WHERE'S THE BEEF?!?


Linda Benish of Fontana, Ca. shares her beef with us and it is one that I too think should be addressed.

I firmly believe that all Rottweiler Clubs should have a Code of Ethics and that those Codes of Ethics shuld be the guidlines or rules for all their members to understand and sbide by, if they want to continue their membership in "the club." After all aren't such clubs suppose to "maintain at all times a standard of excellence in the ownership, exhibiting, breeding and sales of the Rottweiler?"

Well, after reading several Codes of Ethics of several Rottweiler clubs, I have the feeling that in some instances they lack substance. So my beef is going to tackle the wording used in most published Codes of Ethics. That section is THE "SALE".

In all the COEs that I have before me, under the "SALES" section, they state in one way or another that, members shall use a sales contract or written agreement with ANY sale involving a Rottweiler. the contract or written agreement will clearly identify whether the puppy was sold as a show/breeding or pet/non-breeding prospect.

This is where my "BEEF" comes in: WHAT ABOUT THE ROTTWEILERS THAT ARE GIVEN AWAY? Not ONE of these published COE's has any references as to what is to be done with these dogs. The following is an actual event that has taken place and from what I have come to KNOW happens all the time. A member of a Code of Ethics club had a litter of puppies. Some of these puppies have a disqualifying fault as per the Rottweiler Standard, a fault I might add that WILL NOT correct. Well, this breeder (who shall remain nameless), GAVE the puppy away. The person they gave this puppy to is NOT a member of a code of ethics club or ANY club (to my knowledge). The person who received this puppy was virtually a strange to the breeder. This puppy was NOT spayed or Neutered! NO pedigree was given with this puppy. The Dam and Sire of this puppy are well known to the to the new owners, to other members of a COE club and to the Rottweiler public at large because they have been advertised in a well known 'national magazine that most of us read. This puppy's new owners have not received the AKC papers, even for limited registration....but...most importantly this puppy was given away with NO CONTRACT!


EDITOR'S NOTE:It is my feeling that some breeder's priorities have gone askew lately because they seem to be more concerned with what others may think or know about their breeding stock than the Rottweiler breed as a whole. But then I am known to be rather independent of thought...Is it so wrong to think that a responsible breeder would at least perform an early spay/neuter on a puppy with disqualifying faults if they were NOT going to take reasonable steps to assure that the puppy would NEVER be bred via a contractual agreement? Or are Rottweiler breeders ONLY responsible if they accept $$$ for a dog? Hmmm, I thought responsibility was to the BREED before and after birth. Why don't the clubs with the Codes of Ethics simply use the word "transfer" instead of sale/sold? Or would the clubs lose members, you know the ones that do not want any of the Rottweilers that they havebred with disqualifying faults linked back to THEM! I can only wish that those that profess to love the integrity of this magnificent breed would at least try to preserve it.
The sad part about all of this is that it is our beloved breed that is losing..... jan