International Breeding Rules of the FCI

PREAMBLE

1. The Member States and partners under contract of the International Cynologique Federation (FCI) are held to respect the international breeding rules of the FCI.

These breeding rules of the FCI directly relates to all the Member States and partners under contract of the FCI. This means that the breeding can be practised only with dogs of pure breed, healthy of character, in perfect health in terms of functionality and heredity and registered in a book of origins or register of waiting recognized by the FCI. In addition, they must satisfy the conditions dictated by the Member States and partners under contract of the FCI.

The only dogs which can be considered in perfect health in terms of heredity are those transmitting the characteristics of the standard of a breed, its type and its temperament and not presenting any substantial hereditary defect which could threaten the functional aspect of their offspring.  The Member States and partners under contract of the FCI must consequently prevent that the standards include exaggerations of the characteristics which could endanger the functionality of the dogs.

The dogs presenting of the eliminatory defects, such as an unhealthy temperament, a deafness or a congenital blindness, a hare nozzle, a split palate, notorious malformations of the jaw or marked dental defects, a progressive atrophy of the retina, the dogs suffering from epilepsy, cryptorchidy, monorchidy, albinism, proven severe dysplasy of the hip or the dogs presenting of the no desired colours of hair cannot be used at ends of breeding.

As regards "management" of the hereditary defects such as the dysplasy of the hip or the progressive atrophy of the retina, the Member States and partners under contract of the FCI must hold a register of the dogs touched by these diseases, fight them in a methodical way, record made progress continuously and make share with the FCI of it on request.

The FCI, its Member States and partners under contract have got the support of the Scientific Commission as regards evaluation of the hereditary defects.  The Commission helps to fight these defects by advising the Member States and partners under contract of the FCI. In the possibility where the Commission would work out and publish a book of measurements relating to the fight against these defects, this last should be respected as of its approval by the General Committee of the FCI.  The Member States and partners under contract of the FCI are any competence and responsible as regards breeding.  This includes the councils and hot lines given to the breeders, the control of the procedures of breeding practised by these last and the management of the books of origins.

The breeding and the development of the canine races must rest on long-term objectives and healthy principles so that the practice of this activity doesn't produce sick dogs or having an unstable character or aptitude lack for work.

The objective of the breeding must be to preserve and, preferably, to extend the genetic diversity of a race.

Only the functionally healthy dogs can be used during the breeding.  It belongs to any breeder selecting a dog to determine if this last is, mentally and physically, suited to the reproduction. 

A breeder must make sure that the animals which he intends for the reproduction have a stable temperament and are in good physical condition.  As a long time as a breeder has the guard of a pup, he must enable him to move in a healthy environment (mentally and physically) and beneficial in order to guarantee an adequate socialization.

The Member States and partners under contract of the FCI must establish their own breeding rules, based on these rules, in which appear the objectives to reach.  These rules must hold account, in an adapted way, specificities of specific work to each breed.

The salesmen of dogs and the breeders working with a strictly commercial aim cannot practise breeding in a Member State or partner under contract of the FCI.

The rights and reciprocal obligations of the owners of dogs or bitches are mainly given by the national law, by the rules established by national cynologic associations or their clubs and associations of breed and by particular conventions.  If such provisions would not exist, it is the International Breeding Rules of the FCI which is valid.

It is recommended in a pressing way to the breeders and to owners of dogs to determine in writing the conditions under which the mating will be done, in order to create a clear situation with regard to the financial obligations.

The "owner" of a dog is the person who legally acquired the animal, is in his possession and can prove it by detention, certified correct, of a certificate of valid recording and a pedigree.

The "owner" of the dog is either the owner of this one or the person who received the authorization of the owner to offer the services of the aforesaid dog for a mate.

MAINTENANCE AND TRANSPORT CHARGES OF THE BITCH

2.  It is recommended to the owner of the bitch to personally bring it and recover it either or by the intermediary of a person of confidence.  If a bitch would remain several days at the owner of the dog, all the expenses such as food, lodging, veterinary care possible as well as the damage which the bitch has suddenly caused with the kennels or the residence of the owner of the dog are the responsibility of the owner of the bitch.  The transport of return of the bitch is carried out at the expenses of its owner.


RESPONSIBILITY

3.  In conformity with the legal provisions into force in the various countries, is regarded as person in charge for the damage whom can beings caused by the animal with third people, the person who at the time of the damage ensures lodging and the care of the aforesaid animal. 

The owner of the dog must hold account by what precedes at the time of the conclusion of a contract of personal insurance of Civil Liability.

DEATH OF THE BITCH

4.  If the bitch has suddenly died during its stay at the owner of the dog, this last obliges, with his expenses, to make note the death and its cause by a veterinary doctor.  It as soon as possible informs the owner of the bitch of the death and its cause. 

If the owner would wish to see the died bitch, the owner cannot refuse there. 

If the death would be caused by the fault of the owner of the dog, this last is held to pour damages with the owner of the bitch.  If no fault can be reproached to him, it rests to the owner of the bitch to refund with the owner of the standard all the expenses related to the death of the bitch.

CHOICE OF THE DOG

5.  The owner of the dog obliges to make cover the bitch only by the male envisaged, other than very other. 

If the dog would not proceed to the covering, the bitch can be covered by another dog only with the agreement of the owner of the bitch.

In any event, it is interdict to let cover the bitch by two or several dogs during the same period.

ACCIDENTAL MATING

6.  If there would be an accidental mating carried out by a dog other than that agreed, the owner of the dog which took the bitch under its guard is obliged to refund with the owner of the bitch all the expenses caused by this erroneous covering.

After an accidental mating by a dog other than that envisaged, it is prohibited to proceed to a new mating with the dog which had been selected. 

The owner of the dog cannot in no case, for such a mating, to claim to impose financial obligations to the owner of the female.


CERTIFICATE OF MATING

7. The owner of the male certifies by the drafting of a certificate the correct execution of the mating.  He confirms, by affixing his signature on the document, which he was eyewitness of the mating. 

If the services holding the stud book of a country where the litter must be recorded envisage certain special forms, it rests to the owner of the female to get them, to fill them correctly and to present them at the owner of the male for signature.

This certificate must obligatorily contain the following information :

a) Name and number of recording of the male to the stud book
b) Name and number of recording of the female to the stud book
c) Name and address of the male's owner
d) Name and address of the female's owner at the moment of the mating,
    possibly the date of acquisition of the bitch
e) Date and place of the mating
f) Signature of the owner of the dog and of the owner of the bitch
g) If the services holding the stud book require for the recording of the pups a certified photocopy or a certified extract of the pedigree of the dog, it rests to the owner of this last to provide free these documents to the owner of the bitch.

PAYMENT OF THE MATING

8. It is recommended to the owner of the dog to sign the certificate of mating only after payment of the price fixed as a preliminary for the mating.  A retention of the bitch by way of pledge however is not allowed.

9. If the male envisaged does not proceed to the covering for some reason that it is or because the female is not let cover, so that the mating was not actually carried out, the owner of the male does not keep of it less the right to the agreed compensations for Art.2, but it cannot claim at the price fixed for the mating.

10. About the descent of the male, the owner of the dog does not have the right, with respect to the owner of the bitch, compensations other than those planned for the mating.  He thus doesn't have any right to be made give a pup.

If the parts agreed for the handing-over of a pup by way of compensation for the mating, this agreement must then be formulated in writing and before the mating.

In such an agreement, the following points must absolutely clarified and respected :

a) the moment of the choice of the pup by the owner of the dog
b) the moment of the handing-over of the pup to the owner of the dog

c) the moment from which the right of the owner of the dog to choose a pup is irrevocably closed
d) the moment from which right of catch of the selected pup is irrevocably closed
e) the payment of the transport charges

f) the special agreements for the case where the bitch puts low only pups still-born pups or one alive pup, or for the case where the selected pup had suddenly died before the handing-over.

THE BITCH ISN'T IN WELP

11.After a mating correctly carried out, we consider the male satisfied its obligations and that, consequently, the conditions to be entitled to the agreed compensation are filled.

That doesn't constitute a guarantee as for the fact that the female is full.  It is left with the appreciation of the owner of the male, when the female remains empty, either to grant to next heats of the latter a new free mating, or to refund part of the allowance obtained for the mating.  A such agreement must be fixed in writing before the mating, in the contract of covering.

The agreed right to a free mating dies out however in theory with the death of the dog or during the change of owner of this last or with the death of the bitch.

If it can be proven (by analysis of sperm) that the dog was sterile at the time of the mating, the owner of the bitch must be refunded expenses caused by the mating.

ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION

12.The artificial insemination cannot be practised on the animals which did not reproduce in a natural way before.  In the event of artificial insemination of the female, the veterinary who collected the sperm of the dog must certify, using a certificate to be given to the service holding the stud book where the pups must be recorded, which fresh or frozen sperm emanates well from the male of which it was agreed.  In addition, the certificates envisaged in Art.7 (A-G) must be provided free to the owner of the bitch by the owner of the dog.

All the expenses incurred to collect sperm have to be paid by the owner of the bitch.  The expenses relating to insemination are supported also by the owner of the bitch.

The veterinary who proceeds to insemination must confirm near the services holding the stud book that the female was indeed inseminated using sperm coming from the male planned for the covering.

On this certificate, it is advisable to make also appear the place and the date of insemination, the name and the number of recording of the female to the stud book as well as the name and the address of the owner of the female.

The owner of the dog providing sperm must deliver with the owner of the bitch, in addition to the certificate provided by the veterinary, an official certificate of covering.

RIGHT BREEDING TRANSFER

13. It is considered, in a general way, that the owner of the bitch at the time of the covering is the breeder of the litter.

The right to use a bitch or a dog can however be transferred, by contractual agreement, with a third person.

This transfer must, in all the cases, be attested in writing, before the projected mating.  This transfer of the breeding right, noted in writing, must be declared in time with the qualified service of the stud book and possibly with the qualified breeding association for this breed.  It must be joined to the litter declaration.

It is advisable to describe very exactly in the transfer of the breeding right the rights and obligations of the two contracting parts.

The third person who temporarily takes the right of breeding of a bitch is regarded as the owner of this one, within the meaning of the present rules, of the mating until the moment of weaning.


BASIC RULES

14.The puppies resulting from two parents of pure breed (of the same breed) in possession of pedigrees recognized by the FCI, on which any objection no restriction indicated by the national canine organization is not reproduced, are considered pure pedigree dogs and can, for this reason, receive a pedigree recognized by the FCI.

In general, the puppies must be sold and transferred to a privet person in the name of whom the pedigree of export must be emitted.

15.The pedigrees recognized by the FCI are a certificate attesting the reliability of the data relating to the generations mentioned and not a certificate of guarantee of quality of the dog.

PUPPIES RECORDING TO THE STUD BOOK

16.Except contrary agreements, we consider that the new owner at the time of a sale of a full bitch, is automatically the breeder of the litter to come.  The pups are recorded with the stud book of the country in which the owner of the bitch has his usual residence.  The pups carry its affix.

17. Any dog breeded and recorded in a member State or partner under contract of the FCI must equipped with system of a permanent and no falsifiable identification;  this identification must appear on the pedigree.

The pups are recorded, in theory, with the stud book of the country where the owner of the bitch has his usual residence.  In the event of dispute, it must obligatorily produce a certificate of the authority holding the register of the residences (usual residences).

Exceptions are tolerated for breeders of dog living in a country not holding any stud book recognized by the FCI.

Those then have the possibility of carrying out the recording of the pups in a stud book recognized by the FCI.

All the puppies of the litter must be recorded;  this includes all the puppies existing at the date of request for recording.

The pedigrees, which are in fact of the certificates of birth, should be emitted only to certify the family ties.  Normally, a female can be covered, for the same litter, only by one male.  In the event of deviances, national canine associations are obliged to make certify the family tie (by examination of the ADN) to the expenses of the breeder.

BREEDING RULES OF THE COUNTRY MEMBERS OF THE FCI

18. The breeding rules of the Member States and partners under contract of the FCI can be more constraining than those establish by the FCI but cannot however not go against the latter.

FINAL RULES

9. These rules replaces the « International Breeding Custom of Monaco » of 1934.

In the event of divergence of interpretation, the German text is determining.

* Adopted by the General Meeting of the FCI June 11, and 12 1979 in Bern (Swiss)

All the parts in heavy type were approved by the General Committee, Munich, October 2003.

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