SSCA Member Information

This page and its related links provide all of the information on and about the Standard Schnauzer Club of America.

General
The Code of Ethics of the Standard Schnauzer Club of America, Inc. are intended to be a guideline to encourage the members of the Club and Standard Schnauzer fanciers to conduct themselves and take actions that are in accordance with the values of the Club and are in the best interest of our Breed and our dogs.The Code of Ethics of the Standard Schnauzer Club of America, Inc. are intended to be a guideline to encourage the members of the Club and Standard Schnauzer fanciers to conduct themselves and take actions that are in accordance with the values of the Club and are in the best interest of our Breed and our dogs.

Mission

The mission of the Standard Schnauzer Club of America, Inc. (SSCA) is to advocate for the Standard Schnauzer as a multipurpose dog, bred for type and function. The SSCA encourages members to promote the Standard Schnauzer as a companion dog who excels as a family dog and who actively competes and performs in a wide range of companion, performance and service venues and environments as well as the conformation ring. All Standard Schnauzer enthusiasts are expected to make decisions and take courses of action leading to the continued improvement and preservation of the breed and the well-being of individual dogs.

Members

Members of the Club and all Standard Schnauzer fanciers are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that positively impacts our dogs and our breed and emphasizes our shared values of good sportsmanship. This includes:

working to advance the well-being of the Breed by always having the health and welfare of our dogs as the highest priority
respecting the history and traditions of our breed and the breed standard
committing ourselves to the values of fair play, honesty, courtesy and competing with grace
respecting the bylaws, rules, regulations and policies of the SSCA and the AKC
welcoming, encouraging and supporting all dog owners, especially new owners of our breed;
working to protect the rights of all dog owners
encouraging responsible dog ownership by training our dogs and assisting other owners with training so that they and their dogs are good neighbors and ambassadors for the breed

Breeders

Breeders of Standard Schnauzers have an elevated level of responsibility and are expected to hold themselves and their dogs to a high standard that strives to protect the breed standard, prevent health related issues and preserve the future of the S tandard Schnauzer as a healthy, active, long-lived, working family dog. These responsibilities include:

To encourage and promote quality in the breeding of Standard Schnauzers so that each succeeding generation strives towards attaining the vision set in the American Kennel Club (AKC) Breed Standard, the only standard by which Standard Schnauzers shall be judged
To follow guidelines adopted by the SSCA as Best Practices with regard to health testing and other breeding practices, as well as care and conditions standards as outlined by the AKC.
To follow the guidelines adopted by SSCA as Guidelines for Interaction between a Prospective Puppy Buyer and a Responsible Breeder
To educate and mentor all owners of Standard Schnauzer, especially new owners, with regard to appropriate care and conditions, opportunities to engage other owners and participate in the range of activities that enhance their interaction with their dog and in which our dogs excel.
To encourage owners to adopt best practices that allows our dogs to have long, healthy and active lives.

COE Approved - BOG 5-21-15

Breed Best Practice Update: 5-21-15
Recommendations Regarding Best Practices for Testing for Health and Potential Disease in Standard Schnauzers.

Health Concerns
The health of our dogs is a concern for all Owners of Standard Schnauzers, with the maintenance of the health of our breed going forward being the highest priority. It is highly recommended t hat Owners and Breeders always adopt best practices with regard to testing for risk of disease and/or conditions negatively impacting health, monitoring for the existence of disease and/or health issues and treating current health issues.

Breeder Responsibility
Breeders have the highest level of responsibility for maintaining the future health of our breed. Therefore, the Board of Governors of the Standard Schnauzer Club of America strongly urges Owners considering a breeding to insure that appropriate tests, and especially tests that will evaluate the risk of disease in future generations, be conducted and incorporated into decisions regarding the appropriateness of a mating.

Disease Tests
In addition to tests to evaluate the general health status of the Dam and Sire, the following tests for potential disease in future generations are recommended:

All dogs used for breeding should first be x-rayed (radiographed) and found free of hip dysplasia b y the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA). Dogs under two years of age should have a preliminary OFA evaluation and dogs over two years of age should have an OFA number.
Evaluation by a Board Certified Ophthalmologist for potential eye and vision defects. Eye and vision evaluation should be done no more than one year before being bred.
Molecular/genotype analysis for risk of genetic diseases, including the recently reported genotype analysis for risk of Dilated Cardiomyopathy in Standard Schnauzers. In NO case should two Carriers be bred. However, if one parent is a Carrier, then the other parent’s results should be Negative (Normal) to ensure that none of the offspring will be DCM affected.

CHIC

In addition, Owners and Breeders are urged to insure that the results from these tests are entered and available in the Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) database. Adopted by the Board of Governors of the Standard Schnauzer Club of America

Date: October 15, 2014
Updated/Approved: May 21, 2015

Puppy Buyer Guidelines: BOG Approved 5-21-15
Buying a Standard Schnauzer puppy is a significant decision and it should be recognized that it involves lifelong commitments on the part of both the prospective buyer/owner and the breeder/seller. Below are points that a Prospective Puppy Buyer should reasonably expect from a Responsible Breeder.

Breeders of Standard Schnauzers have the ultimate responsibility for maintaining the health of the breed. Therefore, the Board of Governors of the Standard Schnauzer Club of America, Inc. (SSCA) strongly urges Breeders to insure that (1) all appropriate health tests are conducted and incorporated into decisions prior to breeding, (2) puppies are appropriately registered and (3) the sales agreement for all puppies includes details regarding the sale, expected care and breeder and owner responsibilities for the life of the dog as spelled out below.

Recommended Health Tests for Dam and Sire prior to Breeding

All dogs used for breeding should first be x-rayed (radiographed) and found free of hip dysplasia by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA). Dogs under two years of age should have a preliminary OFA evaluation and dogs over two years of age should have an OFA number.
Evaluation of eyes by an American College of Veterinarian Ophthalmologists (ACVO) Certified Ophthalmologist with no evidence of heritable eye disease. Exam should be conducted within one year prior to breeding and a current OFA or Canine Eye Registration Foundation (CERF) Eye Certification Registry number should be available.
Molecular/genotype analysis for risk of genetic diseases, including testing for the risk of Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM). In NO case should two Carriers be bred. However, if one parent is a Carrier, then the other parent’s results should be Negative (Normal) to ensure that none of the offspring will be affected with DCM.
Breeders are urged to make the results from all health tests available in the Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) database. Test results can be confirmed on offa.org. These results should be included in advertisements, including personal websites.
Accurate records, as outlined by the AKC requirements for "Care and Conditions", will be maintained.

Puppies Registration
The Breeder will facilitate AKC registration of all puppies by providing valid registration forms and/or transfer of ownership forms to Buyer. This may include Limited registration when applicable.

Puppy Buyer Information Guidelines

Results from all health tests conducted for sire and dam should be available to potential puppy buyers prior to purchase.
Puppies should be accompanied by a current health certificate, a three generation pedigree, and a feeding and care guidelines.
Buyer will have the puppy microchipped, if the breeder has not already done so. The puppy’s microchip number needs to be registered with the appropriate microchip registry.
All sales should include a sales agreement signed by the "Seller" and the "Buyer" listing specific obligations of both "Buyer" and "Seller", and conditions for return of puppy, if this becomes necessary.
Conditions for spay/neuter should be stipulated in the Sales Agreement when appropriate with Limited AKC registration.
Potential homes will be carefully screened.
Puppies will not be used as prizes, auction or raffle items, or sold to retailers, wholesalers, commercial dealers or paid agents.
If the buyer is unable to keep the dog, the breeder will assist the buyer to re-home the dog.
If the dog enters rescue, the breeder will assist the Rescue Program to rehome the dog and if necessary take the dog back while assisting to re-home the dog.

Breeder Information Page
Available Litters Page