Does Your Dog Need AKC Papers?

I get asked at least a few times a month by someone wanting to know if their dog needs their AKC papers.  Not only is there a question as to why they need them, but how to get them, and which dogs are eligible for AKC registration.

I'll answer the most popular question first. Does your dog need AKC papers?  Well that depends.  It may not matter so much if your dog has papers as that you keep the registry going for AKC.  After all, that is one of their main purposes is to maintain a registry.  Now, that registry does not in anyway handle health issues or give people access to knowing more about your line's genetic stability as far as health issues or longevity.  Those issues are handled through registries like OFA or ones established by National Breed Clubs.  I would recommend that you have your dog tested for health screenings and register with whichever organization is best suited for maintaining the database, such as testing for hip dysplasia and registering with OFA.  Testing for PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy) if you have a dog prone to that disease and registering with CERF.

Registering with these organizations allows researchers to determine genetic links, allows breeders to breed for health, allows potential buyers to beware of certain genetic links in lines.  Which brings up another issue: does your potential breeder screen for health issues or if you are a breeder do you screen?  Buying from a breeder that does not do screenings is a no-no.  If health screenings are not an issue for you then adopt from the shelter, for there can be more than 50% purebred dogs residing in a shelter at any time.  Rescues have almost 100% purebred dogs available for adoption.  Why give money and encourage a breeder that does not do health screenings?  There are plenty of dogs, even puppies in shelters and rescues that need homes.  You can still do health screenings on your own to know the status of your dog's genetic build or present health and conformation.  If it turns out your dog has hip dysplasia with no signs at this point then you can help your dog for the future.  A responsible breeder does screen and requires any offspring to be tested before breeding.  Don't think that this is uncommon.  It isn't.  It is just that you won't find a breeder doing these things advertising in your local paper classifieds.  To find a responsible breeder you should contact a Parent Breed Club.  To do that, go to www.akc.org and look up the breed you are interested in, then along the side of the breed information there will be a link to the Parent Breed Club, such as the Labrador Retriever Club, Inc.  The people that are members of these clubs follow ethical breeding, are responsible breeders, and have the welfare of the breed and dog in mind when breeding, not money.

Why should you care about the AKC registry?  Well, because the money received from registrations goes to fund several things that are very important.  One being the American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation.  This is one of my favorite things the AKC supports.  They are doing a tremendous job of finding cures and genetic markers of diseases that effect our dogs and also sharing that information with human disease researchers.  The AKC funds all of the operational expenses so when you donate to the CHF all of your money goes to research!  The AKC registry also funds the CGC programs and public education and is an overall great advocate for our canines in the Legislative world.  So that registration fee goes to good use.  To understand more about where the money goes visit this link: Why Register?

Is it worth the fee?  Well, when you consider they give you some complimentary magazines, a very nice Puppy Handbook, valuable information about your breed, a trial health plan for 60 days and a complimentary veterinarian visit, then definitely yes, it is worth $20.

So, you can register the dog or puppy and maintain the AKC registry and its efforts.  If you neuter or spay your dog do you need to contact them?  No.  If your dog develops cancer?  No, again this would be a health registry and one most likely maintained by the Parent Breed Club.

Do you need your AKC registration to get a Canine Good Citizen Certification?  No.  In fact, the CGC program is open to both purebred and mixed breed dogs, so a registration is not required.

Do you need papers to breed your dog?  No.  Dogs are born everyday without registration papers.  Unfortunately that means the breeder was not a responsible one.  For why breed if not for the improvement of the breed?  Why breed if you are not maintaining a registry of dogs to be able to track health issues, temperament, and longevity for the benefit of the dog and breed?  Don't breed unless you are going to be responsible, which means you are willing to provide health screenings of the parents for genetic tests that could be passed to the puppies, a contract to puppy buyers to be responsible for the life you bring into the world for its life - meaning you will take back the dog no matter the reason or age if the owner no longer wants it.  If you can't do that, don't breed.  Just don't.  Can't find a breeder willing to do that?  Again, you haven't found a responsible breeder and should contact the Parent Breed Club of your breed. 

I wrote a whole post on the issuing of registration papers through other organizations, such as Continental Kennel Club, or Northern Kennel Club which are all basically puppy mill registries in my opinion.  They will issue registration papers easily and just so someone can tell you that these puppies are "registered".  You will often find puppies sold at pet stores with these type of registrations.

If you want to be a responsible breeder then yes, you do want to have dogs that are registered.  You do want to register the litter.  Now AKC issues registration papers with information about the health clearances the dogs in the pedigree have, such as OFA ratings of "Fair, Good, or Excellent".  By the way, your dog's sire and dam should have a rating of Good or Excellent and not a Fair.  Want to check on your dog's pedigree or the potential parents?  Want to see if they really have "Champion" pedigrees? or OFA ratings? (You can check OFA clearances through the OFA, and remember doing OFA testing is not enough - you want the rating, for the parent could have been tested and gotten back a rating of being dyplastic and not a rating).  You can get an AKC 5 generation pedigree for $12 and a 4 generation for only $10 right on line, just follow this link: on line pedigree.  All you need is the registered name or registration number of the dog.  If there is an AKC Champion in the pedigree there will be a "CH" before the name, and other titles will be listed after the dogs name.  There is a guide to what those titles are on AKC's website at this link: titles.

You aren't planning on breeding, why else would you need a registration?  What I think is the most important reason: to enter performance or companion events.  If you want to compete in Rally-Obedience, Agility, Tracking, Hunting Trials, Earthdog Trials, etc. then you will need a registration number through the AKC.  That number will be used to track your dog's accomplishments and a way to distinguish your dog from other entries.  By having a registration it means there will not be dogs entered with the same name, as no two dogs can have the same registration name.  If they are exactly the same name, AKC will put a roman number after the ones that are the second, third and so on entered after the first submitted name.

What if you lost the papers and you still want to register?  You must contact your breeder.  Your breeder will need to request a duplicate registration paper (they can call, write or do it online) and then once that is received by them, fill it out and then give it to you to register.  Don't remember your breeder's name?  address?  Well, that could cause a problem because the AKC will not release that information to you, even if you know everything about your dog's sire and dam except the breeder.  But all is not lost! 

If you have lost the papers and cannot find the breeder to ask for a duplicate registration form?  You could get an online pedigree of one of the parents, especially the dam since that info would give you the name of the owner which is probably the breeder of record, but you would need to have the registration name of the dog.  If you have no idea if the parents were registered.  If you had a breeder that was foolish enough to withhold papers for more money (it happens despite that not really being ethical, since if they want you not to breed they can just check the box "limited registration" to prevent offspring from being registered).  If you don't know the name of the sire or dam or the breeder.  If you rescued your dog and want to compete and need papers.  Or you just want to have that registration to hang on the wall and you don't know a thing about Mom or Dad, you still have an option.  You can get what the AKC calls a PAL (used to be called an ILP).  The PAL, or Purebred Alternative Listing is a way of getting a dog that looks like a purebred Boston Terrier, acts like a Boston Terrier, registered.  You will need to do a few things.  One, the dog will need to be spayed or neutered and you will need to have vet papers saying so.  If your dog was spayed or neutered prior to you getting the dog then your vet can give you a simple form, even the dog's info sheet noting the dog is spayed or neutered.  You will then need to take a few pictures of your dog standing.  A color picture of your dog from the front and one from the side showing the dogs conformation, or build and type (there are samples of what is and what is not an acceptable picture on the downloadable form).  It helps them determine if what you think is a Curly Coated Retriever is a Curly Coated Retriever.  Once you have the pics and the spay/neuter info together then you just need to print out the AKC form to register your dog, which can be found here: PAL form.  The form is pretty straight forward except people are often confused when the form asks for the dam and sire names.  Simply stating "unknown" is sufficient if you don't know.  In a few weeks you will get your PAL number.

What to name your dog?  The dog's call name is enough or you can give the dog the name of queens and kings as long as it is under 30 characters including spaces.  Chances are there have been other "Snoopy" names registered, so unless you want your dog's name to be "Snoopy XV" then add a little more to the name to make it unique.

Can a dog registered with a PAL number compete in Junior Showmanship as well as performance/companion events?  Yes.  Which makes adopting a rescue wonderful for a child to begin Showmanship.

Maybe your dog is not an AKC registered dog breed, then it would do you well to check the breeds in the "wings" that will soon be fully registerable and recognized dog breeds with the AKC.  Right now there are many breeds in the FSS (Foundation Stock Service) and once they are accepted in the Miscellaneous Class they can get PAL numbers as well.  To find the list and check your breed go here: FSS Breeds.  There are also some registries accepted by the AKC in which if your dog is already with one of these registries you can then obtain an AKC registry.  The list of acceptable registries, which are mostly Parent Breed Club Registries can be found here: Acceptable Registries for Open Registration.

What if someone else owned and registered the dog and you want the papers transfered to you?  You will need to obtain a Supplemental Transfer form which can be downloaded online and both the previous owner(s) and you will need to sign it.  If you don't like the dog's registered name, the AKC now allows for you to change that if the dog was whelped in the US.  There are rules about the change and you can find those here: Dog Name Application Form.

Of course, more detailed information can be found at www.akc.org, but I hope this helped you make a decision about whether that registration is important to you or not.  Keep in mind a dog is never too old to register, it isn't necessary that the dog be a puppy.  However, it is necessary that the dog receiving a PAL with the AKC be at least 6 months old. 

Good luck with your decision, and by all means if and once you do register, get involved in companion events with your dog and consider the CGC program or Rally Obedience.  Both are great programs to start off on a lifetime adventure for your and your dog.

Till later, woofs!