CESSCGA Guidelines

Guidelines:

The ultimate goal of the membership of CESSCGA, Inc. is to perfect the breed. Accomplishing this goal requires a dedication of purpose and a commitment by current and future members of CESSCGA, Inc

The ESSFTA (English Springer Spaniel Field Trial Association) has published GUIDELINES FOR RESPONSIBLE BREEDERS OF ENGLISH SPRINGER SPANIELS.

CESSCGA, Inc. uses these guidelines as a condition of membership. The guidelines are as follows:

Responsible Breeders:

Strive in each and every breeding to achieve the highest quality possible relative to breed standard for conformation, excellence in hunting for field, or trainability for tracking, and field trials. They also strive for ideal temperament, in order to maintain our breed's characteristics.
Endeavor to gain personal knowledge of the temperament and health of every dog they breed, or to which they breed in order to gather information on which to base breeding decisions. They share this information fully and honestly with other breeders and with prospective buyers.
Use only physically sound, mature dogs of stable temperament for breeding. These characteristics are rarely, if ever, determined before the age of two for either males or females. A minimum breeding age of three is seriously recommended in order for breeders to determine with greater certainty that the parents are of good health and temperament.
Check all breeding stock for history of genetic diseases pertinent to this breed, including, but not limited to, hip dysplasia, eye diseases, seizure disorders, phosphofructokinase (PFK), blood disorders, allergies and heart disorders. Where applicable, documentation such as OFA and CERF certification should be available to the prospective puppy buyer.
Apply the same high standards to these bitches accepted for breeding to their dogs as they apply to their own breeding stock.
Match each puppy's personality as carefully as possible with a compatible buyer/family. Temperament testing of a litter before puppies are offered for sale is encouraged.
Take appropriate steps for each puppy to be examined by a veterinarian for general health and examined by a veterinary ophthalmologist for congenital eye disease prior to placement. Each puppy should be vaccinated and wormed by or in consultation with a veterinarian. Proper documentation which indicates normal health and eyes for the age of the puppy of specifies any health or eye problems found at the time of examination should be furnished to the puppy buyers.
Encourage buyers of pet puppies to spay/neuter. Methods should include written spay/neuter contracts, limited registration and/or spay/neuter rebates.
Sell breeding prospects to knowledgeable, ethical and experienced persons and are willing to help educate and guide novices. They should at any time accept the return of any dog/bitch their breeding program produces and they should always help when relocation is needed.
Do not engage in misleading or untrue advertising.
Do not sell, supply, donate or surrender any dog for which they are responsible to a pet shop, raffle, catalog house, wholesale dealer in dogs or Humane Society. They do not sell non-diseased dogs to a laboratory. They should have reasonable assurance that each individual receiving a dog will provide a home with appropriate shelter, restraint, control and responsible care.
Encourage puppy buyers to go to puppy and obedience classes to help their puppies become better canine good citizens. The achievement of a Canine Good Citizen certificate should be encouraged.