Sylvaen Tamaskans

BREEDING RIGHTS:

The Tamaskan Dog is a very rare breed with only around 100 puppies born (worldwide) each year. Therefore, every Tamaskan owner is, essentially, an Ambassador for the breed. So far, the International Tamaskan Register (ITR) has been relatively successful in keeping the breed from being exploited by puppy mills; however, the future of the breed relies on responsible owners and ethical breeders working together. While all Tamaskan Dogs are, first and foremost, much-loved family pets, some Tamaskan owners choose to actively participate in the breed a bit more directly, in order to help promote and preserve the breed for future generations.

Sometimes, this contribution/participation might simply mean “Ambassador Work” (such as using your Tamaskan as a therapy/service dog, or Search & Rescue Dog, or photography/film model, etc) to publicly promote the breed in a good light; other times, it might mean becoming a co-owner with a responsible breeder (who pays for the health testing and retains exclusive breeding rights); other times, it might mean keeping a male dog intact and financing health testing so that your male can become a ITR stud dog; and, for a select few, it might mean that you are ready to commit to becoming a ITR registered breeder yourself, to help support and sustain a diverse Tamaskan genepool.

Dog breeding is not for the faint-hearted but, as with any endeavour, it is worthwhile if done properly. Of course, this means thoroughly researching the pedigrees/bloodlines, understanding your dog’s strengths and weaknesses as well as any/all faults, and seeking suitable, genetically-compatible matches that are also mutually complimentary: having features/traits that complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses. It is also highly recommended to take several online courses on dog breeding, genetics, population management, etc. Finally, it means having the time, resources and motivation to dedicate your life to becoming an ethical ITR registered Tamaskan breeder.

We always try to ensure that the “best” puppies in each litter (the puppies with the least faults) go to potential breeding homes. However, in the past we’ve sent amazing puppies to breeding homes, which then (for various reasons) decided they don’t want to breed after all. Likewise, we’ve sent “faulty” puppies to pet homes, which then decided they do want to breed after all. Ultimately, with such a limited genepool worldwide, every potential Tamaskan breeding dog is an asset to the breed, regardless of any faults or flaws, and it’s worth keeping in mind that there is no such thing as a “perfect” dog… it’s just a matter of finding a compatible match that can fix any faults/flaws in the subsequent generation(s) and avoid breeding to extremes.

Therefore, we sell all of our Sylvaen puppies as “potential breeding dogs” (unless they exhibit a serious health issue from a young age, such as: cleft palate, cryptorchid, missing teeth, under/over bite, juvenile cataracts, etc). This means, IF your Sylvaen Tamaskan is healthy and fully health tested at 12+ months old (hips, elbows, eyes, DNA, etc) with qualifying results, then you may use your Sylvaen Tamaskan for breeding, in accordance with the ITR and full adherence to ITR rules and regulations. Sylvaen Tamaskans are only permitted to breed with other ITR-registered Tamaskan Dogs or ITR-approved outcross dogs. To use a Sylvaen Tamaskan as an outcross dog for an outside breeding program, our permission must be sought and granted in advance.

Of course, we are willing to assist all Sylvaen owners (potential future breeders/stud dog owners) with finding suitable matches for their Sylvaen Tamaskan(s) and providing any necessary advice/assistance with any questions regarding mating, pregnancy/gestation, whelping and/or raising a litter, as well as any potential problems or complications that may arise. We do not have a mandatory spay/neuter (sterilize/castrate) clause in our ownership contract; however, we respect the right of every Sylvaen Tamaskan owner to decide if this is the right/best course of action for their family/individual adult dog (once it is fully mature: 12-18+ months old).

It is worth noting that we reserve the right to freely use any fully health-tested adult male Sylvaen Tamaskan stud dog for breeding with our own females, without financial compensation (no stud fee), at any point in the future. However, we are also willing to assist Sylvaen Tamaskan stud dog owners with: promoting their male Sylvaen Tamaskan stud dog to other ITR Tamaskan owners/breeders worldwide, helping with the organization of matings, and acting as a mediator if necessary, etc. Of course, the Sylvaen Tamaskan stud dog owner may charge a stud fee (financial compensation) to other ITR Tamaskan owners/breeders who may wish to use their male Sylvaen Tamaskan as a stud dog.

BREEDING REGULATIONS:

In terms of appearance and temperament, BREEDER verifies that this puppy meets the set Breed Standard according to the International Tamaskan Register (ITR) and, therefore, has the potential to be used as a breeding dog. If OWNER performs all the necessary health tests and if the puppy’s results / scores meet the breeding requirements set by the International Tamaskan Register (ITR), and if the OWNER agrees to adhere to the ITR Breeder’s Contract, this puppy may be bred in accordance with ITR guidelines.

If OWNER decides to use this puppy for breeding, the OWNER shall only breed in association with the International Tamaskan Register (ITR) and shall adhere to the ITR Breeder’s Contract by obeying all the terms and conditions listed within. For instance, this puppy shall only ever be bred to other ITR registered Tamaskan Dogs (or ITR approved outcrosses) in accordance with ITR regulations for ethical breeding practices and full health testing (including official hip and elbow scoring, eye exam, DNA testing, etc).

All expenses associated with future health testing and breeding will be the OWNER’s responsibility. This puppy is not to be used for breeding at any type of puppy mill / dog farm or any other commercial mass-production operation. ANY unauthorized breeding (for instance, without completing the required health testing, or without achieving passing/acceptable health test results to qualify for breeding and/or without being granted prior approval by the ITR Committee of Breeders, etc) may result in the OWNER having to pay a penalty fee to the BREEDER, equivalent to DOUBLE the purchase price of this puppy multiplied by the number of offspring this puppy produces.

* For male puppies: BREEDER reserves the right to use this male as a stud dog for the BREEDER’s bloodlines without paying financial compensation (stud fee). However, the OWNER may charge a stud fee to other BREEEDERS or OWNERS who may wish to use this male as a stud dog.