59-754: The American Kennel Club ( AKC ) is a registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States. In addition to maintaining its pedigree registry, this kennel club also promotes and sanctions events for purebred dogs , including the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show , an annual event which predates the official forming of the AKC, the National Dog Show and the AKC National Championship . The AKC
118-514: A herdbook , studbook or register , in animal husbandry , the hobby of animal fancy , is an official list of animals within a specific breed whose parents are known. Animals are usually registered by their breeders while they are young. The terms studbook and register are also used to refer to lists of male animals "standing at stud", that is, those animals actively breeding, as opposed to every known specimen of that breed. Such registries usually issue certificates for each recorded animal, called
177-426: A pedigree , pedigreed animal documentation , or most commonly, an animal's " papers ". Registration papers may consist of a simple certificate or a listing of ancestors in the animal's background, sometimes with a chart showing the lineage. There are breed registries and breed clubs for several species of animal, such as dogs , horses , cows and cats . The European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) and
236-442: A pedigree , pedigreed animal documentation , or most commonly, an animal's "papers". Registration papers may consist of a simple certificate or a listing of ancestors in the animal's background, sometimes with a chart showing the lineage. Usually, there is space for the listing of successive owners, who must sign and date the document if the animal is gifted, leased or sold. Papers transferred upon sale of an animal may be submitted to
295-558: A certain standard of conformation, performance or both. This allows breeders to modify breeds by including individuals who conform to the breed standard but are of outside origin. Some horse breeds allow crossbreds who meet specific criteria to be registered. One example is the semi-open stud book of the American Quarter Horse , which still accepts horses of Thoroughbred breeding, particularly via its appendix registry . Among dogs, an example of an open stud book would be
354-495: A higher breeding age, hip dysplasia ratings, genetic tests for heritable diseases, or any other restrictions. Parent clubs have the power to define the looks of the breed, or the breed standard , and may also restrict participation in non-regular events or classes such as futurities or maturities to only those dogs meeting their defined criteria. These non-regular events can require health testing, DNA sampling, instinct/ability testing, and other outlined requirements as established by
413-485: A name, a trademark , or anything that can be mistaken for the name of another kennel or, sometimes, stable . Only after an animal has achieved a legitimate championship will some registries permit the use of the prefix Ch., or other title before or after their registered name. Some registries may use symbols to designate the status of certain individuals. An asterisk * may be used to designate an animal born in another country and imported. A plus + may be used to designate
472-446: A new type, but the animals are not yet breeding true . Many such questionable registries are incorporated as for-profit commercial businesses, in contrast to the formal not-for-profit status of most reputable breed clubs. They may provide volume discounts for registrations by commercial dog breeders such as puppy mills. An unscrupulous registry for dogs or horses is often spotted by a policy to not require any proof of pedigree at all. In
531-515: A preliminary recording system often called an "appendix" registry. The most notable is that of the American Quarter Horse Association , which allows part-Thoroughbred/part-Quarter Horse foals to be recorded and shown, with full registration allowed after the horse achieves a set performance or merit standard akin to that of a merit registry. Other appendix registries are seen in certain color breeds of horses, such as
590-421: A simpler " pet name " known as a call name for dogs or a stable name for horses, which is used by their owners or handlers when talking to the animal. For example, the famous Thoroughbred race horse Man o' War was known by his stable name, "Big Red." The name can be anything that the animal's owner prefers. For example, the dog that won the 2008 Westminster show (US) was named K-Run's Park Me In First , with
649-793: Is a non-member partner with the Fédération Cynologique Internationale . The AKC recognizes 200 dog breeds, as of 2022. In the early 1800s, the English became concerned with the beauty of dogs as well as their function. This fad spread to North America, and in 1877, the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show began. Soon after, the need for a regulating body became obvious. The National American Kennel Club, which had been founded in 1876, began to publish and make publicly available its studbook in 1879. This organization, however, had more vested interest in field trials than in conformation shows , and eventually changed its name to
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#1732798058850708-447: Is a registry based on performance or conformation, called in some societies Registry on Merit. In such registries, an eligible animal that meets certain criteria is eligible to be registered on merit, regardless of ancestry. In some cases, even unknown or undocumented ancestry may be permitted. The Registry on Merit or ROM may be tied to percentage of bloodline, conformation, or classification or may be based solely on performance. In
767-547: Is an example of a kennel club with primarily closed books for dogs ; it allows new breeds to develop under its Foundation Stock Service (FSS), but such dogs are not eligible for competition in AKC conformation shows , although they do compete at those shows in the FSS category. For the breed to move to the Miscellaneous class and then to fully recognized status, the breed's stud book must be closed. A closed stud book allows
826-490: Is one organization that uses such a system. A closed stud book is a stud book or breed registry that does not accept any outside blood. The registered animals and all subsequent offspring trace back to the foundation stock . This ensures that the animal is a purebred member of the breed. In horses, an example of a closed stud book is that of the Thoroughbred , with a stud book tracing to 1791. The American Kennel Club
885-670: Is registration necessarily a reflection on the quality of the breeder or how the puppy was raised. The AKC's Foundation Stock Service is an optional breed registry service the club provides for new purebred dog breeds that have been introduced to the US and are yet to be recognized by the AKC. The AKC sanctions events in which dogs and handlers can compete. In AKC conformation shows dogs compete in different classes based on breed and sex, with breeds divided into hound , terrier , working , herding , sporting , non-sporting, toy and miscellaneous groups. The AKC's premier conformation shows are
944-472: Is the AKC Humane Fund, which supports breed rescue activities, assists shelters that permit domestic violence victims to bring their pets and educates dog lovers about responsible dog ownership. The AKC also provides titles for therapy dogs , after the dogs have been certified by AKC recognized therapy dog organizations and have performed a required number of visits. The AKC has been criticized for
1003-478: The Appaloosa , American Paint Horse , and American Cream Draft Horse , where foals with the proper pedigree for registration but do not meet the color standard for the breed, yet may still carry the necessary genetics in a minimally-expressed form, may be registered and bred to fully registered animals, with ensuing offspring eligible for registration if they meet the breed standard. Another form of open registry
1062-489: The Canine Good Citizen program. This program tests dogs of any breed (including mixed breed) or type, registered or not, for basic behavior and temperament suitable for appearing in public and living at home. Another AKC affiliate is AKC Reunite, formerly AKC Companion Animal Recovery (AKC CAR), founded in 1995, which is North America's largest not-for-profit pet ID and recovery service. Another AKC affiliate
1121-540: The Finnhorse and the Trakehner , may also have a set of studbook selection criteria where animals must meet either a conformation standard, a performance standard, or both. In an open stud book, animals may be registered even if their parents or earlier ancestors were not previously registered with that particular entity. Usually an open stud book has strict studbook selection criteria that require an animal to meet
1180-595: The United States is the Field Dog Stud Book . Working dog organizations also maintain registries. There are also entities that refer to themselves as registries, but that are thinly veiled marketing devices for vendors of puppies and adult dogs, as well as a means of collecting registration fees from novice dog owners unfamiliar with reputable registries and breed clubs. Although these entities generally focus on dogs, particularly in relationship to
1239-654: The Westminster Dog Show and the AKC National Championship . The AKC organises dog agility competitions open to all AKC registered dogs over 12-months age. The AKC organises obedience trials open to all AKC registered dogs over 6-months age. The AKC organises a variety of field competitions they term performance dog sports, including herding and farm dog trials , scent work trials , earthdog trials , lure coursing trials and field trials for Bassets , Beagles , coonhounds , Dachshunds , pointing dogs , retrievers and spaniels . The AKC also offers
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#17327980588501298-498: The breeder 's kennel prefix forms the first part of the dog's registered name. For example, all dogs bred at the Gold Mine Kennels would have names that begin with the words "Gold Mine". Horse breeders are usually not required to do this, but often find it to be a good form of commercial promotion to include a stable name or farm initials in the horse's name. For example, Gold Mine Stables may name give all horses names with
1357-664: The puppy mill industry, some are marketed as cat registries. At least one group claims to register wild species (held by private individuals rather than by legitimate zoological parks, which use the AZA ). Horse breeding also has such problematic registries, particularly for certain color breeds . While many color breeds are legitimate, some "registries" are primarily a marketing tool for poor quality animals that are not accepted for registration by more mainstream organizations. Other "registries" are marketing attempts to create new horse breeds, usually by breeders using crossbreeding to create
1416-673: The AKC Canine Health Foundation have established the Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) to encourage health testing by breeders and provide breeders and researchers with information to improve breeding programs. More than 135 different breeds have specific health testing prerequisites required by their parent breed club. The AKC has lobbied dog-related bills. They are opposed to tightening of laws regarding licensing of trainers. Breed registry A breed registry , also known as
1475-435: The AKC determines, through special registry research, that the dog is eligible for AKC registration. Once a determination of eligibility is met, either by litter application or registry research, the dog can be registered as purebred by the AKC. Registration indicates only that the dog's parents were registered as one recognized breed; it does not necessarily indicate that the dog comes from healthy or show-quality bloodlines, nor
1534-441: The AKC is committed to healthy dogs, but the AKC's role in furthering dog health is controversial. Temple Grandin maintains that the AKC's standards only regulate physical appearance, not emotional or behavioral health. The AKC itself states that "There is a widely held belief that 'AKC' or 'AKC papers' guarantee the quality of a dog. This is not the case. AKC is a registry body. A registration certificate ... in no way indicates
1593-474: The AKC's connections with high-volume breeders among the reasons. The Coton's "reputation and business model is based on a disassociation from 'puppy mills' and similar commercial breeding operations", according to the complaint. The club has also been criticized for courting large scale commercial breeders and for lax enforcement of breeding regulations. The AKC employs just nine field inspectors and critics argue that its inspections are ineffective. For example,
1652-615: The AKC; for example, the Berner Garde established such a database in 1995 after genetic diseases reduced the average lifespan of a Bernese Mountain Dog to seven years. By comparison, the Swiss Bernese Mountain Dog Club introduced mandatory hip X-rays in 1971. For these, and other reasons, a small number of breed clubs have not yet joined the AKC so they can maintain stringent health standards, but, in general,
1711-725: The AKC; they became members of smaller, individual breed clubs, which were themselves members of the AKC. When arguments began to develop between the American and Canadian breed clubs in 1886, the Canadian clubs pulled out from the organization and established their own kennel club two years later, the Canadian Kennel Club . In 1894, the American Kennel Club began to refuse to allow Canadian dogs without an American pedigree to participate in its shows, following
1770-519: The National Field Trial Association and stopped hosting conformation shows completely. In 1884, a group of 13 breed clubs , 10 American clubs and three Canadian clubs founded the American Kennel Club. These 13 clubs pledged "to do everything to advance the study, breeding, exhibiting, running and maintenance of purity of thoroughbred dogs." The AKC differed from The Kennel Club in that individuals could not directly join
1829-415: The U.S. and is the only not-for profit registry, as well as the most well-known and the most influential. For a purebred dog to be registered with the AKC, the dog's parents must be registered with the AKC as the same breed , and the litter in which the dog is born must be registered with the AKC. If the dog's parents are not registered with the AKC or the litter is not registered, an exception may be made if
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1888-520: The US Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) also maintains stud books for captive species on display ranging from aardvarks to zebras. Kennel clubs always maintain registries, either directly or through affiliated dog breed clubs . Some multi-breed clubs also maintain registries, as do non-affiliated breed clubs, and there are a few registries that are maintained by other private entities such as insurance agencies; an example of this in
1947-408: The breed by inbreeding from a limited set of animals. A related preservation method is backbreeding, used by some equine and canine registries, in which crossbred individuals are mated back to purebreds to eliminate undesirable traits acquired through the crossbreeding. Naming rules vary according to the species and breed being registered. For example, show horses have a registered name , that is,
2006-511: The breed to stay very pure to its type, but limits its ability to be improved. For instance, in performance disciplines, an animal that is successful in competitions is generally worth more than one that is pure. It also limits the gene pool , which may make certain undesirable characteristics become accentuated in the breed, such as a poor conformational fault or a disease. Some closed stud books, particularly for certain European breeds such as
2065-415: The breeders' desire to show their dogs at AKC shows such as the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show has won out over these concerns. Concern surrounding the AKC's connections to low-quality breeders has resulted in some dog owners seeking to distance themselves from the organization. In October 2012, Hailey Parker, a longtime Coton de Tulear breeder, filed a lawsuit (that was settled) against the AKC and cited
2124-425: The call name of "Uno". Dogs in the breed registry of a working dog club (particularly herding dogs ) must usually have simple, no-nonsense monikers deemed to be "working dog names" such as "Pal", "Blackie", or "Ginger". The naming rules for independent dog clubs vary but are usually similar to those of kennel clubs. The registered name often refers directly or indirectly to the breeder of the animal. Traditionally,
2183-547: The club in its home country, eligible for registration in the remaining two clubs as well. In 1909, the group moved to New York and became incorporated . On July 1, 2012, the AKC began to recognize certain titles issued by the North American Flyball Association. These titles are Flyball Champion (FDCh), Flyball Master (FM), and the ONYX title. The AKC is the largest registry of purebred dogs in
2242-773: The court that the rescued dogs had ailments that ranged "from serious to severe" and that "most of the injuries appeared to be chronic, having been in existence for a substantial period of time." Similarly, the Humane Society of the United States criticized the AKC for not taking a stand against puppy mills . According to the Humane Society's report, "over the past five years, AKC has opposed more than 80 different state bills and local ordinances designed to provide stronger protections for dogs in puppy mills". The AKC does support several health research initiatives. The AKC Canine Health Foundation funded research that led to
2301-426: The dog world, such registries may not sponsor competitions and thus cannot award championship points to identify the best individuals registered within a particular breed or species. In the less-organized world of horse shows , where many different sanctioning organizations exist, some groups sponsor their own competitions, though wins at such events seldom carry much prestige in mainstream circles. Some registers have
2360-418: The famous cutting horse Doc O'Lena was by Doc Bar out of Poco Lena , a daughter of Poco Bueno . Some names are a little less direct; 2003 Kentucky Derby winner Funny Cide was by Distorted Humor out of Belle's Good Cide, and the famous race horse Native Dancer was by Polynesian out of Geisha. Other breeders use themes. For example, a more imaginative breeder at the Gold Mine Kennels might name all
2419-451: The genetics of the breed they represent. These genetic issues have resulted in the emergence of "puppy lemon laws " in several U.S. states. These laws protect dog owners from genetic diseases that their breeder may have neglected to inform them of, allowing them to get a refund for the cost of the puppy or to force the breeder to pay their vet bills. The AKC supports some canine health research and has run advertising campaigns implying that
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2478-528: The horse world, many warmblood breed organizations require a conformation and performance standard for registration, and often allow horses of many different breeds to qualify, though documented pedigrees are usually required. Some breed registries use a form of ROM in which horses at certain shows may be sight classified. For example, at qualifying shows in Australia , winning horses of stock-type breeding receive points for conformation, which are attested to by
2537-481: The hosting club. In summary, attention to health among breeders is voluntary and not mandated. By contrast, many dog clubs outside the U.S. do require health tests of breeding dogs. The German Shepherd Club of Germany, for example, requires hip and elbow X-rays in addition to other tests before a dog can be bred. Such breeding restrictions are not allowed in AKC member clubs. As a result, some U.S. breeders have established parallel registries or health databases outside of
2596-596: The incorporation of purebred animals descended from unregistered stock or of uncertain parentage. More controversial open stud books are those where there are few, if any qualifications for animals other than a single trait, such as a " color breed ," particularly when the color is not a true-breeding characteristic. However, some breeds have a standard color or color preference that is one criterion among others used to register animals. Some open or partly open registries may permit animals who have some but not all qualifications for full registration to nonetheless be entered in
2655-519: The judges and recorded in an owner's special book. The points are accumulated to eventually result in a Registry on Merit. Registry on Merit is prevalent with sheepdog registries, in particular those of the Border Collie , and some other breeds with a heavy emphasis on working ability . In this type of ROM, the dog's conformation and ancestry generally does not matter. Breed registries usually issue certificates for each recorded animal, called
2714-475: The letter "A," then "B" for litter B and so on. Horse breeders, especially in Europe, sometimes use the first letter of the dam's name as the first letter in the name of all of her offspring. Other breeders may use the same first letter to designate all the foals born on the farm in a given year. Some breeders create a name that incorporates or acknowledges the names of the sire, dam or other forebears. For example,
2773-636: The mapping of the canine genome (DNA sequence) with grants totaling more than $ 2,000,000. Sequencing of the dog genome began in June 2003, funded in large part by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) and finished the completed sequence of the entire dog genome at MIT's Broad Institute in 2005. Because people inherit many of the same diseases as dogs, humans can also benefit from health research funded for dogs. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) and
2832-410: The name under which they are registered as a purebred with the appropriate breed registry, and purebred dogs intended for the sport of conformation showing must be registered with the kennel club in which they will compete; and although there are no specific naming requirements, there are many traditions that may be observed in naming. Along with a registered name, these animals often also have
2891-502: The owner of a Montana Alaskan Malamute kennel approved by AKC inspectors in 2008 and 2009 was sentenced to five years in prison for animal cruelty in operating that kennel. Similarly, an AKC inspector found a North Carolina kennel "in compliance with AKC's Care Conditions Policy" three months before county officers raided the facility and found the dogs in "poor" condition, suffering from illnesses, injuries and living in "unhealthy conditions", according to court documents. A veterinarian told
2950-485: The prefix "Gold Mine", "GM", or "GMS". The Jockey Club , which registers Thoroughbreds in Great Britain , requires stable names to be registered, but does not require their use in animal names. Many dog breeders name their puppies sequentially, based on litter identification: Groups of puppies may be organized as Litter A, Litter B, and so on. When this is done, the names of all the puppies in litter A start with
3009-452: The prevailing trends in American purebred cattle organizations. In 1906, the U.S. Department of Agriculture ruled that any dogs imported to America who were not registered with the AKC would have to pay a duty charge; this was later changed in 1911, allowing any dog registered with a kennel club in its home country duty-free entry into the country. Soon after the AKC, CKC, and KC produced agreements that made any dog eligible to be registered with
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#17327980588503068-412: The prevalence of genetic disorders in their dogs. As many as 25% of purebred dogs registered by the AKC has at least one hereditary genetic problem. These problems cost breeders and owners almost $ 1 billion in vet bills and lost revenues from stillborn pups. Some breed clubs, such as the U.S. Border Collie Club, resisted applying for AKC breed acceptance due to fears that doing so would be detrimental to
3127-426: The puppies of one litter after green precious stones: Gold Mine Emerald, Gold Mine Jade, and Gold Mine Peridot. Names for a subsequent litter might start with the adjectives describing precious stones: Gold Mine Sparkle, Gold Mine Brilliance, and Gold Mine Chatoyant. Breeders may be as creative or as mundane as they wish. In order to minimize the unwieldiness that long and fancy names can bring, registries usually limit
3186-625: The quality or state of health of the dog." The AKC has no health standards for breeding; the only breeding restriction is age (a dog can be no younger than eight months). Though the majority of the 170 breed-specific parent clubs have a health committee devoted to their breed's specific concerns, the AKC prohibits clubs from imposing stricter regulations since the AKC Rules Applying to Registration and Discipline apply to all breed clubs and do not provide an option for breed clubs to extend or override them. Thus, an AKC breed club cannot require
3245-421: The registrar or other authorized person, and a corporate stamp or seal. Documentation usually included on registration certificates or papers includes: Registration papers are sometimes used as certificates of title. In some registries, breeders may apply for permission to crossbreed other breeds into the line to emphasize certain traits, to keep the breed from extinction or to alleviate problems caused in
3304-603: The registries maintained by the American Kennel Club as its Foundation Stock Service. In some cases, an open stud book may eventually become closed once the breed type is deemed to be fully set. In some agricultural breeds, an otherwise closed registry includes a grading up route for the incorporation of cross-bred animals. Often such incorporation is limited to females, with the progeny only being accepted as full pedigree animals after several generations of breeding to full-blood males. Such mechanisms may also allow
3363-412: The registry in order to update the ownership information, and in most cases, the registry will then issue a new set of papers listing the new owner as the proper owner of the horse. Genuine papers are often identifiable as containing the registered name and number of the individual animal and its date of birth, the name of the attesting organization, with the logo if there is one, the name and signature of
3422-400: The total number of characters and sometimes number of separate words that may compose the animal's registered name. They are often prohibited from using only punctuation or odd capitalization to create a unique name; names are often published in all capitals on registration papers. Breeders are generally not allowed to use any name that may be obscene or misleading, such as the word 'champion' in
3481-536: The word "registry" in their title used in the sense of "list"; these entities are not registers in the usual sense in that they do not maintain breeding records. In the dog world, listed animals are required to be de-sexed . The American Mixed Breed Obedience Registry is an example. Some equestrian organizations create a recording system for tracking the competition records of horses , but, though horses of any sex may be recorded, they also do not maintain breeding or progeny records. The United States Equestrian Federation
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