Raising the
Standard
Ethics, Responsibility and Buyer education
Ethical Programs Are Built Through Mentorship
Standard #3
Written by Ashley Young, LakeHaus Kennels — Breeder, trainer, and advocate for purposeful, ethical German Shorthaired Pointer breeding.
No breeding program exists in isolation. Ethical breeding is built on continuity — knowledge passed down, lessons learned over time, and respect for the work done by those who came before us. Mentorship connects generations of breeders, preserving hard-earned insight while guiding the future of the breed.
​
Key Points in This Standard
-
Why no breeding program exists in isolation
-
The value of generational experience and long-term perspective
-
Why ethical breeders actively seek mentorship
-
The responsibility to give back and support the next generation
No Program Exists in a Vacuum
No breeding program exists in isolation.
The dogs we have today didn’t appear out of nowhere — they are the result of decades of work, trial and error, thoughtful breeding, and hard lessons learned by the people who came before us. Ethical programs recognize that and respect it.
Why Mentorship Matters
Mentorship matters because experience matters. Learning from breeders who have lived with multiple generations, seen strengths repeat and faults surface, and watched trends come and go provides perspective you simply can’t gain overnight. Books, seminars, and titles are valuable, but they don’t replace firsthand knowledge passed down from people who helped shape the breed.
Ethical breeders seek out that knowledge. They ask questions. They listen. They stay open to being told “no” or “not yet.” They understand that learning the why behind decisions is just as important as learning the decisions themselves.
But mentorship isn’t one-directional.
Ethical programs also recognize the responsibility to give back. To support newer breeders, handlers, and owners who are trying to do things right. To share what they’ve learned — including the mistakes — so the next generation doesn’t have to start from scratch.
Mentorship isn’t about gatekeeping or ego.
It’s about continuity.
Core Principles
Experience Matters
Generational knowledge reveals patterns and consequences that short timelines cannot.
​Ethical Breeders Stay Teachable
They seek guidance, accept correction, and value perspective over ego.
Knowledge Must Be Shared
Ethical programs preserve the breed by passing on lessons — successes and failures alike.
Raising the Standard Means…
-
Recognizing the foundations built by breeders who came before us
-
Seeking mentorship as a responsibility, not a weakness
-
Supporting newer breeders, handlers, and owners who are trying to do things right
-
Preserving knowledge so the next generation doesn’t have to relearn hard lessons
Takeaway
​Raising the standard means honoring the foundations that built the breed, while actively investing in its future. Ethical programs aren’t just measured by the dogs they produce — they’re measured by the knowledge they preserve and pass on.