CODE OF ETHICS

The Portuguese Podengo Club of Great Britain Code of Ethics

All Portuguese Podengo Club of Great Britain Members shall be deemed to have accepted this Code of Ethics

Breeders

No Podengo puppy should leave its maternal home under the age of 8 weeks.

No false or over optimistic claims must be made for a puppy’s future over and above ‘at this stage I think this puppy is very promising’.

No false information regarding the sire, dam, and date of birth shall be given to the Kennel Club when applying for registration. All registration papers should be applied for before a puppy is offered for sale, and handed over as soon as possible unless the puppy is sold without papers and this fact along with any special conditions or Kennel Club endorsements should be clearly marked on the receipt.

Stud dog owners shall be expected to give the breeder an accurately completed Kennel Club form. Should no puppies result from the first mating/s a repeat mating is considered good practice. This must be at the stud dog owner’s discretion.

Breeders must not breed from a bitch more than once every 12 months. A bitch under 12 months of age or over 8 years of age must not be bred from.

All breeders shall be expected to provide a diet sheet and all possible help to ensure the comfort and well being of the puppy. The breeder should advise all new owners to communicate with them should any problem occur. The breeder has a responsibility to assist the current owner in resolving any problems that are brought to their attention. Should it be necessary to take the animal into Rescue the breeder shall be expected to help in any way possible.

Any defects which may possibly be hereditary should be notified to the Secretary who will, in turn, notify the officers of the Club and no one else. If a pattern starts to emerge which gives rise to concern, the Committee shall be advised of a possible problem and assistance sought from the Kennel Club Scientific Committee.

All breeders should take great care when they sell their puppies, and no puppy should be sold knowingly to commercial breeders or puppy farmers. Puppies should not be sold singly or as a litter to pet shops, agents and the like.

Breeders should sell only stock for exhibition or breeding purposes which, in their opinion, is of the best possible quality.

General

All premises housing Podengos shall be well fenced, clean and warm. They should be provided with adequate food and water and clean, dry bedding.

Regular grooming is essential to a dog’s well being and should be considered as vital as exercise.

Veterinary assistance should be sought without hesitation should it be necessary and the welfare of the animal should come before any monetary consideration.

Attention should be given to the training of Podengos to ensure that they never become a nuisance to the public. Should they foul a public area the owner shall remove any such droppings. In the interest of public hygiene all dogs should be regularly wormed.

Exhibitors

No Podengo exhibitor should ever behave in a way which could bring the breed into disrepute. Good manners and Sportsmanship should be exhibited at all times.

No private disputes should be voiced at any Show, nor should support be sought from other exhibitors on matters that do not concern them.

All exhibits should be presented in good health and clean. If an exhibitor feels that they must show an in season bitch, the animal should be kept away from male dogs and deodorised.

Judges

The future well being of the breed is dependent on good breeding and judging. In consequence all judges should make every effort to fully understand the Podengo Breed, their conformation and what is meant by type.

All judges are expected to judge without fear or favour to the best of their ability. Exhibitors have the right to expect courtesy, consideration and concentration as well as ability.

All judges are expected to produce a critique after each appointment. Critiques are important to exhibitors in understanding placements and they also assist the Committee in assessing the Judge’s understanding of the breed.