Companion Dog Project Guidelines and Registry Standards

Requirements may be updated as new evidence emerges.

I. Business Ethics Standards

Puppies will be sold only with a contract between breeder and buyer. The contract must include:

an offer to assist with rehoming, or provide support in case the buyer can no longer provide appropriate care in the future
a commitment from the buyer that the puppy shall never be placed in a rescue or shelter of any kind, or be resold for a profit
a commitment from the buyer that the puppy will be provided an indoor or other breed/mix appropriate home and appropriate veterinary care
any other conditions deemed appropriate by the breeder

Members will behave in a fair, open-minded, forgiving, non-discriminatory, and reasonable manner toward other breeders, members of the public, potential puppy buyers, and others in the dog community

No member will engage in online harassment, bullying, or slander of another person or program.

Puppy sales and other business dealings of members will be conducted in a professional manner and with transparency and honesty .

Training methods should avoid the use of excessive fear, intimidation, or pain. Aversive tools, as defined by the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB), should not be used on young puppies or recommended to puppy owners as a standard training method or without the guidance of a competent, experienced professional trainer (AVSAB, 2021).

II. Breeding Strategy

Temperament

Temperament is the most important factor in all breeding decisions. Careful assessment of breeding candidates’ biddability, levels of arousal, intrinsic motivation and drives, reactivity to stimuli, social dependence, handling tolerance, and behavior around resources should be made.

Pairings should have the goal of improving on or maintaining the parents’ qualities as follows:

Highly resilient, flexible temperament (lack of fear, frustration, panic, or excessive arousal in a diversity of settings both in the home and public)
Low aggression – sociability with humans and other dogs and minimal resource guarding
Minimal persistent predatory drive
Can be reasonably expected to thrive in the typical home in which the puppies will be placed without the need for extensive professional intervention or medication

Health and Structure

Breeding dogs should have good inherent health and be free from conditions that significantly impact quality of life and pairing choices should seek to avoid duplication of any minor health concerns present in parents

The goal of pairing should be to produce puppies with sound and functional physical structure that supports ease of movement and normal exercise tolerance

(Hekman, 2025)

Genetic Health

Frequent introduction of new breeding stock is encouraged to support genetic diversity (Kraus, 2022; Boyko, 2014)

Carrier status for recessive mutations should not exclude dogs from breeding unless all other factors are equal

Coat Color and Pattern

Coat color and pattern should not be a primary selection priority and should not be intentionally selected for aesthetic preference except when other considerations are equal.

Merle

Merle dogs may be bred by breeders who are knowledgeable regarding merle genetics when the dog is otherwise the best available breeding candidate based on temperament, health, structure, and functional suitability.

All merle breeding must include genetic testing sufficient to reliably prevent harmful outcomes

Puppies produced with any visible, hidden or cryptic merle should be DNA tested prior to placement if needed and full disclosure of merle status should be given to buyers, with education provided about the risks of merle breeding.

Excessive use of merle in a given program or line is to be avoided

White and Dilute

Excessive white patterning associated with increased risk of sensory impairment should be avoided

Dilute coat color associated with known health risks should be avoided

Reproductive Function, Age, and Management

Reproductive management decisions should be made based on veterinary guidance, the individual dog’s condition, and breeding goals

Skipping heat cycles is optional and may be appropriate depending on health status and reproductive history

No female may be bred:

more than four times total without veterinary approval
after eight years of age without veterinary approval
At the time of breeding, all dogs must be in good general health, including:

normal appetite
freedom from acute illness
sound mobility
healthy weight and body condition
parasite-free status

Dogs should not be bred while ill, underweight, obese, or otherwise compromised, as poor health at the time of breeding is associated with increased reproductive risk and poorer outcomes for both dam and offspring

Natural mating is encouraged for each dog’s first breeding; ability to mate naturally should be considered.

Successful unassisted whelping and natural maternal care are breeding goals; inability should be considered in future breeding decisions.

Unexplained infertility or consistently small litters should be addressed and bred away from

Age and Maturity

Breeding age should not be determined by any single universal cutoff but evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Dogs with unknown parentage should be fully socially mature (approximately 2–3 years old) prior to breeding.

Females must be:

over 18 months of age
second heat cycle or later

Breeding females at the youngest appropriate age is encouraged to reduce whelping complications associated with advanced maternal age (Cornelius et al 2019)

Males must be at least 15 months old at the time of breeding. Later use of breeding males is encouraged when feasible, as it allows greater confidence that late-onset or inherited conditions and may support improved longevity. However, delaying use of genetically valuable males is not always appropriate. Considerations include the need to introduce new genetic material to reduce COI, limitations on a male’s reproductive window, potential decline in semen quality after approximately 6–7 years of age, and the availability of the dog for breeding.

CDDY / IVDD

Risk for chondrodystrophy and intervertebral disc disease is associated with FGF4 retrogene insertions, including CDDY (Batcher, 2019)

All breeding dogs with any breed content known to carry any prevalence of CDDY should be tested for CDDY/IVDD prior to breeding.

CDDY status alone does not preclude breeding; results should be considered in pairing decisions with the goal of reducing production of affected dogs over time

Copper Toxicosis

Copper-associated hepatitis can result from inherited variation in hepatic copper transport and regulation and has been identified across multiple breeds and mixed-breed populations

Although ATP7B and ATP7A variants are well characterized in Labrador Retrievers, copper accumulation has been documented beyond traditionally recognized at-risk breeds, and absence of known breed risk does not exclude susceptibility

All breeding dogs in a mixed breed program should be tested for copper toxicosis risk variants

Where Labrador Retriever ancestry is present, testing should include ATP7B and ATP7A variants (Hille Fieten et al 2016)

III. Husbandry Standards

All dogs, regardless of breeding status, should be kept in conditions consistent with their physical and mental well-being in the Five Domains of animal welfare, including at a minimum:

(Mellor, et al 2020)

Access to routine preventative veterinary care including basic vaccines included in the 2022 AAHA Core and Noncore Vaccines for Dogs, and preventative medications as recommended by a licensed veterinarian
Microchipping with current registration to the breeder or guardian
Access to consistent human caregivers who provide assessment of health and well-being, and individual attention at least daily
Presence of human companions aligned with the dog’s social dependence needs
Opportunities to choose and engage in a diversity of canine specific behavior (e.g., chewing, wrestling, digging, chasing swimming, retrieving, etc.)
Access to sufficient exercise to meet individual needs
Sanitary conditions including clean food and water bowls and a toileting area separate from sleeping and eating areas
Access to adequate clean fresh water
An appropriate and varied nutritionally complete diet providing sufficient calories, including additional calories for pregnant and nursing females
Reasonable protection from accidents, including supervision or secure containment outdoors
Access to emergency veterinary care as needed, particularly during pregnancy or whelping
Grooming appropriate to coat type to prevent significant matting or nail overgrowth

Breeding females during whelping should:

be attended throughout by a known and competent attendant
be provided with a safe sheltered space isolated from other dogs and an appropriate whelping box
have access to water and nutrition
have the ability to move about freely
have uninterrupted free access to their puppies for at least four weeks (except in cases of severe illness, safety concerns, or other complicating factors)

Intact animals should be kept separated as needed to prevent unplanned breeding

Intact males kept separated from females in heat should be protected from extreme stress, including refusal to eat or sleep and prolonged frustration

IV. Puppy Husbandry Standards

Puppies should be kept in conditions consistent with their health and well-being, including:

Puppies bred solely for companionship should be housed in a home environment within the same indoor dwelling as their human caretakers, within earshot of at least one living space, and with appropriate climate control
Puppies of guardian or working type dogs should be housed in a safe and appropriate space for their needs
Puppies should be kept on a soft absorbent surface with traction sufficient to allow normal movement from birth (Feng, 2025)
The use of pig rails in whelping boxes is recommended to reduce the risk of neonatal injury or crushing
Puppies should be provided with a designated toilet area from no later than three weeks of age
Puppies and their enclosure should be kept clean and free of continuous soiling
Puppies should be monitored for congenital defects, failure to thrive, parasites, or infectious disease, with veterinary care provided as needed
Puppies should be weaned gradually to solid food; weaning should proceed slowly enough to prevent suffering of the dam or puppies
Natural weaning guided by the dam is encouraged whenever possible
Puppies should have continuous access to clean water from no later than four weeks of age or when receiving nutrition other than maternal milk
Puppies should be examined by a licensed veterinarian and microchipped prior to leaving the breeder, and buyers advised of any health issues identified
Additional enrichment and socialization beyond basic requirements is expected; methods are at the breeder’s discretion

Vaccination (Puppies)

Breeders must ensure puppies follow a veterinarian directed vaccination plan. Puppies should receive at least one age-appropriate core vaccination prior to placement unless a veterinarian directed nomograph protocol specifies different timing. (AAHA 2022)

Breeders are expected to advise puppy buyers of the timing and schedule of planned puppy vaccinations and when vaccination is due.

Canine nomographs are a validated method for determining optimal timing of core vaccinations in puppies by accounting for interference from maternally derived antibodies Use of nomographs allows vaccination timing and follow-up to be tailored to individual litters and has been shown to improve immunization outcomes compared with fixed-age vaccination schedules (Larson et al., 2020).

Reduction of unnecessary vaccination while maintaining protective immunity is a legitimate goal when decisions are made under veterinary supervision (WSAVA 2024)

V. Full Registration Status Requirements

Full registration status is granted to adult dogs who have completed health and genetic evaluation appropriate to their breed content, size, and population type

Minimum health testing requirements are determined by breed composition and size and may be updated as new evidence emerges.

VI. CDR Verified Litter Requirements

CDR Verified Litter requirements represent pairing-specific standards applied in addition to general registration, health, and husbandry requirements. Absence of a specific requirement does not imply that other relevant health, welfare, or ethical considerations are waived.

Both sire and dam must be CDR registered with FULL registration status.

Dogs not owned by CDP members may be added to the database as unregistered parents.

Pairings should result in a predicted genetic COI of ≤10% (Mabunda, 2022)

CDDY / IVDD Requirements

Pairings that produce affected puppies should be part of a defined strategy to eliminate CDDY/IVDD over time

Litters in which all puppies are homozygous for CDDY are not eligible

Copper Toxicosis Requirements

For litters in which either parent contains ≥10% Labrador Retriever ancestry, litters in which any puppies are homozygous for the ATP7B accumulating variant are not eligible

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Breedings

Because Cavalier King Charles Spaniels have a high and well-documented prevalence (cavalierhealth.org) of inherited cardiac and neurological disease, additional pairing-specific requirements apply when either parent contains ≥10% Cavalier ancestry.

Cardiac
- Both sire and dam must have an echocardiogram performed by a board-certified veterinary cardiologist prior to first breeding and repeated at least every two years. Heart disease is expected in all cavaliers at some point. Cardiac testing ensures that all dog bred to cavaliers are free of heart disease and tracks age of onset in cavaliers.
Neurological (CM/SM
- MRI screening is optional when breeding to normal-skulled mesocephalic breeds.
- MRI screening is required when breeding Cavaliers to brachycephalic breeds or breeds with elevated CM/SM prevalence
Genetic Testing
- NEBL3 (MMVD) genetic testing is required for both sire and dam. Production of litters in which all puppies are homozygous for the mutation are not allowed. (Axelsson et al 2021; Mellis, 2025)

References:

AAHA American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines. (2022).

AVSAB Position Statement on Humane Dog Training,(2021).

Axelsson E, Ljungvall I, Bhoumik P, Conn LB, Muren E, et al. (2021) The genetic consequences of dog breed formation—Accumulation of deleterious genetic variation and fixation of mutations associated with myxomatous mitral valve disease in cavalier King Charles spaniels. PLOS Genetics 17(9): e1009726. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1009726

Bannasch, D., Famula, T., Donner, J. et al. The effect of inbreeding, body size and morphology on health in dog breeds. Canine Genet Epidemiol 8, 12 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40575-021-00111-4

Alyssa J. Cornelius, Rachel Moxon, Jane Russenberger, Barbara Havlena, Soon Hon Cheong, Identifying risk factors for canine dystocia and stillbirths, Theriogenology, Volume 128, 2019,

Batcher, K., Dickinson, P., Giuffrida, M., Sturges, B., Vernau, K., Knipe, M., Rasouliha, S. H., Drögemüller, C., Leeb, T., Maciejczyk, K., Jenkins, C. A., Mellersh, C., & Bannasch, D. (2019). Phenotypic Effects of FGF4 Retrogenes on Intervertebral Disc Disease in Dogs. Genes, 10(6), 435. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes10060435

Boyko and Boyko, Dog conservation and the population genetic structure of dogs , 2014

cavalierhealth.org

Cornelius, A. J., et al. (2019). Risk factors for canine dystocia and stillbirths. Theriogenology.

Feng LC, Philippine A, Ball-Conley E, Byosiere SE. Fleece-Lined Whelping Pools Associated with Reduced Incidence of Canine Hip Dysplasia in a Guide Dog Program. Animals (Basel). 2025 Jan 9;15(2):152. doi: 10.3390/ani15020152. PMID: 39858152; PMCID: PMC1175860

(Hekman, Barton, Hecht 2025 preprint What Should Dogs Look Like? )

Hille Fieten, Yadvinder Gill, Alan J. Martin, Mafalda Concilli, Karen Dirksen, Frank G. van Steenbeek, Bart Spee, Ted S. G. A. M. van den Ingh, Ellen C. C. P. Martens, Paola Festa, Giancarlo Chesi, Bart van de Sluis, Roderick H. J. H. Houwen, Adrian L. Watson, Yurii S. Aulchenko, Victoria L. Hodgkinson, Sha Zhu, Michael J. Petris, Roman S. Polishchuk, Peter A. J. Leegwater, Jan Rothuizen; The Menkes and Wilson disease genes counteract in copper toxicosis in Labrador retrievers: a new canine model for copper-metabolism disorders. Dis Model Mech 1 January 2016; 9 (1): 25–38.

Kraus C, Snyder-Mackler N, Promislow DEL. How size and genetic diversity shape lifespan across breeds of purebred dogs. Geroscience. 2023 Apr;45(2):627-643. doi: 10.1007/s11357-022-00653-w. Epub 2022 Sep 6. PMID: 36066765; PMCID: PMC9886701

Larson, Laurie & Thiel, Bliss & Santana, Vanessa & Schultz, Ronald. (2020). Canine nomograph evaluation improves puppy immunization.

Mabunda, R. S., Makgahlela, M. L., Nephawe, K. A., & Mtileni, B. (2022). Evaluation of Genetic Diversity in Dog Breeds Using Pedigree and Molecular Analysis: A Review. Diversity, 14(12), 1054. https://doi.org/10.3390/d14121054

Melis, C., Wade, C., Rozendom, C., Van Steenbeek, F. G., & Beijerink, N. J. (2025). Evaluation of the Prevalence of Genetic Variants at the Nebulette Locus in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202511.0931.v

Mellor, D. J., Beausoleil, N. J., Littlewood, K. E., McLean, A. N., McGreevy, P. D., Jones, B., & Wilkins, C. (2020). The 2020 Five Domains Model: Including Human–Animal Interactions in Assessments of Animal Welfare. Animals, 10(10), 1870. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10101870

(WSAVA) 2024 guidelines for the vaccination of dogs and cats – compiled by the Vaccination Guidelines Group (VGG) of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association

Enforcement of Standards

The physical and mental wellbeing of the animals involved in member programs of the CDP is our first priority. Suspected or known violations of ethical standards or breeding requirements should be reported. Substantiated violations that involve willfull neglect or abuse of any animal or person will result in removal from the CDP and revokation of CDR registration privileges.

Report a Violation