Purpose:

To preserve promote and foster in America the breeding, training, and distribution of reliable working Blue Lacys through education, ethical breeding and active ownership.

Other objectives of the Association are to organize and promote trials and competitions, whether the Association does so on its own or in association with any other societies, bodies or persons.

Code of Ethics:

General Requirements

1. Members shall when engaged in the normal course of caring for, breeding, or selling purebred dogs, abide and uphold the principles of the By-Laws of the American Blue Lacy Association.
2. Members shall strive to gain respect for their participation and that of their fellow members in the foregoing activities and to make the best possible contribution to the improvement of the quality, temperament, health and welfare of American Blue Lacys.
3. Members shall not engage in the breeding, buying or selling of dogs which are not purebred, either as principal, agent, intermediary or otherwise.
4. Members shall keep their Blue Lacys in clean, healthy environments and must provide health protection through annual veterinary check-ups, inoculations and all appropriate health care, with all necessary supplementary veterinary care.
5. Members shall never sell or give an Blue Lacy to a third party, agent, a pet shop, commercial dealer, health organization for the purpose of experimentation, or to a laboratory. Nor shall an Blue Lacy be sold or given for auction, raffle or prize.

Breeders' Requirements

All breed clubs used to solemnly state that their breed's health was their first and foremost concern. This lacks credibility as long as in breeding and very close line breeding is not strictly banned in their code of ethics. Dog breeding should not be gambling with canine health. Even a breed's absolute purity, while rightly being a sacred principle, must be secondary in a genetic emergency situation.

A breeder is defined as anyone who owns or is responsible for any brood bitch or stud dog that is used for breeding, even if bred only one time.

1. Members shall conscientiously plan in the placing of the expected resulting offspring.
2. Members shall keep in mind the maintenance of, or the improvement in the desired qualities and type of the Blue Lacy.
3. Members must mate only Blue Lacys, which can be guaranteed to be registered and be of sound temperament and free of congenital defects.
4. Members should provide honest and clear information on Blue Lacys to the prospective purchaser prior to the actual sale.
5. Members must be willing at any time to take back or relocate any Blue Lacy that he or she has sold.
6. Members must ensure that all puppies leaving the breeder's possession must have all vaccinations up-to-date.

Acceptance and Enforcement

Each prospective member will affirm that they will comply with the Code of Ethics by signature and members shall reaffirm compliance annually by signature when membership is renewed. Alleged violations of this Code of Ethics must be reported to the Executive. All such complaints will be investigated and dealt with under the Articles, Sections and Parts set aside for same in the By-Laws.

Registration and Records

All members shall keep complete and accurate records of individual dogs, breedings, litters, pedigrees, and puppy sales as required by the Association’s registry, and abide by the rules and regulations of registry. All dogs are registered with the understanding that the registry will be turned over to AKC in the near future and become AKC registered dogs at that time. 

The ABC's Of Dog Breeding

We highly recommend this home study program for those who really want to get serious about breeding top quality dogs.

Although there are still some dog breeders who feel that using rules of genetics in a breeding program has little effect on their success, it is unlikely that a breeder can produce healthy dogs of consistent quality, year after year, without understanding how traits are passed from one generation to the next. Anyone can breed one or two good dogs by chance, but understanding why something happens in a breeding program, which is the stuff of genetics, is an important key to keeping virtues and eliminating defects. Much of our knowledge about the significance of genetics to canine breeding and health is thanks to research done in the lucrative livestock industry.

The ABC’s of Dog Breeding Home Study Program takes a practical, step-by-step approach to the art and science of breeding by focusing on 7 key tools and concepts. These include (1) genetics, (2) breeding systems, (3) pedigree, (4) selection, (5) anatomy, (6) kennel blindness and (7) genetic defects. Understanding each one of these elements can help breeders put together the pieces for a more successful breeding program. The goal of the ABC’s of Dog Breeding is to provide a home study course for dog breeders by gathering together in one comprehensive program the “need to know” information from the fields of domestic animal breeding and canine genetics.

In addition to discussing the genetic principles of animal breeding, the ABC’s of Dog Breeding also addresses many of the common misconceptions that have been handed down from dog breeder to dog breeder. Breeders may fail to reach their full potential in part because they are basing breeding decisions on flawed rules of thumb. A few of these include: (1) the pedigree is more important than the individual dog; (2) breeding to the littermate of a favored dog is the same as breeding to the favored dog itself; and (3) a dog with straight shoulders can produce well-angled shoulders if its ancestors possess the trait. The reality of these three myths is that: (1) the individual dog is always more important than the pedigree; (2) littermates differ genetically and breeding to a brother or sister of a favored dog is not the same as breeding to the favored dog itself; and (3) a straight-shouldered dog has inherited genes for straight shoulders and is likely to pass these genes on to offspring regardless of ancestors possessing good shoulders. Many other breeding myths abound.

One aim of the ABC’s of Dog Breeding is to explain why, based on genetic principles, common breeding misconceptions are not valid. It is important for breeders to have a general understanding of how a sire and dam pass genes on to offspring, since a simplified explanation of this process allows breeders to understand why many myths about dog breeding lack scientific support.

The ABC’s of Dog Breeding Home Study Program is designed to be used as a fundamental course of study on dog breeding for breeders of all breeds. Genetics is a science and the same genetic principles apply in general to all species of domestic animals as well as to humans. The traditional correspondence school format of the ABC’s of Dog Breeding allows breeders to work at home and complete the course at their own pace. Some breeders may complete the workbook exercises, which accompany the textbook, in several weeks; others may take 3 months or a year. The emphasis is on convenience and flexibility. In its on-going support of breeder education, the American Kennel Club will send a Certificate of Completion to breeders who send in their completed workbook exercises to the AKC Breeder’s Department. Because the principles of genetics apply to all breeds of dogs, the ABC’s is an affordable option for Parent Clubs looking for a foundation course on dog breeding for their breeder education programs.

                                     

You will also automatically be accepted into the ABLA's Preferred Breeders Program with a free membership to said program upon proof of completion (if not already a member of PBP). *The cost is only $30 dollars for this program. www.abcsofdogbreeding.com

 

 

There are two sides to this argument. We can only suggest you google and do your own research and make your own decision. The following is from both sides:

It is pretty much universally agreed upon by vets that the best time to spay is BEFORE the first heat period. If a dog is spayed prior to the first heat, the odds of developing mammary cancer later in life are less than 1%. If spayed between the first and second heat periods the risk increases to about 8%. If spayed at any time after the second heat period, the risk of mammary cancer is about 25% in the dog (same as in an unspayed dog). There are no reasons not to spay prior to the first heat that I am aware of. A few dogs do develop incontinence from low estrogen levels after spaying but this does not appear to be affected much by the time the dog is spayed. Some dogs just develop this problem after spaying.

There are some health benefits for the female dog associated with spaying, including freedom from the complications of birthing puppies, reduced risk of mammary cancer and uterine infections. Uterine infections (pyometra) are a serious problem in dogs due to the way in which they cycle and can easily result in death. With the obvious benefit of spaying before the first heat and the lack of any problems that have been proven to occur as the result of spaying early, they believe there is not much reason to wait until after a heat cycle.

 

 

Early Spay-Neuter Considerations for the Canine Athlete
© 2005 Chris Zink DVM, PhD, DACVP

                                    

                                   Orthopedic Considerations:
A study by Salmeri et al in 1991 found that bitches spayed at 7 weeks grew significantly taller than those spayed at 7 months, who were taller than those not spayed (or presumably spayed after the growth plates had closed).(1) A study of 1444 Golden Retrievers performed in 1998 and 1999 also found bitches and dogs spayed and neutered at less than a year of age were significantly taller than those spayed or neutered at more than a year of age.(2) The sex hormones, by communicating with a number of other growth-related hormones, promote the closure of the growth plates at pubjerty (3), so the bones of dogs or bitches neutered or spayed before puberty continue to grow. Dogs that have been spayed or neutered well before puberty can frequently be identified by their longer limbs, lighter bone structure, narrow chests and narrow skulls. This abnormal growth frequently results in significant alterations in body proportions and particularly the lengths (and therefore weights) of certain bones relative to others. For example, if the femur has achieved its genetically determined normal length at 8 months when a dog gets spayed or neutered, but the tibia, which normally stops growing at 12 to 14 months of age continues to grow, then an abnormal angle may develop at the stifle. In addition, with the extra growth, the lower leg below the stifle likely becomes heavier (because it is longer), and may cause increased stresses on the cranial cruciate ligament. In addition, sex hormones are critical for achieving peak bone density.(4) These structural and physiological alterations may be the reason why at least one recent study showed that spayed and neutered dogs had a higher incidence of CCL rupture.(5) Another recent study showed that dogs spayed or neutered before 5 1/2 months had a significantly higher incidence of hip dysplasia than those spayed or neutered after 5 1/2 months of age, although it should be noted that in this study there were no standard criteria for the diagnosis of hip dysplasia.(6) Nonetheless, breeders of purebred dogs should be cognizant of these studies and should consider whether or not pups they bred were spayed or neutered when considering breeding decisions.
Cancer Considerations:
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Behavioral Considerations:
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Other Health Considerations:
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Business

Meetings – All meetings called shall be organized by the President, or on the behalf of the President of the Association. The Association is responsible for making arrangements for any meeting held, including but not limited to the location, by telephone or located at a public meeting facility. Any fees incurred are the responsibility of the individual. The Annual Meeting, Special Committee Meeting, Board of Directors Meeting, as well as other meetings as deemed necessary, may be held on the same day, if desired at discretion of Board of the Association.

Meetings by telephone or similar communications: The Board of Directors may participate in a meeting by means of conference telephone or similar communications equipment by means of which all directors participating in the meeting can hear each other, and participation in such meeting shall constitute presence in person by such director at such meeting. 

Voting:

 (a) At any meeting of members, every member having the right to vote shall be entitled to vote in person or by proxy. Except as otherwise provided by law, each member of record shall be entitled to one vote.
(b) All elections shall be determined by a plurality vote, and, except as otherwise provided by law, all other matters shall be determined by a vote of a majority of the members present in person or represented by proxy and voting on such other matters.

Suspension or Termination - A membership may be suspended or terminated by a majority vote of the Board of Directors of The Association

1. Any member who submits a false statement or falsified document to the Association, who violates the By-Laws or Rules of the Association, who fails to cooperate in the investigation of a complaint by the Association, who assists another to circumvent disciplinary sanctions imposed by the Association, or whose practices in the breeding of Blue Lacys are such as to otherwise impair the reliability of the records of the Association, shall be subject to discipline by the Association.
2. Whenever an apparently credible complaint of misconduct is received against a person, or the President shall otherwise be made aware of evidence of misconduct, the President shall appoint one or more members of the Association to investigate the matter. If the person charged (the Respondent) fails or refuses to cooperate with the investigation, including any failure to provide access to dogs and kennels as requested, he or she shall be immediately suspended from membership, with loss of registration and all other privileges.  Such a suspension shall automatically be converted to permanent expulsion from membership six months after the suspension was imposed, if the Respondent has not remedied his/her failure or refusal to cooperate by that date.
3.  If after investigation the evidence of misconduct still appears credible, the President shall appoint a Hearing Board, consisting of three members, at least one of whom must be a director, to hear and consider the evidence.
4.  The Respondent shall be given written notice, at least fifteen (15) days in advance of any hearing, of the complaint and of the time, date and place of the hearing.  Such notice shall be given by personal delivery to the Respondent, or by mailing it by certified mail, postage prepaid, to the Respondents address as it appears in the Associations records. If the Hearing Board determines it to be appropriate, hearings may be conducted via a telephone conference call.
5.  The Respondent may submit a written response to the complaint, or may participate in the hearing, or both.  Any Respondent who elects to participate in the hearing shall have the opportunity to testify, to present witnesses and evidence, and to hear and refute the evidence offered in support of the complaint. Respondents are entitled to be represented by counsel at the hearing if they so choose.
6.  Minutes will be taken of the hearing. Any Respondent wishing to have a complete record of the proceedings may, at his or her own expense, have the proceedings recorded and transcribed, provided that in that case the Respondent must furnish a copy of the transcript to the Association.
7.  The presiding officer of the Hearing Board may in his or her discretion grant a continuance upon request, or may continue the hearing for the purpose of obtaining further evidence even in the absence of a request.
8.  The Hearing Board shall issue a written decision within a reasonable time following conclusion of the hearing.  If the Hearing Board upholds the complaint, it shall prescribe the appropriate disciplinary action, taking into account the number and gravity of the infractions, the harm resulting therefrom to the Association and others, and such other mitigating or aggravating factors as the Hearing Board may deem relevant.
9.  At any time prior to the issuance of the Hearing Boards decision, the Respondent may enter into negotiations with the investigator or the investigators designee in an attempt to resolve the matter informally.  If a mutually acceptable resolution is agreed upon, it shall be presented to the Executive Committee of the Association, which may approve or disapprove it.  If the Executive Committee approves it, it shall become the final settlement of the complaint, and any disciplinary action agreed to in the settlement shall have the same force and effect as if it had been ordered by the Hearing Board.  If the Executive Committee does not approve it, the case will proceed, but if the complaint is upheld by the Hearing Board and its decision is appealed to the Board of Directors, the members of the Executive Committee shall take no part in the appeal process.
10.  The Respondent shall have the right to appeal from an adverse decision of the Hearing Board to the full Board of Directors of the Association.  Except in extraordinary circumstances, the Board of Directors shall not receive any new evidence regarding the case, but shall decide the appeal based on the record of the hearing, and any additional written arguments submitted by or on behalf of the Respondent and the Complainant.  The decision of the Board of Directors, or the decision of the Hearing Board if no appeal is taken, shall be final and binding on all parties.
11.  If a Respondent initiates court proceedings to challenge any disciplinary decision taken by the Association, and does not prevail in such litigation by the recovery of all relief requested, the Respondent shall be liable to the Association for its attorneys fees and other expenses incurred by virtue of the litigation.
12. A conviction of cruelty, neglect or related offenses regarding dogs, or confiscation of dogs by lawful authorities and/or relinquishment of dogs to lawful authorities as a result of a charge of cruelty, neglect or other violation of laws regarding the care and treatment of dogs, shall be grounds for immediate suspension of membership and/or denial of membership. Dogs which have been confiscated in these circumstances and disposed of by lawful authority through sale or otherwise will ordinarily be de-registered, except where the dogs are returned to their owner as a result of his or her acquittal of the charges leading to the seizure. Any such denial or suspension of membership, and any such de-registration, may be appealed to the Board of Directors, which may if it deems necessary delegate the appeal to a Hearing Board for the taking of evidence and the making of recommendations. The decision of the Board of Directors on the appeal shall be final.

Article I

President: The President shall be the chief executive officer of the Corporation and, subject to the direction of the Board of Directors, shall have general charge of the business, affairs and property of the Corporation and general supervision over its other officers and agents. In general, she shall perform all duties incident to the office of President and shall see that all orders and resolutions of the Board of Directors are carried into effect.

Vice Presidents: The Vice President, if any (or in the event there be more than one, the Vice Presidents in the order designated, or in the absence of any designation, the order of their election), shall, in the absence of the President or in the event of his disability, perform the duties and exercise the powers of the President and shall generally assist the President and perform such other duties and have such other powers as may from time to time be prescribed by the Board of Directors.

Secretary: The Secretary shall attend all meetings of the Board of Directors and all meetings of members and record all votes and the proceedings of the meetings in a book to be kept for that purpose and shall perform like duties for the Executive Committee or other committees, if required. He shall give, or cause to be given, notice of all meetings of members and special meetings of the Board of Directors, and shall perform such other duties as may from time to time be prescribed by the Board of Directors, the Chairman of the Board or the President, under whose supervision he shall act. He shall have custody of the seal of the Corporation and he, or an Assistant Secretary, shall have authority to affix the same to any instrument requiring it, and, when so affixed, the seal may be attested by his signature or by the signature of such Assistant Secretary. The Board of Directors may give general authority to any other officer to affix the seal of the Corporation and to attest the affixing thereof by his signature.

Assistant Secretary: The Assistant Secretary, if any (or in the event there be more than one, the Assistant Secretaries in the order designated, or in the absence of any designation, in the order of their election), shall, in the presence of the Secretary or in the event of his disability, perform the duties and exercise the powers of the Secretary and shall perform such other duties and have such other powers as may from time to time be prescribed by the Board of Directors.

Treasurer: The Treasurer shall have the custody of the corporate funds and other valuable effects, and shall keep full accurate accounts of receipts and disbursements in books belonging to the Corporation and shall deposit all moneys and other valuable effects in the name and to the credit of the Corporation in such depositories as may from time to time be designated by the Board of Directors. He shall disburse the funds of the Corporation as may be ordered by the Board of Directors, taking proper vouchers for such disbursements, and shall render to the Chairman of the Board, the President and the Board of Directors, at regular meetings of the Board, or whenever they may require it, an account of all his transactions as Treasurer and of the financial condition of the Corporation.

Assistant Treasurer: The Assistant Treasurer, if any (or in the event there shall be more than one, the Assistant Treasurers in the order designated, or in the absence of any designation, in the order of their election), shall, in the absence of the Treasurer or in the event of his disability, perform the duties and exercise the powers of the Treasurer and shall perform such other duties and have such other powers as may from time to time be prescribed by the Board of Directors.

 

Article II

Grievance Procedures – A grievance may be filed with the Board of Directors, which may be initiated by any active member in good standing. The Board of Directors shall appoint a Grievance Committee in which to handle said matter.

Filing of Grievance – The grievance shall be submitted in writing to the Board of Directors. The member whom the grievance is being brought against shall be provided with a copy of the charges brought against him/her.

Hearing – If the Grievance Committee determines substantial evidence to warrant a hearing, the accused will be given a minimum of thirty (30) days notice of the date, time and place the hearing will be held. The complainant must appear and provide all evidence in support of the allegations against the accused. Each member of this Association shall be presumed innocent of any misconduct.

No disciplinary action and/or actions will be taken against any member unless he/she has been found guilty of misconduct by substantial evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that is set forth to be clear, precise and indubitable. No disciplinary action shall be taken against the member unless that member has been afforded a hearing before the Grievance Committee, with the right of appeal to an executive committee as appointed by the Board of Directors.

Expulsion – Disciplinary action may include, but not be limited to, temporary suspension of privileges, expulsion, and any other appropriate action and/or actions as deemed necessary by the Grievance Committee.

If a member has brought charges against another member on the basis of fictitious accusations, or improper motives, and if the charges are wholly false and without merit, the Grievance Committee may take action against the complainant, as deemed necessary by the Board of Directors.

Article III

Amendments – Only the membership shall have power to make, alter, amend and repeal the bylaws of the Corporation by affirmative vote of a majority, provided, however, that the action is proposed at a regular meeting, except as otherwise provided by law. All bylaws made by the Board of Directors may be altered, amended or repealed by the members.