Code of Ethics

American Miniature Schnauzer Club

All members agree to abide by the American Miniature Schnauzer Club’s Constitution and Bylaws (PDF), the Code of Ethics of the AMSC and the Rules and Regulations of the American Kennel Club and the precepts of good Sportsmanship.

REVISED & APPROVED JUNE 2017

Preamble

This Code of Ethics serves as a guide for members of the American Miniature Schnauzer Club to follow, recognizing their role as guardians of the breed, and having a common interest in the protection of the AMSC and the well-being of the breed and of the individual dogs that members own and produce in their breeding programs.

Implicit in membership in the American Miniature Schnauzer Club is the understanding and full acceptance of the Code of Ethics recognizing that a violation(s) or blatant disregard for the Constitution and Bylaws, Code of Ethics and AKC Rules and Regulations may result in discipline as authorized by the Bylaws and Constitution up to and including suspension of your AMSC membership or expulsion from the AMSC.

General Conduct

Members of the American Miniature Schnauzer Club will:

1. Comply with the Rules and Regulations of the American Kennel Club (AKC), the Constitution and By-laws of the American Miniature Schnauzer Club (AMSC) and the Code of Ethics.
2. Conduct themselves in a manner that reflects positively on themselves, the breed, and the AMSC, the board and committees of the AMSC
3. Exhibit good sportsmanship and good will at all dog-related events in accordance with the AKC precepts of good Sportsmanship. Winning and losing with grace is the minimum standard of good sportsmanship and all forms of competition. Good sportsmanship and general civility are consistent. The interaction of fair play, honesty, courtesy, and vigorous competition are essential in every aspect of AMSC membership, whether inside or outside of the ring. It is not simply a goal for the AMSC member, it is a requirement.
4. Make no false or misleading statements concerning the Miniature Schnauzer breed or other breeds or breeders.
5. Refrain from the use of any slanderous or defaming statements or innuendo against another breeder, a specific dog/kennel, the AMSC and Judges, etc. on any public forum including social media. Use of social media to disparage the AMSC or any AMSC member will be viewed as an overt act prejudicial to the breed and the AMSC and will not be tolerated.
6. Be responsible dog owners, treating their dogs humanely and providing them with adequate food, water, shelter, veterinary care, exercise, grooming and the socialization and training necessary for them to be good family companions.
7. Make every effort to learn about the structure, anatomy, action, inherited traits and behavior of the dog, especially where such learning applies to the Miniature Schnauzer.
8. Use the official standard of the breed when evaluating and breeding their own stock, and encourage its application in judging when appropriate.
9. Participate in efforts to assess and improve the health of the individual dog and of the Miniature Schnauzer breed, including, but not limited to, participation in valid, reliable and responsible testing for hereditary diseases, providing samples and information for development of hereditary disease tests, and sharing health information with other AMSC members. Be honest, factual and not misleading or fraudulent in any written or oral statement about dogs and breeding programs, whether about their own dogs or those of others.

Breeding

Members of the American Miniature Schnauzer Club, as guardians of the breed, strive to breed conscientiously, taking responsibility for the lives they produce, including responsible placement of all puppies produced by any breeding, to ensure the safety and well-being of the individual dogs and of the breed.

Accordingly, members of the American Miniature Schnauzer Club will:

1. Educate themselves to recognize the correct conformation of the Miniature Schnauzer, familiarizing themselves with the AKC breed standard and representative dogs, prior to breeding a stud dog or a brood bitch.
2. At all times breed for the improvement of the breed as exemplified by the AKC standard.
3. Breed only animals that are in good health and who are physically and temperamentally sound.
4. Strive to produce puppies of such quality that they will serve to improve and complement the breed and avoid breeding individual Miniature Schnauzers known to have, or are strongly suspected of having, a serious inherited disease or defect that will likely be passed on to offspring and that, if inherited, would significantly affect the quality of life of any offspring that would be produced.
5. Represent each puppy sold as accurately as possible.
6. Share information gained through breeding with other Miniature Schnauzer owners.
7. Act as a mentor to persons with whom they place puppies and encourage an open dialog for the life of the dog.

Members of the American Miniature Schnauzer Club will:

1. Sell each puppy or adult with a written health guarantee, a three-generation pedigree, a record of immunizations, care and feeding instructions, and registration papers where applicable.
2. Inform the buyer of the characteristics of Miniature Schnauzers, and make available to the novice the benefit of his advice and experience.
3. Sell any companion puppy or companion adult having a known hereditary health defect only with a Limited Registration and Spay/Neuter Contract.
4. The breeder will not sell or dispose of any dog through wholesalers, commercial dealers or a broker.
5. The breeder shall remain responsible for the welfare of every dog he breeds, sells or places. This means making himself available to aid the new owner if and when the need presents itself. If in the future the owner is not able to keep the dog, the owner should be instructed to contact the seller and the seller will have the responsibility either to take the dog back or find it a new home.

Heritable Diseases/Conditions

Members of the American Miniature Schnauzer Club will:

1. Make a determined effort to have all breeding animals tested for the presence of all heritable diseases or conditions known to afflict Miniature Schnauzers and not breed those discovered to be affected.
2. Send a report of the adverse test results to the AMSC Health Committee.