KC Assured Breeders Assessment

MurphysMinder

MurphysMinder

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You may recall that I had my assessment back in February, and I "passed". Well I got the full report back this weekend (they move fast at the KC) and everything is satisfactory (their highest accolade) with one exception.

One section covers "Animals no longer used for breeding". I was asked what plan I had in place for my dogs when they were no longer being bred from. The question surprised me so I answered "I don't have a plan, nothing changes". I then went on to explain that they stayed with me for life, and pointed out Evie, lying at a my feet, now spayed, and also the headstone in the garden with all my past dogs names on it. I presumed she was happy and that this was what any decent breeder would do.
On this section of the report I have been rated "Unsatisfactory - No long term plan is in place for the welfare of animals no longer used for breeding". So it seems by not planning to rehome them a la puppy farmers I have not ticked the right box!
No real point to this post, just wanted to have a bit of a rant.:p
 
MurphysMinder said:
You may recall that I had my assessment back in February, and I "passed". Well I got the full report back this weekend (they move fast at the KC) and everything is satisfactory (their highest accolade) with one exception.

One section covers "Animals no longer used for breeding". I was asked what plan I had in place for my dogs when they were no longer being bred from. The question surprised me so I answered "I don't have a plan, nothing changes". I then went on to explain that they stayed with me for life, and pointed out Evie, lying at a my feet, now spayed, and also the headstone in the garden with all my past dogs names on it. I presumed she was happy and that this was what any decent breeder would do.
On this section of the report I have been rated "Unsatisfactory - No long term plan is in place for the welfare of animals no longer used for breeding". So it seems by not planning to rehome them a la puppy farmers I have not ticked the right box!
No real point to this post, just wanted to have a bit of a rant.:p
Click to expand...

I'm sorry MM, but it would stagger me that anyone would ask for the opinion or the approval of the KC on any subject!

Are you satisfied with your own management of your own dogs? ... Thought so! ;)

Alec.
 
This reads like good news....

Does that mean you will become a KC registered breeder??

I've been trying to think about getting another dog sooner than originally planed, only cos I feel it will help with the healing process cos will fill some of the gaps Joey's left.

Everyone has told me to get smaller breed, mainly cos whilst we had Joey I couldn't find anyone to look after him if we were going on holidays which made my husband very miserable. I personally didn't care cos being with Joey was always a holiday.

But I watch videos of GSD puppies and pictures of Joey when he was a puppy I miss that... they are sooo cute, a big furball.

Looked at cocker spaniels and there is a litter due in June around Dorset, so look like I'll be getting 1 of those!

Good luck with that!!
 
That's a shame given you do the right thing by your dogs. Presume the assessor just ticked the box than take note of later information about keeping the dogs.
 
What a load of *o*sers the KC are, you have supplied the very best of arrangements for your dogs and it didnt meet their criteria,I would query it if I was you.

The KC ABS should be the creme de la creme of breeders but when I see Bulldog kennels specialising in unusual colours being given assured status it dosnt mean a thing.
 
Seems that they didn't listen after hearing "I don't have a plan," Perhaps you would have needed to say "My plan is that they are my pets as well as brood bitches, so nothing changes, they have a home for the rest of their life."

Congratulations to having passed the KC Assured Breeders Assessment , even if the last time I read about it, you said you didn't intend to breed any more litters. Which of course is your decision, but I still think it is a shame, the dog world doesn't need that the good, responsible breeders that knows what they're doing and tries their best to make that knowledge result in well functioning, healthy dogs, to stop breeding. Where should then the well-informed puppy buyers looking for a pedigree puppy, that doesn't want to support backyard breeders, buy their puppy?

Anyhow, to Alec Swan and Dobiegirl, the KC Assured Breeders Assessment is perhaps not perfect, but it is a start and I think that it is better than nothing.
 
Alec, friends on a GSD forum made almost the same comment as you.:) I applied for Assured Breeder status when I was considering having a litter from Evie, I just had to fill in a form and it was granted. Though I did get quite a few puppy enquiries through it (and still do) I actually had people waiting for pups before she was even mated so it was kind of irrelevant.
This assessment took place 2 years after I had registered with them, and 11 months after the litter, bit bizarre, but it seems that was quite quick. Talking to several other breeders who have been registered for longer and had more litters, none of them have yet been visited, so think they picked my name out of a hat.
Finny you are right, I think it is highly unlikely I will breed another litter. I have had a lot of people contact me, and the chap who had Freya's brother visited last week and was very disappointed when I said I doubted I would breed from her, but I will not be in a position to keep another in the near future so cannot see a reason to breed.
The assessor was here for 2 hours and was very thorough and I thought it was more than a box ticking exercise, but it seems I was mistaken. What I don't understand is that she asked to see hip score sheets, and indeed double checked on the KC website, yet there are ABs breeding from high scoring stock who seem to slip through the net. Maybe they only visit the small breeders as they are easy to check on, she met my dogs whilst sitting in my kitchen, in a vast kennel it might have taken a little longer.
 
I would appeal it :) she may have ticked the box initially and forgotten to add in the extra important information.

Your taking it better than most would but personally It would drive me mad to have that one black mark on an otherwise perfect record :P
 
Oh mine had a footnote saying she would have preferred to see the dogs kennelled in twos or threes...urr...bull terriers? I complained to Mr Lambert,who merely replied that they did not expect their inspectors to know every breed...well bloody well gen up before you visit !! She obviously expected all dogs to look as emaciated as show boxers (her breed) do as well, which just does`nt happen with my breed.
Plus they seem to put too much emphasis on paperwork being up to the minute rather than good old fashioned dog management. I have achieved the highest accolade..for real contribution to my breed over the years,but even so,it is a great idea going astray here and there.For instance ..Assured Breeders..of Crossbreds????:mad:
 
I'd definitely appeal it - though it's probably just a mistake where they ticked the box after your first sentence and didn't get around to changing it!

Well done though, even if it's worth nothing it's still nice to be valued for what you do :) x
 
I am so used to the KC and their ways, it is really no surprise to me tbh but the potential is there for this to be a good scheme, the KC just have to implement it properly..
EK, the lady who came to me stated that she liked GSDs but didn't like "these German ones" , and preferred the ones like mine. I pointed out that mine were German bred and she might be better looking at the dogs rather than believing the hype .;)
 
Just a quick update. I have received a reply from the KC, the relevant bits are below. I shall not be renewing my membership of ABS :rolleyes:




And yes I may just have posted on the KC facebook page about this, don't think they were too happy with me. :)
 
*joins head-desking*

I'm only on day two of working in a veterinary practice and have already had someone enquire about puppies for sale. The fact that we even have a notice board that allows free advertising of dogs for sale makes me :mad: but that's another discussion. Anyway, he asked if we'd heard about any litters of a specific breed. I asked if he'd tried the KC, which he hadn't, and ended up printing him off the list of assured breeders and the 'find a puppy' results to take with him.

What irks me is that gently steering them towards the KC AB scheme is the best I could do - I am neither a vet not a dog breeder, I can only offer an opinion and have about 30 seconds in which to do so before it really goes out of the remit of my job - but unless you've already got some awareness of what you should be looking for when buying a puppy (and the vast majority of people don't) then it sounds like no help at all in getting a healthy, ethically bred puppy.

There was a litter available locally via the KC 'find a puppy' search - I've just looked them up again and no health tests. 10 pups advertised so we can assume none were pre-booked. Quite probably no better than getting one from an advert in the local paper. What's the point?!
 
wow...just wow.....

....
...
so genuine breeders, breeding small numbers, who offer responsible homes for life are not what the kc are striving towards then??

...joins the head desk movement....
 
how can they say you have only now given it some thought so it was great that they have mentioned it so now you have thought about it when it is your pet dog!

madness.

I'd be contacting them and saying that no it wasn't adequately explained, I did not find it a worthwhile experience and will not be continuing with the assured breeders scheme.
 
They are not going to admit their mistake, the assessor made an assumption which is wrong, they should have asked for further clarification but they did not. How are you to know what their assumption is at the time of assessment?

I just think it goes to prove what total knobheads they are.
 
You "may have posted on the KC Facebook page about this", oh dear MurphysMinder, does that mean that you've been naughty? :eek:




But seriously, do the Kennel Club not read what the've written before sending people such answers?

How can "have a plan in place beyond the breeding life of the dogs" not equal that you (in my words) "view your bitches first and last as family dogs, with a home for life, that only happens to maybe (if they're good enough) also be brood bitches for a few years."

How can that view not be a plan? :confused:

Another quote "an issue that may be encountered is where dog breeders have an inadequate plan and may inadvertently accumulate dogs", but if you've managed to be a dog owner and breeder for XX years, without accumulating too many dogs etc., is that not proof enough of that your way is working satisfyingly?

Anyhow, basically because you thought of your brood bitches as family dogs and didn't use the more businesslike word Plan, they still think it is correct to give your kennel/breeding the rating "Unsatisfactory" in one aspect. *sigh* Another victory for the red-tapist.

:(
 
Yes FLH I have been naughty and they are not amused!:p I posted on the KC fb page outlining what the assessment had said and asking for their reasons. Cue lots of support from other breeders and a rather pompous response from KC asking me to email them the details. The letter I quote from above was their reply - the opening paragraph said " ... may I respectfully suggest that if you have any questions or concerns regarding the KC ABS the correct place to raise this is direct with the ABS either by email or telephone...". Very pompous and I consider my wrists well and truly slapped.:p
 
I have to confess I did first ask the question on the fb page, then emailed them and when I got no reply to the email did have another little prod on the fb page.:)
 
Well I am going to go completely against the grain here....and those who know me know how little time I have for the Kennel Club.....but I can see the point they are trying to make now I have seen their reply? I have seen many horror stories of respected and well-known breeder/exhibitors who have ended up with more dogs than they can cope with, and it has become a welfare issue :( That is what they are trying to guard against, as I am sure you have all realised.

I am not saying by any means that the decision of the assessor was the correct one, it appears to be a case of the assessor taking MM's comments on total 'face value' without giving them any consideration which is entirely inappropriate. And as I have met MM I know perfectly well what a responsible and loving owner she is :) But, for once, I can see where the KC is coming from.

That makes a change :D
 
Was just going to post similar BC.;) Yes I do agree that it is good they try and stop the hoarders but they do still seem to be the same old inflexible KC. If the assessor could find no fault with my current situation how could it be unsatisfactory, and looking at it another way, if they feel my plans for the future of my breeding stock are unsatisfactory should I have been given AB status. It would have been nice if they had explained their reasoning but then accepted my "plan" and changed my grading to satisfactory.
 
So essentiallyessentially they seem to think you'll end up a dog hoarder if you don't have a plan. To think lay members of the public like myself are meant to respect and take confidence from the KC, bonkers!
 
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