One of the key objectives for the BHC is to maintain and improve the Hovawart population in Belgium. BHC is a member of Belgian Kennel Club, SRSH, and International Hovawart Federation, IHF, and thus complies with their regulations.
What does this mean in practice? FCI breed standard stipulates in fine details how Hovawart should look. It also gives history and background as to original purpose of the breed and what its characteristics should be. These are the main elements that all breed clubs thrive for.
IHF has since 1983 united all main countries, were Hovawarts exist. Today it has 13 member organisations. One of the objectives of IHF is to exchange information (e.g. health, character) between the member organisations. This is one of the main contributors to the healthy and sound Hovawart, which we have today.
The information available via IHF is used when decisions on breeding are made. SRSH stipulates minimum standards for breeding in Belgium. However, BHC goes further by exercising even more stringent quality standards for breeding including temperament (character/breeding test) testing of any potential males of females for breeding. In addition we require compulsory eye test and only HD A and B are accepted. The combinations are planned to exclude excessive linebreeding to reduce the risk of unnecessary, recessive hereditary health problems.
BHC advises and guides its Breeders by way of the breeding responsible (and deputy breeding responsible ). The combinations are planned together with the breeder using all available information on the background of the potential parents to make an optimum combination. The breeding conditions are controlled during the litter control and finally puppies are tested at the age of 49 days.
BHC requires also that the puppies are dewormed, raised in a family environment, properly socialised, controlled by the veterinarian and they have received tatouage/microchip by SRHS and their first vaccination. The mother stays with the puppies until they leave to their new homes.
You will find expected and new litters on these pages. Why not details of breeders ? The answer is very simple ; every single litter is unique. The choice of parents for each combination has to be therefore approved separately by BHC. This ensures that at the end of the day, your dog has been given best possible start in life. Naturally no guarantee can ever be made on a future dog how he/she will turn out but the care that has been put into to the selection of his parents is guaranteed for all puppies born within BHC.