LYKOS WOLFALIKE COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA INC
1. CONDUCT OF BREEDER AND MEMBER/OWNER RELATIONS
(a) The Lykos Wolfalike Council of Australia Inc. (LWCA) advocates a code of conduct for its members and breeders that is befitting and based on-principles of honesty, integrity and pride and encourages relations between members and any interested parties accordingly.
(b) Members and breeders should always conduct themselves in an honourable and professional manner at all public events or promotions and should exhibit good sportsmanship at all times.
(c) Members and breeders shall not denigrate any other member or member's kennel/dog and or their dogs and shall remain in good standing with the LWCA at all times.
(d) To assist in a positive reflection on our breed, members are encouraged in a constructive and positive manner, to
(1) share expertise
(2) encourage and support newcomers to the breed
(3) strive to keep abreast of the latest information in relation to health testing, training and genetics
(4) Educate the public with factual information about the breed
(e) Member and Breeders are not to advertise or refer to their dogs as another breed/type other than the "Lykos" or "Lykos Wolfalike" breed. This does not apply to husky/malamute development etc mixes, which are "development litters" and must be referred to as their breed mix/es as per 4(a).
2. HEALTH AND WELL BEING AND CARE OF DOGS
(a) Encourage training activities puppy training classes, obedience training, show training or or any other suitable work appropriate for the development and mindset and wellbeing of the breed.
(b) Members should commit to providing good and proper nutrition, regular and preventative health care and to supplying adequate housing indoors and outdoors and maintain a positive, caring environment on a daily and ongoing basis.
(c) Members should be restricted to having no more dogs than their local Council allows and that may be properly cared for in terms of nutrition, health care, socialization and facilities.
(d) Members should at all times have control of their dog(s). No member should place any other person or animal at risk or place their dog(s) in potentially dangerous situations, which might result in serious injury or trauma.
(e) Members, having due regard for their dog(s) and for the general public, shall make every effort to prevent dogs from roaming unsupervised, causing a nuisance or to be picked up and placed in an animal shelter situation.
3. BREEDING AND RELATED MATTERS
1. Breeders shall breed for the specific purpose of developing and improving the breed whilst maintaining their type, health and temperament as specified in the Breed Standard. They are to also do this with guidance with the LWCA Committee.
2. Executive Committee are to sight health test results of parents of any planned matings, to ensure they are in compliance with the rules before any mating /insemination goes ahead i.e. the parents hip/elbow scores and any relevant DNA testing. Results must be in PDF format. (9/9/2023)
a) Ensure that appropriate health checks/measures have been taken prior to mating and provided to the LWCA before any mating occurs.
(b) Ensure breeding stock are x-rayed for evidence of hip and elbow dysplasia at 12-18 months (minimum 12 months of age). The x-rays plates be submitted for scoring under the LWCA scoring scheme.
(c) Give priority to those animals assessed for breeding that have obtained scores that do not exceed the maximum of 5 on any one hip.
(d) Give priority to those animals assessed for breeding that have obtained a maximum elbow grade of 1:1. Understand that a grade of 1:1 represents a greater risk of elbow dysplasia, with to 0:0 grade elbows preferred.
(e) If new bloodlines, DNA Test dogs for their Breed Profile, and the full listing of testable diseases , with an all clear result (no carriers). DNA testing is not required if the parents have been cleared by parentage testing, and results provided if not already held by the LWCA.
(f) Breeders shall ensure their dogs are temperamentally sound, with confirmation and approval by least one Breed Advisor.
(g) Will refuse to breed from dogs or bitches that are (a) of an unauthorised breed, (b) known to have obvious serious hereditary/genetic defects.
(h) Breeding shall be carried out selectively in an attempt to reduce as much as possible hereditary disease and develop the desired type of the Lykos Wolfalike Breed Standard.
(i) Breeders shall understand the strengths and weaknesses of their stock and be responsible in regards to improving such as well as breeding for health.
(j) Breeders and owners are to co-operate with the collection of data on hip and elbow results and health to assist in the establishment of a pedigree/health knowledge database.
(k) Breeders should not mate a bitch prior to 18 months of age and ensure that the last litter shall be whelped before the bitches 7th birthday, except under exceptional circumstances with veterinary approval. Ensure that no bitch shall be bred from in any way that is deleterious to the bitch or the breed.
(l) Should a mating take place that a bitch is bred on consecutive seasons, the breeder/owner should obtain a letter of approval from a vet and be submitted to the LWCA before mating is carried out, or in the case of an unplanned mating, that the bitch is fit and healthy enough to whelp the litter.
(m) Stud owners must also be a financial member, which includes signing the Code of Ethics in order for their male/s to be bred and registered as a stud within the Lykos breeding program. (18/01/2021)
(n) Breeders and owners of Stud Dogs must use Stud Dog Contracts before any matings take place, and register all puppies before the puppies reach 12 weeks of age. The Stud Agreement should outline the appropriate stud fee (usually the price of the highest priced puppy), when and how the stud owner is to be paid, and what constitutes a litter (ie number of puppies). After the mating is successful and results in a litter, and stud fee has been paid, the Stud Owner must sign the Litter Registration form (18/01/2021, 06/03/2022)
(o) Committee may request photographs/video call of a Breeder’s premises to ensure compliance with appropriate welfare standards. (9/9/2023)
(p) Members shall not keep more than 10 fertile females on their property. (“fertile females” are considered to be non-desexed females over the age of 6 months old). (9/9/2023)
(q) If a dog, bloodline or bloodline is found to have produced or carry any type of diagnostically testable health defect, the breeder and/or stud dog owner are encouraged to undertake the appropriate examination/screening associated with the disease. (9/9/2023)
(r) If any breeder breaks away, is expelled or resigns from the LWCA, they shall ensure the desexing of all their entire animals from LWCA registered bloodlines to ensure the protection of the Lykos breed and bloodlines. This is also to be clearly reflected to puppy contracts. (9/9/2023)
(s) If breeders are a member/breeder with any Government breeding “approved organisation” (i.e. RPBA etc), confirmation of completion of audit, is to be provided to the LWCA via email. (9/9/2023)
(t) Breeders must register all entire dogs residing on their property with the LWCA within 14 days of taking ownership. If any dogs are rehomed, the Breeder must advise the LWCA of new owner details and submit the relevant form. (9/9/2023)
(u) Breeding mates must not be closely related (father-daughter, mother-son, brother-sister, half brother/sister). v. Second degree matings (aunty-nephew, uncle-niece, cousins, mating a dog to a grandparent) must not occur without approval from the LWCA committee. Additionally, an approval letter from a letter from a veterinarian must be submitted before any mating of this degree goes ahead. The veterinarian must have viewed the hip/elbow and DNA test results of the parents and of those in the pedigree in full (ie. showing all related ancestors on the pedigree), and provided with information of any health issues the breeder is aware of in the bloodlines. The veterinarian must certify that while there may be line breeding, all appropriate genetic testing has been completed on parents to ensure the health of the resulting puppies, and the breeder is aware of all the risks and potential complications which could arise from such a breeding. (01/03/2024)
4. SALES
(a) A breeder should advertise dogs with true representation and must not engage in misleading or untruthful statements in selling or advertising. Dogs on the foundation register, who do not have the necessary heritage/DNA of all of the required Lykos foundation breeds, must not be advertised as Lykos or Lykos Wolfalike dogs.
(b) No breeder should sell puppies or adult dogs to any known retail or wholesale outlet.
(c) Breeders must be discriminating in the sale of puppies or dogs and be concerned with the type of home/environment in which the animal is to be placed.
(d) Unless there is a medical reason, no puppy should go to its new home before 8 weeks of age, and must be micro-chipped and vaccinated at 6 weeks of age.
(e) A buyer will be supplied with the microchip information, current diet information of the puppy as well as its vaccination record. This should also include information on any other veterinary care that the dog may have received and instructions on the care feeding, exercise and training requirements of the dog. Litter registrations will need to be submitted before the Certificate of Registration and Pedigree is supplied to the new puppy owner.
(f) No member shall knowingly export or assist in the export of a dog or dogs to any country that does not have legislation for the protection of animals.
(g) Breeders should try to keep in contact with the progress of the dog(s) of his/her breeding.
(h) Breeders should be prepared to take back any dog(s) of his or her breeding or be instrumental in the re-homing of the dog at any time throughout the dog(s) life.
(i) A breeder will guarantee the health of their puppies - at the very least - being subject to a vet examination within 48 hours of the sale.
(j) Breeders will ensure that neither directly nor indirectly shall any dog to be given as a prize or donation in any contest of any kind.
(k) Breeders will provide the purchaser of a puppy with a "Contract of Sale/Puppy Sale Agreement" which clearly defines the differences between a pet only and potential breeding dog, and any other obligation that the purchaser is required to fulfil, including protection of the bloodlines.
(l) Breeders and Stud Owners are required to honour the contracts they engage themselves in, and such agreements must be completed before any mating takes place.
(m) Puppies must be raised in a clean, warm environment, well socialised from birth and free of any parasites. Any death (not including still-born), disease, virus or illness of puppies must be advised via email to the LWCA, along with all veterinary reports of the issue and any treatment. (09/09/2023)
(n) Breeders must allow puppy owners to view their puppies, dogs and premises upon request. This may be done via live video call (any age of puppies) or in person (from 6 weeks of age). (9/9/2023)
5. NOTE
Any member, stud owner or breeder failing to observe any provision of these Code of Ethics as determined by Special Meeting of the Committee shall be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, (which in serious cases may include blacklisting/banning/suspension).