Code of Conduct of the Breeding Committee

General information

The Breeding Committee observes the breed and its development and informs and gives advice on breeding to breeders and dog owners. The Code of Conduct is a guideline to the Breeding Committee, however each case is handled individually. The breeding program should consist of as high-quality and as healthy specimens as possible with as healthy lines as possible. When planning a mating the breeder should try to consider the parents’ and their near relatives’ hereditary diseases and faults, working qualities and conformation. Undesirable characteristics, such as aggressiveness, shyness, hyper sexuality and complete lack of concentration, must be avoided. Breeders should avoid combinations where the sire and dam have same illnesses and negative characteristics in their lines. The decision of the committee is merely advisory and only valid for the time of mating for which the inquiry has been made. The responsibility for the results of the combination remains with the breeder.

Breeding guidelines

(Valid from May 1, 2011 onwards)

General requirements

The general principle is that the requirements are equal for the stud dog and the bitch. The stud dog's/bitch's show or working results can to some extent compensate for the lack of results of the other.

Health

Hip dysplasia
Only individuals that are free from hip dysplasia (classified A or B) are recommended for breeding. If the dog’s hips have been classified C, the average hip dysplasia index of the combination must be over 100.

Elbow dysplasia
Only individuals that are free from elbow dysplasia (elbows 0/0) are recommended for breeding. A dog with mild abnormalities (1/1 or 0/1) can be used for breeding with a dog with healthy elbows after careful consideration.

Hereditary eye diseases

PRA: The Breeding Committee does not suggest any stud dog to a bitch with an unknown PRA status. A stud dog with an unknown PRA status can be suggested to only one mating. The breeder must see to it that one of the parents is pattern A (or Normal/Clear), i.e. unaffected. Because of the small number of Finnish PRA-A stud dogs, PRA-A bitches are recommended to be paired up with Finnish PRA-B stud dogs or foreign PRA-A stud dogs.

CEA: A bitch that is CEA Carrier or Affected must be combined to a CEA-A sire. A dog who has been tested CEA-C is not recommended to breeding.

Distichiasis: Two dogs with distichiasis should not be combined.

Autoimmune diseases, epilepsy and other serious hereditary diseases:
Not to be used in breeding: Two or more close relatives (parents, descendants or full sibling) have a serious hereditary disease.

Mating and labor

Not to be used in breeding: A stud dog who is unable to copulate naturally.

Character

Not to be used in breeding: A shy or aggressive dog.

To be used in breeding only after consideration: If the dog is loud, hyper sexual, unable to concentrate or sensitive to noises, its partner must not have the same problem.

Recommendation: The dog has been MH-described, tested in the mental test or its character has in other ways been shown to be suitable for breeding.

Taking the gene pool into account

Selection of stud dog: A bitch must not be mated with the same stud dog as before or his close relative or a stud dog who has been mated with a close relative of the bitch.

Coefficient of inbreeding: The coefficient of inbreeding of the combination must not be over 6.25 % counted from six generations. The inbreeding must be as insignificant as possible.

Number of descendants: The bitch can have three litters at the most.

Working qualities

Recommendation: A passed basic retrieving test or efficiency in actual hunting

Conformation:

Requirement: Several Very Good or Excellent show results or typical of the breed stated in other ways by the Breeding Committee.

Age

Requirement: At the time of mating both the stud dog and the bitch must be at least 24 months old. An over 8-year-old bitch must not be used in breeding.

Quality of offspring

Recommendation for stud dogs: No more than three litters before the first descendants born in Finland are over 18 months old and at least half of the descendants have been x-rayed in hips and elbows and eyes checked. Recommendation for bitches: At least half of the previous descendants must be x-rayed in hips and elbows and eyes checked.

Other matters

The breeder must be a member of Novascotiannoutajat ry (the Finnish Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever association) and follow the Code of Conduct of Kennelliitto (the Finnish Kennel Club), Suomen Noutajakoirajärjestö (the Finnish Retriever Organization) and Novascotiannoutajat ry. The breeder must have signed the breeder’s commitment of Kennelliitto. The decision of the committee is merely advisory and only valid for the time of mating for which the inquiry has been made. The responsibility for the results of the combination remains with the breeder.

Breeding

Breeding counsellor