Emily Walker
When you are planning to buy a dog and looking for a reputable breeder, you probably heard that the breeders said the dog is AKC registered. For someone who has become a dog parent must be familiar with this term, but for a new dog parent who has no experience becoming a dog parent, wonder what the AKC registered means?.
So here are some frequently asked questions about AKC registration!
FAQ
AKC registered dog means that the owner of the dog has submitted the application and received approval through a registration certificate from the American Kennel Club (AKC)
AKC has the largest database of the canine, it will help you to indicate the dog breed meets the breed standard in some ways also the dog look and act like the breed they are identified to.
AKC (American Kennel Club) registration is not a mark of the dog’s quality, it’s to assure you about the parentage and health history of the dog.
So, whenever you come across a breeder that is selling you a puppy and say that his/her dog is AKC registered, you’ll know that the dog is in the AKC database and you can check the pedigree of the dog.
And mostly the dogs with the certificate are more expensive than the other dogs without AKC registered.
Do you need to buy a dog registered with AKC?
American Kennel Club (AKC) is considered the largest and oldest purebred dog registry service that recognizes 190 dog breeds. It helps the dog owners and breeders to find out the dog’s pedigree.
This organization has the Canine Health Foundation that donates millions of dollars to research the common dog’s health issues such as hip dysplasia, visual problems, heart disease, cancer, etc.
That’s why most reputable breeders have their dogs registered with AKC to help the next dog’s parents to know better about their dog’s parents and their genetic diseases. And also help the new parents to meet the grandparents of the dogs, or their great grandparents through AKC affiliate breed clubs.
Does the dog with AKC registered mean high quality?
Unfortunately no, since the AKC certificate is not a standard whether the dog is of high quality or isn’t. AKC certificates only record the dog’s pedigree and what kind of common disease they might suffer due to their genetic health issues.
It also helps you to know what kind of character the dog is with their genetic breed and what kind of training fits with them.
Every dog breed has its own standard like coats, colors, behavior, movement, etc., for example, a Labrador retriever is strongly built, active, and should be fairly wide over the loins and strong and muscular in the hindquarters, etc.
And one thing that you should remember is that the AKC certificate is only for purebred dogs. If you are looking for a mixed breed or crossed breed there won’t be any AKC certificate for the dog.
With the AKC papers, you know whether the puppy you want has been inbreeding too much. Too much inbreeding can result in serious health and temperament problems as a puppy matures. Excessive inbreeding is one reason that so many purebred dogs are unhealthy or mentally unstable, according to yourpurebredpuppy.com
How to check if the dog is AKC registered?
When a breeder or seller says to you that the dog you want is AKC registered, you can check whether what he/she said is true by checking online on the AKC website.
Here is step by step to check if the dog registered on AKC.
- Go to the AKC website on www.akc.org and then click “shop” at the top of the page.
2. After you click the “shop”, it will take you to the new page. And then click “competitor reports”.
3. Once you have done the previous step, it will take you to the new page and then you should click “ free dog lookup”
4. After you click “ free dog lookup” there will be a pop-up. fill the pop-up bar with the information that the breeder gave you.
It’s easy, isn’t it?
Now you can check if the breeders are telling the truth about their dogs being registered in AKC.
Conclusion
Everyone that is looking for a new puppy doesn’t want to get scammed by the sellers. And sometimes the fake breeders said that their puppies are AKC certified/registered, even though it’s just a lie.
Sure, getting a puppy that has registered in AKC is a good point if you are looking for a purebred. But you should remember that even if the dog is AKC registered it doesn’t mean that the dog is high quality since AKC only records the parentage and history of the dog.
You should keep digging for information about the dog and the breeders, so you won’t end up getting scammed or getting a puppy mill dog.