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As someone looking for a quality, purebred puppy, you should be aware that not all dog registries are equal. The American Kennel Club has been around since the late 1800's, and is the oldest and most trusted purebred dog registry governing body in the

. It is the kennel club that has set the standard for the most recognized dog breeds today. When you watch a dog show on television and you see the judge evaluating a dog on the table, it is the American Kennel Club standard of perfection for that particular breed that he is comparing the dog to. No other kennel club compares to the strict guidelines and commitment to quality upheld by the American Kennel Club.

At one time, being registered normally meant a dog was registered with the American Kennel Club, but all of that changed with the use of DNA Testing. In the summer of 2000, AKC began it’s mandatory requirement that all frequently used sires have a DNA sample on file with the AKC. Currently, AKC is the only registry that has this requirement. With these DNA samples, AKC has genetic proof of the puppy’s purebred lineage.

But the commercial dog industry (puppy mills, brokers, pet shops, etc.) who could not meet AKC’s strict DNA requirements and who were not willing to comply with AKC’s rules and regulations faced a serious problem -they needed to provide “papers” so they could tell the public their puppies were “registered”, so the barn door swung open and out poured dozens of new “breeder friendly” dog registries.

Below is a list of known registries. Most of these registries will accept AKC registration as proof of a dog’s lineage and will dual register the dog. However, the reverse is not true. This should speak to the credibility of AKC registration. Take the time to visit each registry. Most of them require very little information or proof of identity in order to register a dog. Several only require the “word” of the breeder or a picture of a dog which appears to be a purebred in order to register the dog. Because of these lax standards and less expensive registration costs, these pet registries are often used to register and get fraudulent pedigrees for dogs. In addition, they are also used to register cross-bred dogs as purebreds. If you want to know for certain you are getting a genuine purebred Miniature Schnauzer, and that the parentage has been verified through DNA profiling, make sure that you only buy an AKC registered pup. When considering a purebred dog, ask yourself the following questions of the type of registry the dog is sold with.

THINGS TO CONSIDER		KNOWN REGISTRIES
	How old is the registry?	ACA	American Canine Association
	Do they only register purebred dogs?	ACHA	American Canine Hybrid Club
	Do they sponsor dog events, such as dog shows?	ACR	American Canine Registry
	Do they set acceptable standards for each breed?	AKC	American Kennel Club
	Do they require DNA to prove parentage?	APA	American Purebred Association
	Do they keep stud books for producing pedigrees on dogs?	APRI	America’s Pet Registry Inc.
	Is there a phone number that you can reach them at?	ARF	Animal Research Foundation
	Do they encourage responsible breeding and proper care of dogs?	ARU	Animal Registry Unlimited
	Do they conduct random inspections on breeders?	CKC	Continental Kennel Club
	Do they suspend and/or revoke breeders?	CKC	Canadian Kennel Club
		DRA	Dog Registry of American – formerly U.S. Kennel Club
		FCI	Federation Cynologique Internationale
		FIC	Federation of International Canines
		IPDBA	International Progressive Dog Breeder’s Alliance
		NAMBR	North American Mixed Breed Registry
		NAPDR	North American Purebred Dog Registry
		NKC	National Kennel Club
		UABR	United All Breed Registry
		UAKC	United American Kennel Club
		UKC	United Kennel Club
		UKCI	United Kennel Clubs International
		UKCI	Universal Kennel Club International
		WKC	World Kennel Club
		WWKC	World Wide Kennel Club