Our kennel is Canadian Kennel Club registered. The dogs we breed are registered purebreds. Many people may wonder, what precisely does this mean? Let me list some of the details.
As members of the Canadian Kennel Club we adhere to their constitution and bylaws (find them here link )
In order for an animal to be considered 'purebred' it must be able to be registered with the Animal Pedigree Act (found here), which basically means both parents must be registered with a government accepted registry, and there must be a detailed description of the breed (see 'standard')
Before the dog leaves the breeder it must be permanently identified via microchips and/or tattoos registered to the new owner and/or breeder - we take steps to help ensure they are never "lost" for long
We can trace the lineage of our dogs back 30+ generations, thereby guaranteeing they are 100% Great Pyrenees, and can provide documentation
Since we can guarantee their lineage, we can also guarantee temperament and physical type (conformation) - i.e. what the new owners are to expect
When our dogs are shown it is a reaffirmation that they fit the standard - judges at dog show are not necessarily comparing dogs to other dogs, but rather the individual dogs to their breed standard. If they feel a dog does not fit the breed standard, they can excuse it.
Beyond being registered with the CKC, we are also members of the Great Pyrenees Club of Canada ( GPCC ) and the Great Pyrenees Club of Southern Ontario ( GPCSO ). Both of these clubs require applications and agreements to adhere to their own constitution and bylaws, which are more detailed and geared to Great Pyrenees in particular. They also act, sometimes, as a more personal governing body ensuring the dogs are represented and bred under correct conditions.
In addition to doing the health testing required by these clubs (hips), we tend to go further and test patellas, elbows, eyes and sometimes hearts. We do not do this because we have problems in these areas, instead it is to confirm we still do not have issues.
Also, as required by the C&B of the clubs, we do not breed dogs less than two years of age, as they are not fully mature and not yet old enough to have their health clearances confirmed.
Finally, the biggest difference (in our minds) of having a purebred registered dog is this:
We are always here.
As breeders, we are always available to those who we deemed worthy of having a dog from us. If for any reason you cannot keep or care for the dog we will either help you to do so or take it back. If you need help with a problem, you can contact us. If you have questions, we will find answers. We are not fly-by-night, there will always be up-to-date contact information available. We are accountable for our dogs.
Every dog we breed is done so with careful consideration and planning. They are handled from the moment of their birth to encourage trust and acceptance of humans, and carefully raised to be well behaved, good dogs.
We expose our dogs to socialization and public events. This is not only to train our dogs, but it is also important to us to represent our breed and educate the public. We are about more than 'selling dogs'.
To us this is what it means to be 'registered'.