1. Pugs should be kept in clean, comfortable conditions and their welfare should always be of paramount importance.


2. The aim of breeders should always be to improve the quality and soundness of their stock and to produce healthy, typical pugs, which conform as closely as possible to the Breed Standard.


3. The commercial breeding of pugs is unacceptable.


4. Dogs and bitches used for breeding should be of good type and quality should be sound and healthy with reliable, steady and even temperament, which is an important feature of the breed.


5. Dogs and bitches suffering from or known to be carrying any hereditary defect (such as slipping patella, cleft palate, entropion, hip dysplasia, hemivertebra) ought not to be used for breeding. Breeders should co-operate with other breeders, especially, but also with clubs and veterinary bodies, in an effort to eradicate hereditary defects.


6. A bitch to be used for breeding should be at least 18 months of age, or on her third season, before mating for the first time. In addition, the decision to breed should depend on the maturity, both physical and mental, of the bitch to support a litter. She should not be mated once she has reached the age of 6 years.


7. A bitch should not normally be bred from on two consecutive seasons. Four litters is sufficient in a bitch's breeding life, and every effort should be made to ensure her a comfortable and happy lifetime thereafter.


8. Stud dog owners have a great responsibility towards the breed and should assure themselves that:
   
   
   1. The dog to be used is as good an example of the breed as possible and suitable for breeding under guidelines 4 and 5 above.
   
   
   2. The bitch to be mated is of suitable age and condition under guidelines 4, 5, 6 and 7 above.
   
   
   It is recommended that the pedigrees and registration papers of both dog and bitch be studied for both accuracy and suitability.


9. Breeders should be responsible for placing their pugs in suitable homes and should maintain a lifelong interest in, and responsibility for their stock. To this end, pugs should never be sold to dealers or pet shops, or exported to the Middle and Far East, or other areas where animal welfare is a very low priority.


10. The Pug Dog Club welcomes new members, and hopes that new owners and fellow members will be given support and assistance.


11. Any offence committed under any UK legislation or subsidiary legislation passed for the protection of dogs in particular or animals in general shall be considered to be a breach of these guidelines and the Kennel Club’s Code of Ethics.