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There are numerous canine registries currently in operation. The following information is provided to help you understand the differences and to appreciate that not all Registration Certificates are the same.
American Kennel Club
The American Kennel Club (AKC) was established in 1884 by a group of dog breeders headed by August Belmont (the Belmont of the Belmont Stakes); these gentlemen wanted to improve their breeds, most of which were hunting dogs. Originally, the AKC was located in New York City, but the organization is now based in Raleigh, North Carolina. Currently, the AKC has 500 member clubs and more than 4000 affiliated clubs, and it sanctions more than 15,000 events each year. AKC registration ONLY means that a dog, its parents, and its ancestors are purebred; it does not signify that the dogs are healthy or of good quality, and does not mean that they are free of genetic defects. Although the AKC routinely inspects kennels and kennel records, and suspends kennels that are proven to be dishonestly breeding or registering dogs, it cannot oversee all kennels. The AKC conducted approximately 5,000 inspections nationwide in 2006. Inspections are conducted on all breeders who register seven or more litters per year, with random selection of breeders who register between four and six litters yearly. In addition, the AKC will inspect a breeder based on written, signed, and substantiated complaints. The dogs in the kennel are examined as well as their environment, with the inspector checking to be sure that the dogs have proper identification. Records must be maintained on each dog for at least five years. For example, no litter out of a dam under eight months or over twelve years of age or a sire under seven months or over twelve years of age at the time of mating will be registered unless accompanied by evidence (generally DNA testing) to prove the parentage to the AKC*s satisfaction. If the inspector finds evidence of animal cruelty, the AKC automatically imposes a 10-year suspension and a $2,000 fine. DNA testing is routinely conducted during inspections as a way to verify the parentage of a litter of puppies, in order to confirm that the breeders are maintaining accurate pedigrees. The DNA testing is non-invasive, and is obtained by swabbing a dog*s buccal mucosa. As part of the AKC*s Frequently Used Sire Program, DNA tests are mandatory for dogs that sire seven or more litters in a lifetime or more than three litters in a calendar year. AKC is NOT perfect, but it is the best dog registry that is available!
United Kennel Club
The United Kennel Club (UKC) is the second oldest and second largest all breed dog registry in the United States; more than 300 breeds are registered by the UKC. Founded in 1898 by Chauncey Z. Bennett, the registry has always supported the idea of the "total dog", meaning a dog that looks and performs equally well. Mr. Bennett*s dog, Bennett*s Ring, was the first dog registered with the UKC; Bennett*s Ring was a Pit Bull, and it is rumored that Mr. Bennett actually founded this organization because his dog could not be registered with the AKC. With 250,000 registrations annually, the performance programs of U.K.C. include Obedience Trials, Agility Trials, Coonhound Field Trials, Water Races, Nite Hunts and Bench Shows, hunting tests for the retrieving breeds, beagle events including Hunts and Bench Shows, and, for Cur and Feist Squirrel and Coon Events, and recently Conformation Shows. UKC has traditionally been an organization that recognizes field dogs and runs various kinds of field trials, but they will register many if not most different dog breeds now, many more than the American Kennel Club. The top five registered breeds with UKC are the Treeing Walker Coonhound, the American Pit Bull Terrier, the Bluetick Coonhound, the English Coonhound, and the Black-and-Tan Coonhound. The groups into which dogs are divided for competition purposes include: Companion, Guardian (divided into Flock Guards and Mastiffs), Gun, Herding, Northern Breed, Scenthound, Sighthound and Pariah, and Terrier. UKC is a reliable and reputable registry, especially for the field dog.
All the others (Please note, no link to the following registries will be provided.)
There are other more recently formed and less reputable registries in the United States. It is clear that people will pay more for a puppy with a *certificate of registration* that looks official, no matter whether it is worth the paper it was printed on! Continental Kennel Club was founded in 1991 and was incorporated in 1995; it is based out of Walker, Louisiana. An extremely large number of breeds are registered, with many that have not been proven to *breed true.* Some of the breeds registered by the CKC include the Yankee Terrier, the Teddy Roosevelt Terrier, the Billy, the Feist, the Hawaiian Poi Dog, the Olde English Bulldogge, the American Bullnese (a cross between the French Bulldog and the Pekingese), and the German Sheeppoodle. This is the registry most often used by the pet store and *puppy mill* trade, since no DNA testing or proof of pedigree is required. Other small, even less reputable registries are also emerging via the Internet. Some of these are the ACR (American Canine Registry), the APRI (America*s Pet Registry) and the APR (American Purebred Registry). Here is some information directly from the APR website: "We start a pedigree file with the information the owner sends us. We do not have access to information form other kennel clubs, societies, registries, or agencies. All the information must be provided by the owner of the dog or cat." "When an application is received by our office and accepted, we issue a registration certificate. From that moment on, the animal is considered a registered animal. On the application the owner has certified that the dog or cat is a purebred representative of the breed. We take his word for it." "We believe that there are many fine dogs and cats in America that should be and deserve to be registered. These days many people look down on any unregistered animal. Purebreds need to be recognized as such and given the respect that registration can offer."
Dog Registry of America (DRA) advertises that it will register any dog, including specialized crosses such as Wolf/Husky and Wolf/Shepherd, Labradoodles, Cockapoos, Shihpoos, Yorktese, and Pek-a-Poms. "Tired of registration and documentation hassles? Starting your own blood line? Lost or never had papers? Developing new breeds? DRA takes the red tape out or registration!"
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