Standards & Screening

We’re committed to the health and well-being our dogs — and to your peace of mind.

What are our Community Standards?

We know that a dog is much more than a dog — they’re a member of the family and a best friend for life. When the source of your new best friend has such a big impact on their health, behavior, and well-being, finding the right one should not be left to chance.

Red Kingdom Kennels is on a mission to connect good with good and improve canine health at both an individual dog and a population level. In that pursuit, we have sought out and worked with some of the top academics and practitioners in the field to develop community standards, which are grounded in evidence-based research and backed by science. While there is no “one size fits all” for what makes a breeding program responsible, we are able to use our community standards to evaluate programs consistently. Every member of our community must pass our screening process and meet or exceed our community standards before joining Red Kingdom Kennels. Here’s how we do it.

How do we evaluate the sale of our puppies?

Our screening department comprehensively considers five key areas:

Breeding practices
Physical health of the breeding dogs and puppies
Mental health of the breeding dogs and puppies
Environment
Buyer education and policies

Each key area is assessed individually and an assessment is also made on the program as a whole.

Breeders apply to Red Kingdom Kennels through an online questionnaire. The application is then vetted by our screening team to ensure compliance with our community standards. Our screening team reviews the account information, conducts an online audit and fraud detection check, and will reach out to the breeder if further information or clarification is needed. Breeding programs may take varied and unique approaches to operating so additional information or confirmation may be requested at Red Kingdom Kennels’s discretion to ensure all dogs are cared for appropriately.

What do we look for when screening dog owners?

Breeding Practices

Responsible dog owners make conscientious decisions when deciding to produce a litter.

Responsible breeding requires a lot of planning, skill and experience. It’s not nearly as simple as pairing two physically healthy dogs together and hoping for the best. It’s critical that these decisions take into consideration the heritable health conditions that affect their breed, each individual dog’s health testing, and considering the parents’ temperaments, overall health, pedigrees, and conformation in order to make the best matches.

Responsible breeders collect experiences over decades and develop an intuition for bringing puppies into the world that are both physically and behaviorally healthy. New breeders are often mentored by a veteran breeder so they can benefit from their experience. We strive to work with dog owners who are both well-intentioned and have this crucial depth of knowledge and expertise.

When making decisions about their new dog, responsible dog owners always prioritize the physical and emotional health, and well-being of their dogs above all else.

Physical health of the dogs

Responsible dog owners always put the physical health of their dogs first. Healthy dogs are more likely to produce healthy puppies, so it’s important to prioritize the health of the dogs and puppies.

There are breed-specific health tests that responsible breeders perform on their breeding dogs to screen for diseases and conditions of concern for the breed (e.g., hip and elbow dysplasia, heart conditions, and eye diseases) in order to decrease the likelihood of producing puppies with heritable conditions. For some breeds, there may be a multitude of tests available.

We identify dog owners who self-report to performing a different number of the recommended tests for their breed. All dog owners are expected to meet our entry-level requirements for their breed. Programs that report performing additional screening tests are denoted as having “Great” or “Excellent” health testing practices.

While health testing is a critical and important aspect of each dog owner, it is only one of many factors that we take into account when evaluating dog owners. Dog owners also consider other aspects of their dogs’ health that isn’t currently covered by health screening, such as allergies, cancer, GI issues, etc. We also look to make sure their dogs and puppies receive the regular and specialized veterinary care and nutrition they need. Responsible breeders ensure that their dogs are bred at an appropriate age (not too young or too old) and at a frequency that’s safe for their long-term well-being. They also make sure their puppies are well raised and well fed, and the breeders take all basic steps necessary to care for their puppies, such as vaccinations and deworming.

We’ve worked closely with our advisors, which include the nation’s leading experts in canine reproduction, breeding management, and pediatric care, to develop community standards regarding canine reproduction and physical health. Along with our advisors, we are always reviewing the latest research developments and updates in canine health and veterinary care and gathering information from consultations with veterinary and scientific experts, breed clubs, and the relevant scientific literature. Accordingly, we continue to develop new policies and we note that our community standards, including our policies with respect to the physical health of dogs, are subject to continual revisions as new research becomes available.

Mental health of the dogs

Responsible breeders ensure that their breeding dogs’ emotional, and cognitive needs are met by ensuring they receive appropriate stimulation, activity and social interaction. They are also devoted to producing behaviorally sound puppies.

Responsible breeders often have experience with training and behavior, and put a lot of effort into ensuring their puppies have safe and stimulating early life experiences. By exposing their puppies to different sounds and sensations, people of many different appearances and ages, as well as other animals, and beginning basic training using methods such as positive training they prepare their puppies for successful transitions into their new homes. They also make sure their puppies never leave their mother or littermates until they are old enough to easily transition to their new home, which is usually no sooner than eight weeks of age.

Environment

Responsible dog owners ensure their dogs have a clean, comfortable, safe, stimulating, and enriching environment so their dogs and puppies will thrive.

Environment is a critical factor in the physical, mental, and emotional health of dogs and puppies. Responsible dog owners provide opportunities for their dogs to engage in activities such as retrieving or swimming, toys to play with and things to chew, and comfortable resting areas protected from the weather. Housing areas are regularly cleaned and maintained in a way that ensures the health and well-being of dogs and puppies.

Buyer Education and Policies

Responsible breeders spend a great deal of time with potential puppy buyers to help guide them into making an informed, responsible decision that is right for them. They also spend a great deal of time vetting potential buyers to make sure each dog will be a good fit for their new forever home as well as being transparent about their breeding program and practices. Responsible breeders do their best to ensure a smooth transition to their new home by providing all the information and resources necessary for new owners to be successful, responsible guardians for their new puppy.

Perhaps most important of all, responsible breeders make a lifelong commitment to their dogs. They provide ongoing support to their owners. Responsible breeders are committed to keeping their dogs in their homes and out of the shelter system through education, screening of potential buyers and their policies.

Tell us what you think. We’re committed to listening and learning.

Our community is founded on a commitment to listen, learn, and as with so many issues in the dog world, sometimes people have very different opinions and it can take time for us to determine what makes sense for our community. Our community standards are also constantly evolving as cutting-age canine research continues to provide powerful new insights into how to have healthier dogs. While we continue to evolve our standards, we encourage you to keep sharing your feedback with us and asking questions because that’s how we’ll get this right, by working together. And we’re committed to getting this right. Please feel free to share any feedback to redkingdomkennels@gmail.com.

By working together as a community committed to transparency, education, and responsible practices, we can make a difference in the dog world – because we’re stronger together. Together, we can give our dogs the world they deserve.