Code of Ethics | Pyrenean Mastiff Association of America

CODE OF ETHICS OF

THE PYRENEAN MASTIFF

ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA

Code of Ethics: About

The Pyrenean Mastiff Association of America, in keeping with its aims of encouraging the development of the Pyrenean Mastiff, has adopted the following Code Of Ethics to promote and foster the highest standards among breeders and owners, and to encourage cooperation in the improvement, advancement, and protection of our breed. All members of the Pyrenean Mastiff Association of America must abide by this Code of Ethics. Any member may prefer a grievance against a member for alleged misconduct prejudicial to the best interest of the Club or Breed.

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 in 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 and the breed.
Members must be responsible, respectful and professional on all digital platforms.
Only those members who have been given authority to speak on behalf of the club may do so. Members should avoid speaking on decisions as if it is a position of the club unless a public statement has been issued. Members should direct questions on club decisions to the club.
Members shall refrain from unnecessary and unconstructive criticism of another’s dog and from personal attacks upon a fellow member.
Novices are encouraged to seek the advice and assistance of more experienced owners and breeders. The more experienced shall graciously assist the novice, and, for the good of the breed, share the benefits of his or her knowledge.
In all questions of ethics, covered or not covered by this Code, the individual member shall act solely in the best interest of the breed, and the membership as a whole 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 high standard of practice in owning and breeding and that adherence to the spirit of the Code is as important as adherence to its law.

All Pyrenean Mastiffs owned by, or in the care of, members shall be given a proper, healthy environment, nutrition and care at all times. 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. Nor may it be subjected to any conditions likely to eventuate in unnecessary danger to the dog’s life.
Members shall be diligent in the handling of their dogs in public places and shall 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 shall not allow their dogs to roam at large unsupervised, nor to become a public nuisance, nor to become the responsibility of a shelter/rescue or unknown source.
Treatment and handling of active livestock guardian dogs owned by members shall be with the best management techniques for such dogs.

All advertisements of puppies and adult dogs, written or oral, shall be factual and as forthrightly honest as possible in both substance and implication.
Advertising and promotion, written or oral, shall be confined to the aspects of the breeder’s stock and shall not degrade the stock of others.
The breeder shall 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 discussing breeding prospects, because the breeding of Pyrenean Mastiff is not to be undertaken lightly by any owner.

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 character, quality and typicity of the dogs being paired will be seriously considered. When choosing dogs for breeding, it is paramount to select dogs that compliment each other with the aim of offspring meeting the breed standard in all aspects. Producing disqualifying faults should be avoided if possible.
The bitch owner safeguards a bitch from breedings which are not carefully planned.
The breeder shall not breed a bitch before 2 years of age. Breeders must not breed a bitch past the age of 7.
It is not desirable to make a bitch produce more than four litters in her lifetime.
A bitch who is being considered being bred back-to-back after a successful litter should have a veterinary clearance before being bred on a subsequent cycle.
A breeder selects stud and bitch after carefully studying the breed standard with an eye to conformation, temperament, and reduce or maintain a low coefficient of inbreeding, see item 11.h. A breeder also studies the individuals and their near relatives, the pedigrees and the basic principles of genetics.
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 a dog/bitch 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.
Health Testing Requirements for Breeding Purposes:

*Disclosure: The below items mentioned are the minimum requirements for all breeding Pyrenean Mastiffs owned by PMAA Members. Mandatory health testing items are required prior to breeding. If the minimum requirements are not met then a member or someone from the general public may report to the Board of Directors any violations regarding health testing. Violations may lead to member probation, loss of club features and benefits, fines, etc. as the Board of Directors deems fit. With recurring violations possibly leading to expulsion. Any requests for exemptions or to self report an incident should be submitted to the Board of Directors for review.

a. Hips must be graded by OFA at no earlier than 2 years of age for hip dysplasia. The results must be publicly displayed in the OFA database. The results of these x-rays shall be made known to the owner of stud and owner of the bitch prior to breeding. It should also be made known to all buyers of puppies. If the animal is not free of dysplasia, the implications of that fact shall be made clear to all buyers. Members must be aware that it is inadvisable and genetically risky to breed an animal which is not totally free of hip dysplasia.

b. Elbows must be graded by OFA at no earlier than 2 years of age for elbow dysplasia. The results must be publicly displayed in the OFA database. Dogs who are Grade 2 or Grade 3 elbows may not be bred. If a dog has Grade 1, they can only be bred to normal elbows.

c. Dogs with Severe hips must not be bred or dogs with Moderate hips born after 1/1/2022 must not be bred and will be a violation of this guidance. If a dog has Moderate, Mild or Borderline hips, it must only be bred to a dog free of dysplasia (Fair, Good, Excellent).

d. OFA Heart auscultation testing must be completed at minimum by a General Practitioner or Board-Certified Veterinary Cardiologist no earlier than 2 years of age. Results must be submitted to OFA and publicly available. Any abnormal Auscultations should be followed up by an Echocardiogram to better identify if any heart conditions exist. Any dog with a heart condition should not be bred.

Cardiac Testing Hierarchy

Basic Cardiac (Auscultation)- Practitioner	Required
Basic Cardiac (Auscultation)- Cardiologist	Encouraged
Advanced Cardiac (Echocardiogram) - Cardiologist	Optional
Yearly Cardiac Testing	Encouraged

e. Genetic testing must be done prior to breeding. The primary item for testing is Degenerative Myleopathy (DM) and the requirement is to submit the result to OFA. The available genetic tests for the Pyrenean Mastiff may change as more data is collected but the rule of thumb for any genetic test that applies is as follows: Dogs who are carriers or at risk/affected must only be bred to dogs who are clear to avoid producing at risk/affected dogs, unless a test has been deemed a false positive by the club. If genetic testing is not done to ensure at risk/affected dogs will not be produced, it is a violation of this guidance.

f. It is recommended but not required to do Spine OFAs at no earlier than 2 years of age, if a dog has any spine conditions noted even if from incidental findings on hip radiographs they should only be bred to dogs who do not have the same conditions.

g. It is recommended but not required to do the OFA Companion Animal Eye registry to gather information related to eye conditions that may be affecting the breed.

h. Breeders must utilize the provided database of pedigrees when choosing pairings. The goal is to produce a 10 generation pedigree coefficient of inbreeding less than 20%.

i. Breeders must submit OFA Hips, OFA Elbows, OFA Hearts and DM genetic test results to OFA to qualify for the Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) number and certification.

12. Breeders will work with PMAA to eliminate hereditary diseases. If a breeder notices trends for any conditions, the PMAA board must be notified.

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. PMAA members shall help and support their fellow members in fulfilling this obligation.
Any member selling or placing a Pyrenean Mastiff is expected to assist any buyer in finding a suitable new home for their dog at any time that the buyer wishes to relinquish it. The following are options breeders can utilize to assist their puppy owners:

If the buyer is unable or unwilling to find such a home, the member shall assume physical and/or financial responsibility for that animal.
Reach out to Co-breeders or stud owners of the dog to assist.
Contact the PMAA Rescue for assistance.

The same responsibility shall be assumed for any animal sold or placed which comes into the possession of any rescue network or shelter at any point in the dog’s life.

4. It is recommended that a breeder supply a Copy of the Code of Ethics to all buyers and explain to them its provisions.

5. The breeder shall supply the AKC full or limited individual registration or a written guarantee that it shall be supplied by the time the pup is 4 months old, or on completion of sale. A puppy may, for good cause, be sold without papers if this is understood and agreed to in writing by both parties, as specified by AKC.

PMAA breeders will pay for permanent AKC registration on the puppies which will then grant membership in Article I Section 5.E. See addendum A.
In the event of a farm dog import after Full AKC recognition of the Pyrenean Mastiff, PMAA Domestic Registration can be an acceptable option to issue registration for a puppy in lieu of AKC registration until a complete three generation pedigree can be provided to AKC.

6. A breeder may choose to change the 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, and upon payment of an additional price only if the additional price was disclosed at time of purchase.

7. Upon releasing any Pyrenean Mastiff, pup or adult, the breeder shall follow these guidelines:

1. Supply a pedigree of no less than 4 generations, in the case of RRC (country of origin new additions to the studbook) there may be gaps in a 4 generation pedigree and this is acceptable. Provide written information of the care of the animal. Breeders may use the pedigree database to generate the pedigree.

2. Supply records which detail all dates and types of medical care given the animal including shots

3. Release only animals which are to the best of the breeder’s knowledge in good health.

4. Animals being released shall have had all the recommended vaccinations and dewormings for their age as directed by the breeder’s veterinarians for their region.

5. All puppies leaving the breeder shall be at least 9 weeks old.

6. Request that buyers 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.

7. 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.

If semen is imported from overseas, the stud dog must meet the breeding guidance of their country's Pyrenean Mastiff Club. The PMAA health testing requirements should be considered when making a pairing with a foreign dog who may not have all testing requirements of PMAA.
Members recognize the growing impact on the breed when there is indiscriminate production of dogs. Therefore, they will observe the following:
1. Extreme caution will be taken in selling a breedable animal to anyone who breeds, or intends to breed, if that person is not a member of PMAA. Such dogs should be sold on co-ownership with written contracts specifying that the buyer should abide by the provisions of this code of ethics. The purpose of this recommendation is to help ensure and encourage appropriate breeding practices for potential new breeders.
A breeder, for the protection of both breeder and buyer, shall provide adequate written contractual proof of sales and guarantees. No promise shall be made orally which is not put into writing.
In the case of any defect the seller must provide written notice to the buyer to ensure the buyer is fully aware and accepts the defect

The board will ensure responsible breeding and will only act in the event that one or several members process a grievance or grievance of malpractice due to the breach of the code of ethics by another PMAA member, or at the request of a third party even if it was not a Club member.

In the case of notification of non-compliance with the code of ethics, the board will consult the affected parties and will try to mediate to reach a satisfactory solution for both, being able to present the case to the Club's board of directors or the general assembly of members for possible sanction.

Not adhering to any section of this Code of Ethics, may be considered prejudicial to the best interest of the Club or Breed. Please refer to the PMAA Bylaws, Article 9, Section 2-6.

Anyone who needs an exemption of this Code of Ethics shall request a meeting with the PMAA board to get approval of the exemption.

During the course of the year members may submit recommendations of changes to the Secretary so that they may be reviewed by the Board of Directors.

This document may be revised at any time by the Board of Directors or after a majority vote from general membership.

Anyone using their dog at stud bears great responsibility to the future of the breed and a stud owner shall use the dog discriminately and with the paramount intention of advancing and protecting the breed.
No member shall offer at stud an animal who does not meet the requirements set forth above for bitches in sections 1-12.
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 shall be the responsibility of the stud owner to ascertain that any bitch brought to any stud shall meet the requirements of the Code of Ethics, whether owned by a Club member or not. The stud owner shall further ascertain to the best of his ability that any products of the breeding shall 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 PMAA member with a copy of this Code of Ethics and explain its provisions.
The owner of the stud 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 male shall 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 should sign a written agreement, clearly stating the conditions and terms of service.
The owner of the stud dog has an obligation to all pups sired by his/her 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” 3, the owner of the stud dog shall assume that responsibility.

Addendum A. Sales #5

This was decided to keep in place as one of the requirements to meet club goals and efforts to achieve AKC recognition. 20 litters must be born into AKC within a year time period and puppies permanently registered to achieve the goal of 350 three generation pedigreed dogs registered with AKC.

To permanent register a litter there are two steps. First you must register the litter, you can do this by completing the following appropriate application. Litter application fees vary

$25 - Foundation Stock Service® Litter Application- https://images.akc.org/pdf/AL9999-fillable.pdf

$20 - Foundation Stock Service® Special Litter Application - http://images.akc.org/pdf/ADFSS7.pdf

$200 - Foundation Stock Service® Multiple Sire Litter Registration Application - http://images.akc.org/pdf/ALFSS1.pdf

$23 - Foundation Stock Service® Artificial Insemination with Frozen Semen -http://images.akc.org/pdf/ALFSS2.pdf

$20 - Foundation Stock Service® Artificial Insemination With Fresh Ext Semen - http://images.akc.org/pdf/ALFSS3.pdf

$20 - Foundation Stock Service® Artificial Insemination With Fresh Semen - http://images.akc.org/pdf/ALFSS4.pdf

Upon processing of the litter application AKC will mail individual puppy applications. Each puppy must then be registered with AKC to gain permanent registration.

Online Puppy Registration Fees if registered prior to 1 year of age:
$15 – Puppy registration and 1st owner
$13 – Co-owner Fee

Mail in Puppy registration Fees if registered prior to 1 year of age:

$10 – Puppy registration and 1st owner
$10 – Co-owner Fee