I will document and evaluate the pedigree, health, character and conformation of any Tibetan Mastiff that I include in my breeding program.

I will not knowingly sell or place any Tibetan Mastiff for breeding purposes that has a disqualifying fault or health or character defect.

I will keep myself informed about inherited health problems common in the Tibetan Mastiff and will do appropriate health screening of potential breeding dogs. I will breed only AKC registered (or other recognized registry counterparts) dogs and bitches which have OFA or Penn Hip certified (recommended for breeding) hips & elbows (or passing hip & elbow scores as certified by foreign counterparts of the OFA). The results of any health tests will be made available to potential stud or brood bitch owners and purchasers, as will any emerging health issues.

I will not sell a dog or puppy for resale by commercial dog wholesalers, dealers, brokers, retailers, pet shops or any other entity. I will not donate, raffle or give away any Tibetan mastiff except as a gift to an individual who has been screened as an acceptable permanent home.

I am not a broker, dealer, puppy mill or pet wholesaler. I will not support any breeding done for purely commercial purposes. I will not force or encourage novice owners to breed a litter under any circumstances but especially not so that I may "get a puppy back".

I will not breed any male or female before nearing or clearing 2 years of age and after that time not until they are both physically and mentally mature. I will not continue to breed dogs that I know are producing unhealthy offspring or whom I know to be ill or otherwise unsuitable for breeding. I will refrain from further use of a Tibetan Mastiff for breeding if the dog or bitch has produced any offspring with serious inherited defects detrimental to an animal's well being (physically or mentally), and has produced like results with a different mating partner. No bitch shall be bred before her second season, nor shall she be bred repeatedly in such as manner as to endanger her health or the puppies and their physical and mental well-being. I will not allow any male to be used so extensively that his use will have an adverse affect on the diversity of the gene pool.

I will comply with all laws concerning the keeping of dogs.

I will use questionnaires, interviews and references to carefully screen potential owners. I will show discrimination in the sale of my puppies and will make buyers aware of their responsibilities as dog owners. I will emphasize the importance or reporting any concerns with health or character to me promptly. I will make sure that I respond within a reasonable time frame to any questions or concerns raised by owners of dog bred by me.

I will keep accurate records and retain those records for a minimum of five years. These records will include: stud service contracts, pedigrees, litter registrations and records of all dogs or puppies placed or sold. Each puppy or adult Tibetan Mastiff will be permanently identified with a microchip or tattoo.

No puppy will leave my care at less than eight weeks of age. All puppies will have a health and vaccination record including all treatment the puppy has received and suggested future treatment. Each puppy will have care and feeding information provided to the new owner. New owners will be advised to promptly have the health of their new puppy checked by a licensed veterinarian.

I will provide each puppy or adult dog purchaser a registration application or a transfer of ownership form except for any puppy sold without papers. Any person purchasing a puppy without papers will be notified of that in writing.

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