AKC: The Keeper Of Your Dogs Pedigree

When you shop for a purebred dog, youll hear the initials AKC when breeders talk about their puppies. AKC stands for the American Kennel Club, a registry for purebred dogs born in the United States. The AKC holds dog shows and obedience competitions, helps maintain breed standards, and registers puppies of over a 100 different recognized breeds.

Purebred Pedigree

For a dog to be registered with the AKC, the breeder must have AKC registration papers for both parents. Each litter is registered as a group shortly after the puppies are born. When the puppies are 8 weeks old, the breeder gets a registration application for each puppy.

This form goes with the puppy to his new home. The new owner chooses a name to register the puppy under, and sends the application to the American Kennel Club. Of course, registration indicates only that the dog is purely of 1 recognized breed; it does not necessarily indicate that the dog comes from healthy or show-quality bloodlines. Nor is registration necessarily a reflection of the quality of the breeding or how the puppy was raised.

Classed by Breed and Group

The AKC has divided the dog breeds into 8 different groups:

• the Sporting Group
  
• the Hound Group
  
• the Working Group
  
• the Terrier Group
  
• the Toy Group
  
• the Non-Sporting Group
  
• the Herding Group
  
• the Miscellaneous Class.
  

Each dog breed recognized by the AKC is placed in 1 of these groups and will compete first in its breed, and then its group in the show ring.

Dogs in the Sporting Group are an active, hard working bunch. These dogs need plenty of exercise, since they were bred to spend long hours spotting and retrieving game. Some popular members of the Sporting Group are the Golden Retriever and the Cocker Spaniel.

Hunters and Guard Dogs

The Hound Group is also made up of dogs that work with hunters to catch game, but these guys are all about the chase. Hounds can be slow and methodical, like the Bloodhound, or quick and impatient, like the Greyhound.

If your interest is in protecting your home, you will want to take a look at dogs in the Working Group. These big dogs are powerful animals with strong protective instincts. Doberman Pinscher and Rottweiler are 2 of the dog breeds in this group.

Ratters and Companions

Dogs in the Terrier Group love to hunt mice and rats. This group includes the aloof Scottish Terrier and the personable Miniature Schnauzer.

The dogs that make up the Toy Group are small in size, but their hearts are as big as the great outdoors. The Yorkshire Terrier and the Miniature Pinscher are both Toy dogs.

Herders and Other Dogs

Dogs in the Herding Group were developed to herd livestock, and have a strong herding instinct. The Collie and the German Shepherd are members of this group.

The Non-Sporting Group contains dogs that don't quite fit anywhere else. The Boston Terrier and Standard Poodle are members of the Non-Sporting Group.

The final group, the Miscellaneous Class, is where the AKC puts breeds that are still proving themselves. The Redbone Coonhound is a member of this group.

Other Kennel Clubs

While the American Kennel Club may be the best-known club in America, it is far from being the only 1. If your dog is not registered with AKC, you may still be able to register it with another group. The United Kennel Club, the American Canine Association, the Canine Kennel Club, and the North American Purebred Dog Registry are a few other American kennel clubs.

Of course, foreign-born dogs have ancestors, too. Most countries have some type of dog registry. For the AKC to consider registering a foreign-born dog, it must first be registered with its birth country breed registry prior to entry in this country.

British dogs are registered through the Kennel Club, while the Victorian Canine Association (part of Australia's National Kennel Council) registers dogs born in Australia.

The Canadian Kennel Club, or CKC, is Canada's version of the AKC. Dogs registered with the CKC do not have to come to the United States to be registered with the AKC.

Human's Best Friend

Registering your dog is a way to continue the dogs family lineage, and become eligible for the privileges that a kennel club can offer. But, as you review the different registries available, just remember, even if you can't register your dog, the most important thing about him is not his pedigree. His loving and loyal companionship are more precious than papers.

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