THE FDC’S GUIDING STATEMENTS
The FDC was founded to support the breeding and raising of purebred, outcrossed, and mixed-breed dogs while prioritizing their “functionality”, health, and wellbeing, through research, education, and community.
The FDC was founded to support the breeding and raising of purebred, outcrossed, and mixed-breed dogs while prioritizing their “functionality”, health, and wellbeing, through research, education, and community.
The FDC was founded to support the breeding and raising of purebred, outcrossed, and mixed-breed dogs while prioritizing the goals below. These goals will sometimes be in conflict with a strict breed standard or closed studbook. In that case, these functional goals are considered more important, and a breeding program that meets them may be said to be meeting the FDC’s definition of breeding “functional” dogs:
Compared to dogs overall, the FDC supports the breeding of dogs with:
While it is impossible to guarantee behavioral health in individual dogs, breeders should select dogs for breeding with the following in mind:
FDC supports the management of dogs and puppies according, minimally, to the Five Freedoms of animal welfare. All dogs and puppies should receive appropriate enrichment and have meaningful relationships with humans (i.e., not live solely in kennels with moderate or less human contact). Additionally, puppies should be raised in environments with some similarity to what they will be expected to be in as adults (e.g., companion dogs raised primarily in homes, not kennels); provided appropriate socialization; and placed thoughtfully in homes appropriate to expectations of their adult needs.
FDC recognizes that while breeders have specific plans for each litter (show prospects; sport prospects; outcross breeding prospects; companion animals), not every dog in a litter will be a good match for that breeder’s goals. Nevertheless, breeders must have a placement plan in the best interest of the puppy, for those animals who have different needs from the rest or who do not otherwise meet the goals for the litter. If a litter is likely to have one or more puppies in it which would be difficult or unethical to place, that litter should not be produced.
In some cases, the FDC’s goals will conflict with realities of breed standards and genetic diversity, as well as with preferences for morphology (form, i.e., head shape, body shape, coat type). In these cases:
When selecting resources related to the physical or behavioral health of dogs, decisions will be made based on evidence. Personal experience is welcome but needs supporting evidence (as described below) to be considered. Breeders wanting to introduce evidence from their own lines may contact the FDC if they wish to share the evidence anonymously.
The following priority will be used when considering resources/content: