@Nemo:
BCOA does not endorse breeders. It has a lengthy disclaimer on the breeder listing. I don't think having an external link from this site to BCOA implies support. But, yes, being a member of BCOA is a step in the right direction, but not a guarantee.
Yes, thanks for the clarification. I'm not a BCOA member, so I don't really know how these things work, but I did glance over at what it takes to BE a member… I saw that one, you have to be in good standing with the AKC. And two, you need two current BCOA members to sign off on your membership application. Which would imply some involvement with the community. It's not just about paying membership dues and having that be it.
I think it's an interesting (but certainly not fail-proof) way for the breed club to maintain integrity over its membership, and why I would be WAY more inclined to trust anyone already listed in their breeder directory. Though of course I'm sure there are degrees of difference even with breeders on that list.
I'm assuming there's a way to remove a breeder from the directory too if they're found to be in egregious violation of ethical codes? Maybe this is a separate discussion.