Code of Ethics

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The Hokkaido Association of North America (HANA), in accordance with its mission of encouraging the conservation and development of the Hokkaido, establishes the following Code of Ethics to promote the highest standards among owners and breeders and to encourage cooperation in the protection and advancement of our breed. HANA underwrites these standards and all members of HANA must abide by them. Any member may prefer charges against a member for alleged misconduct prejudicial to the best interest of the Club or Breed.

Personal Conduct

All members of the Hokkaido Association of North America must:

  1. Abide by the Constitution and Bylaws of the Hokkaido Association of North America (HANA) and the rules and regulations of any organizations for which HANA is a member club.
  2. Consider the welfare of the breed above all else and refrain from any action that is prejudicial to the best interests of the breed or HANA.
  3. Conduct themselves at all times in a manner which will reflect positively upon themselves, the sport of purebred dogs, the Hokkaido, and HANA.
  4. Do all in their power to protect and advance the breed by exhibiting good sportsmanship and camaraderie amongst club members and at shows, trials, public events, and online.
  5. Honestly represent the breed and their own dog(s) and bear responsibility for the truth and accuracy of any information and/or photos submitted for publication or online.
  6. Make no false or misleading statements concerning the Hokkaido nor any other dog breeds, competitors, breeders, or individual dogs.
  7. Refrain from the use of any slanderous or defaming statements against another kennel, judge, club member, HANA, or a parent organization on any public forum.
  8. Encourage eligible individuals to become a member of HANA.
  9. Pay annual membership dues in a timely manner.
  10. Agree to a one-year probationary term as a new member and be open and receptive to being mentored.
  11. Submit to the disciplinary process provided by the Hokkaido Association of North America Constitution and Bylaws for violations of this Code of Ethics.

Knowledge & Education

All members of the Hokkaido Association of North America must:

  1. Educate themselves about the breed so that they may accurately and courteously answer questions from the public or other exhibitors upon seeing a Hokkaido for the first time.
  2. Provide current and accurate resources and information on breed characteristics, general temperament, health, and grooming of Hokkaido when educating others.
  3. Honor the official breed standard and pursue understanding of its nuances and historical context which shaped today’s dogs into a living embodiment of that standard.
  4. Respect the traditions and culture of the country of origin and seek to integrate the wisdom and core values of past breeders with modern breeding approaches.
  5. Make every effort to learn about the structure, anatomy, action, inherited traits, and behavior of dogs, especially where such learning applies to the Hokkaido.
  6. Assist the serious novice in their understanding of the Hokkaido and HANA club culture and offer advice, assistance, or constructive criticism when requested.

General Dog Care

All members of the Hokkaido Association of North America must:

  1. Maintain the best possible standards of physical, mental, and emotional health of the dogs in their care and ensure a safe, appropriate, and clean environment for them.
  2. Provide their dogs with adequate food, water, shelter, veterinary care, exercise, grooming, and the socialization and training necessary to be good family companions.
  3. Keep all dogs up to date on immunizations as required by local laws and regularly checked for parasites and treated for them as necessary or as a preventative.
  4. Provide excellent prenatal and postnatal care for a dam and her puppies including proper enrichment and socialization for the puppies at each stage of development.
  5. Keep accurate and up-to-date health, immunization, and breeding records on all of their dogs and puppies that they produce and be able to furnish these records upon request.
  6. Be responsible for the behavior, condition, and appearance of their dogs so that they reflect the best possible image of the Hokkaido.

Breeding: Standards

All members of the Hokkaido Association of North America who intend to breed Hokkaido must:

  1. Be able to recognize the correct conformation of the Hokkaido through study of the breed standard and representative dogs prior to breeding.
  2. Only breed Hokkaido to other purebred Hokkaido and whose offspring are eligible for registration with AKC, UKC, or the governing kennel body in the country of residence.
  3. Always breed with the intention of conforming to the breed standard, reducing faults to a minimum, and producing healthy dogs of high quality, type, and proper temperament.
  4. Never intentionally breed to produce disqualifying faults nor market disqualifying faults as “rare” or desirable to potential buyers.
  5. Refuse to breed a stud dog or brood bitch to any animal which is not registered or is markedly inferior physically or temperamentally.
  6. Honestly evaluate the quality of a Hokkaido offered for sale and fairly represent that evaluation.
  7. Keep all advertising of litters honest and in no way intentionally misleading, fraudulent, or misrepresentative.

Breeding: Health

All members of the Hokkaido Association of North America who intend to breed Hokkaido must:

  1. Do everything possible to prevent the passing on of devastating genetic defects, which begins with research of pedigree lines and their heritable illnesses.
  2. Use only breeding stock with sound temperament, in good health, and with no known hereditary or congenital diseases that impact quality of life.
  3. Breed only physically and mentally mature dogs, at least 18 months old for a brood bitch and 15 months old for a stud dog.
  4. Do a DNA test for Collie Eye Anomaly (CEA) on all dogs prior to breeding and submit the results to the public OFA database.
  5. Avoid breeding CEA affected dogs together. Removing all CEA affected dogs from breeding would adversely impact breed diversity, but they must be bred responsibly.
  6. Complete HANA’s mandatory health clearances on all dogs prior to breeding or immediately upon having an unplanned breeding, with either preliminary or final evaluations for each. Preliminary evaluations and CAER eye exams must be done at 12 months of age or older to qualify. (Revised 2023)
  7. Submit all health clearances, including failing scores, to the public OFA database and prefer breeding dogs with a verifiable CHIC number.
  8. Only breed to stud dogs that meet the same health testing requirements, even if they are not owned by HANA members.
  9. Apply to HANA for an exemption to breed a dog that is immature or missing health clearances when a breeding may be crucial for breed conservation.
  10. Promptly inform owners in the event that a parent, littermate, or other close relative of their dog develops a heritable health condition.

Breeding: Commitment

All members of the Hokkaido Association of North America who intend to breed Hokkaido must:

  1. Only breed when they have enough committed buyers on their waitlist or are prepared to keep the resultant puppies until each one is suitably placed.
  2. Thoroughly screen all applicants interested in a Hokkaido and only sell to safe and loving homes that are a good fit for the breed and the individual dog.
  3. Never sell or donate any dog to pet stores, brokers, wholesale dealers, humane societies, or laboratories, nor provide any dog for auction, prize, or raffle purposes.
  4. Keep all puppies with the litter until at least 8 weeks of age.
  5. Follow up on all puppies and adults after the sale to ensure the dog’s continued care and to encourage the owners to become involved in purebred dog activities.
  6. Assume responsibility for every puppy produced for its entire lifetime and make written arrangements for its return or rehoming at any time the buyer is no longer able to keep it.

Breeding: Registration

All non-International members of the Hokkaido Association of North America who intend to breed Hokkaido must:

  1. Notify HANA within 10 days of every Hokkaido breeding that occurs, whether planned or accidental, and regardless whether a litter is produced. (Revised 2022)
  2. Upon request, send HANA a photo of the tie, documentation of artificial insemination, copies of parents’ health clearances, and/or copies of parents’ 3-generation pedigrees.
  3. Submit to HANA the CEA status of all puppies produced, with mandatory DNA testing on the entire litter when one or more parent is a carrier, by their 6 month birthday. (Added 2022)
  4. Register each and every puppy in a litter with AKC, UKC, or the governing kennel body in the country of residence and do not sell puppies without registration.
  5. Utilize limited registration or keep registration in the breeder’s name for any pets which, for any reason, are not qualified for breeding.
  6. Maintain accurate breeding records, registration papers, and pedigrees, furnishing each buyer with proper registration or transfer papers for every dog sold.
  7. Include with every sale a year of HANA membership for new members, within 30 days of the puppy’s go home date. (Added 2022)
  8. Require that all buyers who wish to breed their Hokkaido join HANA and abide by the club Code of Ethics and be willing to endorse and mentor them.
  9. Only co-own or co-breed Hokkaido with other HANA members in good standing.

Breeding: Documents

All members of the Hokkaido Association of North America who intend to breed Hokkaido must:

  1. Ensure that all sales agreements, stud services, leases, and co-ownerships are mutually agreed upon, stated in writing, and signed by all parties involved.
  2. Make all health clearances for the sire and dam available to buyers on request and if possible provided at the point of sale.
  3. Include with every sale the dog’s complete medical records, including vaccination due dates and the name and address of the examining veterinarian.
  4. Furnish novice puppy buyers with complete written details on general care, diet, grooming, vaccination schedule, socialization, training, etc.