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This page is an attempt to educate, help and guide pet owners, breeders, and dog showers to be more
responsible in their buying, care, breeding and handling of the canine in general.
We feel it is best to start with a very important detail which is often used as a misguided and deceptive
selling tool.
REGISTERED does not now nor will it ever mean PUREBRED. Registered can mean a lot of things
but in general as associated with the canine world it usually means that somebody took the time and effort
to DOCUMENT a dog in a file somewhere and received a piece of paper in return. It in no way means the
dog is purebred, healthy, temperamentally sound or conforms correctly to breed standard. Nor does it mean
that the dog is a good candidate for hunting or sporting events or will even make a good family dog.
a dog.
REGISTERABLE: What does this mean? Registerable to who, where and at what cost? Find out who
the dog is registerable with, what the fees are for registration, what the registries late fee registrations are and
if the registry in question has a set-policy time limit for registration. Does the registry in question have
suspended or banned list and if so is ANYBODY who has been associated with the dog to date on one of
their list?
Registry Name Recognition/Abbreviation: Abbreviations for Kennel Club Names and Registries can be
very confusing to say the least. UKC can stand for Universal Kennel Club Inc. or United Kennel Club.
CKC can stand for Canadian Kennel Club or Continental Kennel Club. There are more registries and more
initials for those registries than there are letters in the alphabet so it will require you to take the initiative to find
out EXACTLY which registry a puppy/dog is registered with.
A registries main function is and will always be to document linage of a given line of dog. The information
contained in the files of the registries is a collective effort of many and is only as accurate as the person is
honest who is submitting the information. There are no good registries versus bad registries. They all serve
a given purpose. It is the right of any person to decide which registry they choose to use.
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PEDIGREED: Simply means somebody can supply a pedigree or a piece of paper or "family tree"
documenting the linage of a given dog. It in no way proves a dog to be a purebred, of good quality or health.
PEDIGREE: A pedigree is a piece of paper or "family tree" documenting the linage of a given dog. It in
NO way proves a dog to be a purebred, of good quality or health BUT we feel a good breeder who cares
about "breeding for the betterment" of the breed can use the information provided on a pedigree to research
their bloodlines and breed so that each additional generation is as good as and hopefully better than the last.
A pedigree should include the ancestors names, colors and accomplishments on them. Some will even
include medical and genetical information on them.
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DNA: DNA does NOT guarantee healthy dogs or offspring. It is another one of those tools that has been
given to a breeder to use wisely in their program and to possible help them with their breeding programs. It
has helped tremendously with stopping the deceptive registration of offspring that did not occur from parents
which a breeder is claiming to be the parents. We encourage everyone to have their dogs DNA tested, have
the results documented and placed in your registries files and in your own. Your effort could one day get your
beloved pet returned to you.
Micro-chip: A micro-chip is a small chip that is placed under the skin of a dog and can be read by a specific
scanner used for reading the micro-chip. A micro-chip is not used for anything other than identification.
Micro-chips can be bought at most veterinarians, shelters and rescues. They may also be ordered through
various companies locally and on the Internet. Micro-chips are easily inserted and could mean the difference
in yours dogs life or death if lost or stolen. Most shelters are required to scan for a micro-chip prior to adopting
it out or putting it to sleep. A lot of vets use the scanner now to identify dogs as well.
- We STRONGLY promote and encourage ALL pet owners to have their dogs micro-chipped and
the micro-chip number recorded in as many files as you can find to record them in. Vet Records, Registry
Records, Micro-chip registries, Local shelters and rescue records as well as your own.
- Keep in mind that a micro-chip registered to a certain person does not in itself prove ownership but it
certainly can't hurt.
- When you buy a dog always have it checked for a micro-chip and have the previous owner sign the
micro-chip over to you and have the records changed to you as the new owner so that YOU will be the
person contacted if the dog is found after being lost or stolen.
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Health Screening, Health Clearances, Health Certificates, Genetic Testing:
WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
Health Screening is when a given/specific test has been administered to a given dog to determine if the
dog has the problem/affliction and to what degree the dog has the problem/affliction at the given time of the
test. Screening can be an effective tool if used properly and with the intent that it was developed. A health
screening can NOT determine whether or not the offspring of the dog will be affected.
It can tell you as to whether or not the dog being tested though is a possible candidate for breeding purposes
or whether it should be used as a pet only. Health Screening should be done by a licensed technician/lab
licensed in the field of the specific test. Health Screening results may or may not be recorded and documented.
Health Screenings are not a one time test. Test must be done over a period of years and for the life of the
dog.
- "ACR" promotes, encourages and documents health screening results.
"ACR" however does not approve of the use of the health screenings as a selling tool to sell puppies.
Health Clearances is a combination of test that have been ran either concurrently or separately to
determine the given medical and/or genetical health of a given dog to determine if the dog has the
problems/afflictions that were tested for. Clearances can be an effective tool if used properly. Health
Clearances can be administered/performed by licensed veterinarians/technicians/labs. Health Clearances
in no way determine the health of any offspring that has been produced or may be produced from tested dogs.
- "ACR" promotes, encourages and documents health screening results. "ACR" however does not
approve of the use of the health screenings as a selling tool to sell puppies.
Health Certificate is a piece of paper usually filled out by a licensed veterinarian after examining a
puppy/dog. The exam can be as simple as the dog/puppy being checked for hernias to a full scale
exam including fecal. Health Certificates are required by most states for the transportation of any animal.
Federal Government requires them for the transportation by air of any animal. While a health
certificate can't hurt it most assuredly in no way means that you are receiving a healthy puppy. It simply
means that the vet at the time of the exam did not see anything that would lead him to believe that the dog
needed medical attention at the time.
Genetic Test is a given or collection of test that can be ran on a dog to determine whether or not it has or
carries a given or combination of given genes that can be inherited by it's offspring. Genetic Testing can be
a wonderful tool to be utilized by a breeder if they feel that their dog or bloodline has an inheritable gene
that would adversely affect the offspring. It can save a breeder time, money and more heartache if utilized
properly.
- "ACR" promotes, encourages and documents genetic testing.
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Verified, Certified, DNA sample
DOCUMENTED: Type/Class, Weight, Height, Breed,
Verified means that a dogs (at least one year of age) specific information as been submitted to "ACR" as
to it's micro-chip/tattoo (identification) height, weight, length, age, color and breed as verified in writing by
a licensed veterinarian and has pulled hair for DNA sample. It is not an official certification.
Certified means that a dogs (at least one year of age) specific information has been taken and documented
by an approved representative of "ACR".
"ACR" will certify micro-chip number/tattoo, height, weight, length, age, color and breed and collect DNA
hair samples. Certification will supercede verification on all certificates. All dogs that have participated in
"ACR" events will have been inspected and the information documented in their records.
DNA Sample means that hair has been collected from a given dog by a licensed veterinarian or an
approved representative of "ACR" and the hair sample has been placed in "ACR's" files in the case that the
owner or "ACR" wishes to have a DNA test ran at a future date. Owners who wish to have the DNA test
ran must pay for the expense. In the event that "ACR" feels the need to run the test the expense will be
charged to the owner of the dog at the time of the test being run.
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Type/Class means that a certified inspection has been done on the dog by an approved "ACR" inspector
and the dog was determined to be of a certain type or class according to the Breed Standard of the dog
being examined. Type/Class can mean anything from Toy, Miniature, Standard .. etc ... to Class A or
Class B.
Weight means that the dog was weighed by either a licensed veterinarian or approved "ACR" inspector
and found to be of a certain weight. All dogs must be over the age of 1 year to have a verified/certified
weight on record.
Height means that the dog no less the age of 1 year was measured from ground to point of withers by a
licensed veterinarian or approved "ACR" representative and the results documented in the verified/certified
records.
Breed is simply the linage of the dog. Whether it be Dachshund, Rat Terrier, Whippet, Boxer or etc ... |
