Great Pyrenees Club of America Code of Ethics

The Great Pyrenees Club of America, in keeping with its aims of encouraging the development of Great Pyrenees, has adopted the following Code of Ethics to promote and foster the following standards among breeders and owners, and to encourage cooperation in the improvement, advancement, and protection of our breed.

This Code of Ethics is established in accordance with the objectives of the GPCA as set forth in the Bylaws and hereby outlines a standard of conduct by all members of The Great Pyrenees Club of America. The Code is presented as a guideline for the use of GPCA members and the general public when buying, breeding, selling and exhibiting Great Pyrenees dogs. The code is designed to not only protect and preserve our breed, but to also preserve the interests of the club and its members.

All members of the Great Pyrenees Club of America will abide by this Code of Ethics. Any person may prefer charges against a member for alleged misconduct prejudicial to the best interest of the Club, its members or the Breed.

Canon of Ethics

A. Members of the GPCA have an obligation to protect the interests of their breed by conducting themselves in a manner designed to reflect credit on themselves, their breed/s, and on the Great Pyrenees Club of America.

B. Members are expected to observe the highest standards of conduct, in such a manner as to reflect positively on the breed and the sport of showing dogs, and exhibit goodwill and sportsmanship at all breed shows, obedience, field trials, and any other activities.

C. Members who contemplate breeding a litter, or who allow the use of their stud dog to the same end, shall direct their efforts toward producing dogs of exceptional quality, temperament and condition. Members are not to use their stud dogs on pet quality bitches, totally lacking in breed type. (Per the Illustrated Standard of the GPCA).

D. Members will not engage in false advertising or misrepresentation, nor shall they malign their competition by making false, malicious or misleading statements regarding their competitors’ dogs, breeding practices, or the individual. Members should be responsible, respectful and professional, including by not limited to, social media, dog shows, club meetings or events.

E. When confronted by a situation not covered in this Code of Ethics, the GPCA member will conduct himself or herself in the best interest of the breed and as he or she would like to be treated in similar circumstances.

Member Relations

Members shall be aware at all times that the Club exists to protect the breed and that these aims are to be uppermost in the minds of members in all their activities to the breed.
Members will at all times, whether at home, traveling, at shows or at motels, display good sportsmanship and conduct themselves in such a manner as to reflect credit upon the club, its members, and the breed.
Members shall refrain from unnecessary and unconstructive criticism of another’s dog and from personal attacks upon a fellow member whether verbally or via any social media platform.
Novices are encouraged to seek the advice and assistance of more experienced owners and breeders (breed mentors), and the more experienced will graciously assist the novice with his problems, and share for the good of the breed, the benefits of his knowledge.
In all questions of ethics, covered or not covered by this Code, the individual member shall act solely in the best interests of the breed, and its members, and the membership shall willingly aid any fellow member in upholding these interests.
Members shall bear in mind that a Code of Ethics is more than a set of rules; it is a commitment to a standard of practice in owning and breeding and professional conduct that adherence to the spirit of the Code is as important as adherence to its law.

Treatment

All Great Pyrenees owned by, or in the care of members, will be given a proper, healthy environment, nutrition and care at all times and no member shall have more dogs than can be safely and adequately housed and cared for. No member’s dog may be treated in an inhumane manner, subjected to cruel or unusual punishment or abused. For example, inappropriate use of training tools, such as shock collars, prong collars and LGD yokes or dangle sticks. Nor may it be subjected to any conditions likely to eventuate in unnecessary danger to the dog’s life.
Members will be diligent in the handling of their dogs in public places and will do so in a manner to minimize the risk of trauma or danger to any human being or animal.
Members recognize their responsibility to protect the name and reputation of the breed and will not allow their dogs to roam at large unsupervised, nor to become a public nuisance, nor to become a public trust.
Treatment and handling of active livestock guardian dogs owned by members shall be consistent with the best management techniques for such dogs.

All advertisement of puppies and adult dogs, written or oral, will be factual in both substance and implication.
Advertising and promotion, written or oral, shall be confined to the aspects of the breeder’s stock and will not degrade the stock of others.
The breeder should be cautious in discussing show prospects of any animal lest it imply a guarantee of show success that cannot or will not be ensured.
The breeder shall be equally cautious in encouraging buyers as to breeding prospects, in as much as the breeding of a Great Pyrenees is not to be undertaken lightly by any owner.

Recommendations for Breeding

A GPCA breed mentor can be an invaluable resource in establishing a breeding program. As such, it is recommended that a prospective breeder seeks the expertise of a mentor and incorporates the following practices:

Anyone breeding a bitch bears great responsibility to the future of the breed; therefore, a breeder shall plan each breeding with the paramount intention of advancing and protecting the breed, and only when in a position to give proper care to both bitch and offspring.
The bitch owner should safeguard a bitch from breedings which are not carefully planned.
Recognizing the extended growth pattern of this giant breed, we recommend that breeders avoid a) breeding a bitch before her second heat; b) breeding a bitch before 20 months without consulting and seeking recommendations from a veterinarian; and c) breeding a bitch more than 2 out of 3 heats.
A breeder should carefully select stud and bitch with an eye to conformation and temperament and only after careful study of the breed standard, the individuals and their near relatives, the pedigrees and the basic principles of genetics aided by health clearances.
All animals to be bred shall have sound, typical structure, conformation and type, and shall be of sound temperament and free from crippling or disabling hereditary defects.
A breeder shall refrain from using an individual who, although free from such hereditary defects, consistently produces afflicted offspring from different mates.
Any breeder breeding from lines in which any serious or disabling hereditary defects occur has an ethical obligation to disclose that to all buyers.
It is recommended that all dogs considered for any breeding program should be cleared prior to a breeding with an many of the following tests as possible: hips, elbows, shoulders, heart, eyes and patellas. The results of these tests should be shared with the owner of stud or bitch prior to a successful breeding. If, by chance, the animal has not passed these tests, the results should be made clear to all puppy buyers and breeding pairs in writing. Members should be aware that it is inadvisable and genetically risky to breed an animal which has not tested free of these tests. If an individual is bred on the basis of a screening x-ray at under 18 months of age, it should be re-x-rayed within a reasonable timeframe or before reaching 24-30 months of age. The results of adult x-rays will be submitted to OFA or Penn Hip for evualation and grading so that they can be recorded in a appropriate database. This information is valuable to breeders looking to select a pair for a planned breeding.
DNA tests such as CMR1 (eyes), Glanzmann’s (blood), and NDG/Dwarfism are recommended for all dogs in a breeding program; the information is valuable to breeders looking to select a pair for future breeding.

Stud Service

Anyone using their dog at stud bears great responsibility to the future of the breed; therefore a stud owner shall use the dog discriminately and with the paramount intention of advancing and protecting the breed.
No member shall offer for stud an dog who does not meet the requirements set forth above for bitches in sections 4-8.
If the stud has not been bred before or has not produced a live litter or has had breeding problems in the past, such information shall be provided to the bitch owner before the bitch is accepted for breeding.
Prior to accepting any bitch for service, it is the obligation of the stud owner to advise novice breeders of the responsibilities, problems, obligations and expenses involved in breeding a litter.
It is the responsibility of the stud owner to ascertain that any bitch brought to any stud should meet the requirements of the Code of Ethics, whether owned by a club member of not. The stud owner shall further ascertain to the best of his ability that any offspring of the breeding will be raised and sold in a manner in keeping with the ethical standards of this Code of Ethics. The stud owner shall supply any bitch owner who is not a GPCA member with a copy of this Code and explain its provisions.
The owner of the stud dog is under no obligation to provide stud service for a bitch who when brought to the stud dog is not as represented by her owner or presents serious hereditary defects or is not in good health.
The owner of a stud dog will not accept a bitch for service if the bitch cannot be maintained in a safe and healthy manner.
Bitches shall be bred only to the stud specified by her owner unless an acceptable substitute is agreed upon by both parties.
Owners of stud and bitch will sign a written agreement, clearly stating the conditions and terms of such service. When possible, at least 2 live services should be effected, and it is the obligation of the stud owner to offer a free return service under the same conditions. A litter is defined for the purposes of this Code of Ethics as a minimum of 2 live pups at 36 hours. If puppies have not been a result of the breeding, options should be either to provide a refund of the stud fee or arrange a repeat breeding.
The owner of the stud dog has an obligation to all pups sired by his male(s). Therefore, if the owner of the bitch (breeder of the litter) refuses to take responsibility for the puppies produced as set forth in “Sales” the owner of the stud dog will assume that responsibility.
When using frozen/fresh chilled semen, it must be agreed ahead of the Artificial Insemination the responsibilities of both the semen owner and the bitch owner in writing

Sales

A breeder shall be discriminating in the sale of all dogs and concerned with the type of home in which they are placed. No member shall engage in wholesaling litters, or in individual sales or consignments of pups or adults to pet shops, dealers, catalog houses or other commercial establishments. Nor shall they be donated or given as prizes in contests, raffles or fund raising events, no matter how charitable.
A breeder shall be available to buyers for whatever advice, reasonable aid or assistance they may need for the life of the dog. GPCA members shall help and support their fellow members in fulfilling this obligation.
The breeder is responsible for the life of the dog. Should the buyer need to relinquish the dog it should be written in the sellers’ contract that the breeder must approve with prior written consent to the new safe, healthy environment. This applies to all co-breeders of the dog.
A breeder, for the protection of both breeder and buyer, will provide adequate written contractual proof of sales and guarantees. No promise shall be made orally which is not put into writing.
It is recommended that a breeder supply a Copy of the Code of Ethics to all buyers and explain to them its provisions.
The breeder should supply the AKC full or limited individual registration form or a written guarantee that it shall be supplied by the time the pup is 4 mos old, or on completion of sale. A puppy may, for good cause, be sold without papers if this in understood and agreed to in writing by both parties, as specified by AKC.
Any animal sold under the designation “pet/companion” shall be sold without full registration papers and on a mandatory spay/neuter contract.
It is the ethical obligation of a breeder to grade all litters as to quality. A breeder may choose to change a registration from limited to full at a later date. The buyer may be offered this option which may be contingent upon a change of contract terms.
It is the ethical obligation of a member breeder to guarantee dogs produced and sold to be as represented. Any replacement or refund arrangement agreed to by breeder and buyer and just to the interests of both parties shall be considered satisfactory. It is understood, however, that any dog which dies or must be euthanized before the age of 18 months due to physical or temperamental conditions which are hereditary, shall be replaced one for one, within a year of death. or if that is not possible, the full purchase price shall be refunded.
Upon releasing any Pyr, pup or adult, the breeder shall follow these guidelines:

1. He shall supply a pedigree of no less than 4 generations.
2. He shall provide written information of the care of the animal.
3. He shall supply records which detail all dates and types of medical care given the animal including shots,
4. He shall release only animals which are to the best of his knowledge in good health.
5. Animals being released shall have had all the necessary inoculations and worming for their age.
6. All puppies leaving the breeder shall be at least 8 weeks old. Those to be shipped shall be 9 weeks.
7. Breeder requests that the buyer take the animal to a veterinarian of their choice upon receipt and if the animal is unhealthy, allow buyers 72 hours to return the animal at their expense for a full refund.
8. If the animal has not been seen by the buyer or the buyer’s agent before shipping, the breeder shall allow the buyer 48 hours to return the animal at the buyer’s expense if not satisfied that the animal is as represented by the breeder. A full refund shall be made.

Livestock Guardian Dogs

All provisions of this Code apply to livestock guardian dogs, except as specified.
Members will not engage in the breeding or selling of livestock guardian dogs unless they are willing to undertake the education and responsibility involved with such animals.
It is the obligation of the breeder to determine the specific needs of the buyers and to be available to them for information and advice.
It is the obligation of the breeder to determine the specific needs of the buyers and to be available to them for information and advice.
Members recognize the growing impact on the breed of the indiscriminate production of livestock guardian dogs. Therefore, they will observe the following:

All dogs intended to be primary livestock guardian dogs shall be sold on written spay/neuter agreements, and without registration papers .
Limited registration papers may be supplied with dogs that have been spayed or neutered before leaving the breeder.
Pairs of pups or dogs are not recommended to be sold to the same party unless they have been spayed and neutered before leaving the breeder.
Extreme caution will be taken in selling a breedable animal to anyone who breeds, or intends to breed, livestock guardian dogs if that person is not a member of the GPCA. If possible, such dogs shall be sold on co-ownership with written contracts specifying that the buyer shall abide by the provisions of this code.

Implementation

Not adhering to any section of this Code of Ethics, may be considered prejudicial to the best interest of the Club, Breed or Member. Any member may prefer charges against another member, a non-member against a Club member, or the Club against a member (which could result in a Constitutional charge) for alleged misconduct as described in the GPCA Bylaws, Article VI, Section 2-4 and the GPCA COE Policy and Procedures Guidelines established and accepted by the GPCA Board of Directors.

Social Media – Code of Conduct for GPCA Members

It is your responsibility to be respectful at all times on social media. You are expected to show the same respect and regard for people that you would when at a show, meeting or play match.
Do not use social media to be critical of fellow Members, or their dogs or bloodlines. Negative comments and images, bullying, criticism and sexist remarks can be dangerous and harmful to people’s wellbeing and reputation and the image of individuals and the GPCA.
Always assume the person you are talking or writing about will see what has been said or written. Ensure all comments are factually correct.
Use social media as a positive outlet to promote kennels, members, dogs or bloodlines involved in Great Pyrenees. The GPCA has a page on Facebook for Members to interact with. Posting results and acknowledging individual and kennel performances on social media makes many people aware of kennel and individual Members and Dogs achievements. That can have a positive effect for many people and should be used, encouraged and embraced wherever and whenever possible.
Do not tolerate or condone poor social media behavior or actions. If you are aware of or observe poor social media behavior or actions, do not accept it. There is no place for it in the dog world and it will not be condoned. You should remind people of their responsibilities when using social media and warn that action can be taken against them if they have abused it. If you believe the breach is serious, report it to a member of the Board of Directors.

Consequences

Your actions on social media may have serious consequences. Negative comments and images, bullying, criticism and sexist or derogatory remarks not only impact negatively on the people they are about, they reflect badly on yourself, your kennel, and the people you represent. Whether on the public FB Members Page or your own individual FB page, email, Instagram, X (Twitter) or any other program, it is your responsibility to show respect and regard for any GPCA Member and their dogs. If you are found to have acted improperly on social media by breaching any of the code of conduct requirements or guidelines above, you will be permanently removed from the GPCA Members FB page as well as possible Code violations within the GPCA resulting in suspensions or expulsion. NO EXCEPTIONS!

This Code of Ethics has been adopted by the GPCA to protect the club, its members, their dogs and the breed. Any violations of the Code of Ethics may be subjected to disciplinary action as referenced in the COE Policy and Procedure Guidelines.

A publication of the Great Pyrenees Club of America, Inc.
Adopted 1985, revised 2001, 2006, 2007, 2023, 2024