Registries, Clubs, and Other Dog Organizations

 

There are many registries, clubs, and organizations in the United States and other countries that exist to serve dog owners in various functions.

Click here to read about the dog registries, clubs, and other organizations I am associated with.

 

Registries

 

Breed registries such as the American Kennel Club (AKC), the United Kennel Club (UKC), and the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC), exist primarily to maintain a central accounting of known pedigrees for registered dogs.  This allows dog owners to know the true pedigree of thier dog.  It allows breeders to study pedigrees and make breeding choices that will help them reach their breeding program goals.  Most breed registries also offer various titles in order to officially record the accomplishments of registered dogs, which can also play an important role in deciding which dogs to breed and which pairings might produce offspring with certain traits.  In general, you do not have to be a "member" of a breed registry or any of its affiliated clubs in order to own or even breed a dog that is registered with that registry.  In fact, there is no such thing as a "member" of the AKC.  You simply own AKC registered dogs, or are involved in AKC activities, or not.  The CKC does have membership available and offers many benefits and reduced fees to members, but you can also be a reputable and active breeder and competitor at CKC events without being a member.  Most American owners who travel to Canada to compete in CKC events are not members of CKC.

A dog can usually be registered in multiple registries, and even have different registered names in different registries.  For example, all my dogs are registered in the AKC, UKC, and CKC.  Their names in AKC and CKC are identical, but the UKC allows fewer letters in its registered names so I had to significantly alter Huda's UKC registered name.  In AKC and CKC she is "Peacock & Eagle Ridge Bright Future At Copper Sky"; in UKC she is "Peacock & Copper Sky Huda".  To learn about the meanings behind registered names, go to my "What's In A Name?" page!

The AKC, UKC, and CKC are by far the most prestigious, most recognized, and most legitimate all-breed purebred registries in the United States (even though CKC is technically Canadian).  There are many other registries for both purebreds and mixed breeds.  Some of these are very legitimate and seek to keep official record of breeding activities not covered by AKC, UKC, or CKC.  For example, breed clubs of breeds not yet recognized by AKC, UKC, or CKC may need a way to officially record and track pedigrees.

 

One example of a respectable registry outside of the AKC, UKC, and CKC is the American Pit Bull Registry.  Because pit bulls have been so maligned by the popular media, AKC does not recognize the pit bull as a breed but does recognize the American Staffordshire Terrier, which is a variation of pit bull.  The UKC recognized the American Pit Bull Terrier.  The American Pit Bull Registry seeks to educate pit bull owners and the public, as well as seeking to preserve the breed and maintain the health and welfare of the breed in the face of often daunting public hostility.  Many pit bull owners and breeders register their dogs in the APBR as well as UKC and/or AKC.  [[Disclaimer: I do not claim to be a pit bull expert and cannot comment on the public perception other than to say every pit bull I have met at a show has been sweet and gentle and well-socialized.  I have even shown a pit bull myself for a fellow exhibitor who hurt her ankle.  I understand the statistics.  I also understand that a few decades ago the pit bull was regarded as the perfect nanny dog for children and did not have even a hint of the reputation it has today.  My personal, non-professional position is that whether pit bulls have been poorly bred to be aggressive, or whether bad ownership is the primary cause for the statistically high incidence of pit bull agression, it is us humans as custodians of the breed who are at fault; we should not punish the individual dogs that make up the breed by discriminating against representatives of the breed that have shown no signs of aggression.]]

 

Another generally respected registry is the International All-Breed Canine Association, which exists to bring European-style dog shows, which differ dramatically from American style shows in process, titling, and honors, to the United States.  I hope to register my dogs with IABCA and start competing with them for IABCA "International" titles in 2015.

 

There are several registries for mixed breed (also called "hybrid" or "designer" breeds).  I am sure some of them are quite respectable and legitimately want to serve its members/registrants to assist in tracking the breeding and pedigrees of mixed breed dogs.  However, I cannot comment on which, if any, of these registries, is respectable or legitimate.

Although I hesitate to speak badly of any organization, there are also a good share of "fake" or illegitimate registries.  These primarily exist not to further the breed or to assist breeders, but to make money and fool puppy buyers into thinking they are getting "purebred" or "registered" puppies.  These registries often have extremely loose requirements for registration...sometimes the only requirement is payment of the fee! 

 

In general, if you are interested in purchasing a puppy from a breeder who uses a registry other than the AKC, the UKC, or the CKC (by CKC I mean the Canadian Kennel Club; there is at least one other registry in the United States that also uses the initials "CKC"), take caution.  Research the registry - does it offer conformation or performance events (good), or does it just seem to provide a piece of paper with a pretty seal on it (bad)?  How large are any offered events - how many dogs generally compete?  Who competes in these events?  If the events are small with few competitors, are these events really just to make the registry look more legitimate?  What are the requirements to register a dog?  Does it also provide educational resources on the breeds it registers and on dog training (good)?  Does it seem like its primary purpose is to sell puppies (bad)?  Ask the breeder WHY they use that registry, and WHY they do not use AKC, UKC, or CKC.  There may be some legitimate reasons.  Ask for a pedigree and study it for inconsistencies.  Ask for references from other breeders of that breed as well as past puppy buyers.  Ask if they have competed in conformation or performance events, and what the requirements of any titles were.  Specifically, if they claim the dog is a champion ask how many dogs of the same breed were defeated to earn that title and specifically what the judging criteria were and what credentials the judges had.  If the breeder doesn't know, or starts dancing around the question, that indicates a problem.

Not that I am the be-all, end-all, but for the record I have NEVER met a reputable breeder of purebred dogs that did not register with at least one of AKC, UKC, or CKC.  Never.  And I do a lot of dog stuff and meet a lot of dogs from a lot of backgounds.