This statement is established in accordance with the objectives of The Greater Rochester Rottweiler Club (GRRC).   Adherence to these PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES is expected and required of all members.

PRINCIPLES

1. Members of the GRRC hold true that the Rottweiler is above all a working dog and must exhibit the temperament, intelligence, and structure of a working companion. The physical appearance should be as described in the AKC Standard.

2. Members of the GRRC will study and strive to conserve and improve the breed in structure, temperament, and working ability, never sacrificing one for the other.

3. Members of the GRRC agree to maintain good standards of health and care of their dogs including proper veterinary care. They further agree that proper mental health includes regular contact with people and socialization.

4. Members of the GRRC will conduct themselves at all times in a manner of the highest standards of sportsmanship and goodwill which will reflect credit upon themselves and the breed, regardless of the location or circumstances, especially when attending dog events (club events, breed shows, obedience, tracking, agility, schutzhund, herding, or any other activity). As an exhibitor or as a spectator, members will assist all newcomers to the breed in a positive manner so that they may be guided in the ways that can best preserve and improve the Rottweiler breed as a whole. The goal of each club member should be to educate the public to the best of their ability.

PRACTICES

1. Members of the GRRC will encourage working titles to retain breeding stock's correct working temperament. They will show future breeding stock in the breed ring, keeping in mind that the purpose of such shows is to improve the breed by objective evaluation of the animals in the competition according to the breed standard.

2. Members of the GRRC will breed only AKC, CKC, ADRK registered dogs and bitches that are OFA Hip certified free of dysplasia. They will encourage that all dogs should be tattooed or microchipped in an individual and identifiable manner before having hips x-rayed. Also, they will strongly encourage that all breeding stock have their eyes checked yearly by a veterinary ophthalmologist and that they be screened for the presence of other hereditary diseases such as elbow dysplasia, von Willebrand's disease, subaortic stenosis, and thyroid abnormalities prior to breeding.

3. Members of the GRRC will offer at stud, with a contract, only mature (2 years or older), healthy dogs with an OFA-certification and free of communicable diseases. The dogs should have no faults listed in the AKC Standard for the breed. They should refuse stud service to any bitch not meeting the same requirements.

4. Members of the GRRC will breed only bitches 2 years of age or older with an OFA-certification and free of communicable diseases. The bitch should have no faults listed in the AKC Standard for the breed. They will not breed to more than one stud at any one season. They will not breed more than two out of three seasons consecutively. They will plan all litters with the goal of improving the breed.

5. Members of the GRRC will maintain the highest possible standards of health, cleanliness and care of breeding stock, with all stock sold guaranteed to be in healthy conditions, including adequate protection against known diseases.

6. Members of the GRRC will not release puppies before they are seven weeks of age, and then only with full knowledge that they are healthy and have had the required medical inoculations and care.

7. Members of the GRRC will sell all dogs on a written contract. They will keep and pass to Buyer accurate health, breeding, registration and pedigree records of at least four generations. Registration papers may be withheld or breeder's rights retained only by mutual agreement in writing, signed by both parties. They will urge that all Rottweilers not purchased as show and breeding stock be made incapable of reproducing and urge that registration papers be withheld until there is veterinarian's certificate received as proof of sterilization and/or use the "Limited Registration" option. They will urge all their puppy buyers to provide obedience training at the proper age.

8. Members of the GRRC will evaluate honestly according to the AKC Standard and state clearly to the buyer the quality of any Rottweiler sold. All advertising should be honest and informative and should in no way misrepresent the stock offered. Price should be based on individual merit. No price should be given in advertising Rottweilers.

9. Members of the GRRC will sell only to responsible persons and refuse to knowingly deal with unethical breeders, pet shops, wholesalers, and catalog houses of their commercial sources. Rottweilers should not be given as prizes in contests or sold at auction for profit or charity. The breed should not be exploited in any detrimental manner.

10. Members of the GRRC shall choose names for AKC registration which do not use prefixes or kennel names associated with other recognized breeders of Rottweilers in the US, Canada, Germany, or any other foreign country, unless written permission is obtained from the original user of the name.