The AKC: The American Kennel Club
Having your dog registered with the AKC or getting a puppy that comes from an AKC registered bloodline means that the dog or dogs in question come with a registration that identifies them as being born from a pureblood family from any line of dog, like the Snowy Pines White Labradors, for example. When the puppy or dog is registered and receives this certificate, it means that it came from a pure bloodline sire and dam and was born on a specific date. In other words, having them registered to the AKC shows their bloodline.
What is the AKC
The AKC is short for the American Kennel Club. The main purpose for this club existing is to maintain detailed records of a dogs genealogy, otherwise known as the “stud books.” There are these genealogy books made for every single breed that the club recognizes so as to make sure that the integrity of the breeds stays true. This database has all of the registered purebred dogs in it as well as their offspring.
What does the AKC do
When a breeder of purebred dogs has a new litter of puppies, the breeder will then fill out specified forms about the new littler to send out to the AKC so that the puppies can get registered. If both of the puppy’s parents are in the database, then they can immediately be issued with a registration number that is unique to them, as well as enough blue slips to be available for each puppy that is in the litter. This little blue slip that is sent back to the breeder is a registration form for each puppy born into the new litter.
On the blue registration form, the names of both the sire and the dam are written down onto the slip as well as the date that the puppies were born, the name of the breeder and their address. Each slip is also given a specified registration number so that the puppies have a unique number assigned especially to them. It is important to remember, however, that even though the blue slip has this number on it, the puppy is not considered a registered purebred dog until the new owner of the puppy sends the blue slip back into the AKC along with the application fee that goes with it.
Despite what many breeders may think, it is actually quite a tough thing to get a puppy registered with the AKC. The club only takes on a very small percentage of dogs who are eligible for the AKC, and it is a such a stringent process because the AKC never actually sees the puppies for verification- unless of course, the American Kennel Club is performing an inspection at a particular kennel.
The American Kennel Club often performs these random inspections with breeders so as to make sure that the breeders are staying within the strict guidelines and regulations that the AKC requires. This is to ensure that the dogs are being well taken care of and that the paperwork and the identification of the litters are being put in properly. These surprise inspections are usually done on larger kennels that produce a large number of litters fairly often.
Dog shows and events
Dog shows and other performance events are put on and sanctioned by the American Kennel Club. When the show comes to a close and all of the results are in, the AKC gives winning certificated to dog owners when they meet the requirements for a title. This is important because it gives a breeder the papers they need to say that a puppy comes from a winning bloodline.
Responsible ownership
The AKC is not only used to register a new litter of puppies and keep the pure bloodline going, but it is also a wonderful resource that breeders can use to continue getting more education about the breeds they have so that they can continue taking care of the dogs as best as they can. They do this through the use of public service announcements, informational pamphlets, and through their informational website.
The AKC works hard to maintain the health and wellness of dogs and contributes to health research so that research is done to continue improving the health and wellness of all dogs!
