As an AKC breeder, I wish I could tell everyone to relax. I can’t, and since AKC refused opportunity to explain what it did and why it did it without so much as a whisper to the fancy, it's a good bet AKC can't either.  If we are misunderstanding AKC’s plan, now would be the time to explain.  That AKC refuses to do so is insulting to the entire fancy. 

On the other hand, what can AKC say that would make palatable the knowledge that it has or will register dogs which a.) the breeder felt should not be registered or b.) were not bred by the listed breeder or c.) are not the offspring of the listed sire and dam? 

 Given the registration mistakes and “clerical errors” AKC has made over the years, is this the mother of all cover-ups?  What does AKC tell owners about their AKC registered Toy Poodle that looks just like a Lab?  How can it excuse a pedigree the breeder knows is absolutely wrong? 

 I deliver this message reluctantly because the AKC system has been very good to me for over forty years.  Even so, in addition to folders full of documented pedigree fraud, in just my own personal experience:

1.)    AKC refused to cancel a co-bred litter based on, according to a senior Registration Department staff member with whom I had several conversations, a  sequence of obvious forgeries.  Okay, even your bank doesn't verify your signature on every check   But when she pulled copies of the blue slips (individual puppy registration application forms) on which my “signature” appeared, my co-breeder hadn't even made an attempt to make those signatures resemble each other or the forged signature on the litter registration application form!  She apologized for laughing at their careless attempts but shared my disbelief at my co-owner's audacity.  We presumed the blue slips had been signed at different times to different people without trying to match the original litter application.  Apparently someone higher up decided she and I were both wrong. The litter stood as registered and so did 7 puppies, sired by a male with one testicle that I had replaced with the show bitch on co-ownership - and foolishly allowed them to keep the male they said they just couldn't part with. 

3.)    AKC falsely and knowingly registered a litter out of a puppy bitch too young to have conceived, much less whelped a litter!  A very powerful person in Mexico returned her to me when she was well under a year old.  I later learned he had registered a litter out of her and of course, the puppies were both AKC and Federación Canófila Mexicana registered.  Thelma Von Thaden was then FCM President.  FCM cancelled registration of the litter in spite of serious legal action which the FCM Board of Directors knew would be initiated by the “breeder” and owners of the falsely created “O’BJ” dogs.  By contrast, AKC told me they had "no reciprocity” with Mexico and there was nothing they could do, which wasn’t entirely true because shortly thereafter, AKC “inspected” me. 

 Such is life.  My records are in order and my bullet-proof vest hangs at the front door.  These are but three of my personal experiences, carefully documented.  But there are more.  Many of you out there have sent your stories, complete with documentation.  We don’t want to make bad matters worse, nor mountains out of molehills, we just want the mole to stop messing up our yard…

 One reader went into detail about the problems her club has had trying to get the breed recognized.  Having worked with Mark Mooty on getting the Miniature Bull Terrier accepted, I can vouch for that.  AKC wouldn’t even accept Akitas registered with the Japanese Kennel Club and the world's most respected registry, the Kennel Club Of England!  Marianne Goldstein finally relented and “enrolled” my two English imports as “for breeding only.”  I'm pretty sure that was a brand new category as it predated the current FSS by many years. 

But turn the calendar forward… now AKC welcomes breeds no one has ever heard of from countries we can’t find on a world map!  Simultaneously, we are expected to believe someone at AKC can somehow verify those imports, BYB or puppy mill dogs registered with a competing registry? 

As one reader asked, "will they require DNA to verify parentage?"  Personally I doubt that, especially since AKC only began doing DNA certification when UKC began offering the service.  According to a very prominent AKC judge, AKC "threw him out" when he flew to NY and presented them with  a complete Canine DNA program his lab had worked on for months.  Oh well, another story for another time.  

 Despite what we’ve been led to believe, AKC doesn’t “have” to register puppy mill produce for legal reasons.  Indeed, AKC has actively solicited commercial breeder business.  See AKC Letter To Puppy Mills.  This new rule in no way changes what AKC has been doing, it simply makes registering *anything* bred by *anyone* registered with any *competing* registry, conceivably AKC registrable. That changes things because in the past, disputed litters and dogs at least had AKC papers.  Now they don't need those pesky pieces of paper in order to become AKC registered.

 Many asked how anyone at AKC can determine a dog had an unbroken line of AKC registered dogs?  When AKC breeders withhold papers, they don’t usually provide a pedigree.  AKC refused comment.

 As has been pointed out by readers, unscrupulous people can just take a dog's name and AKC number from a show catalog and falsely register litters.  That has happened.  Now they need only to pay a pedigree service for a fictitiously created litter pedigree and what? send that to AKC as proof of unbroken line of AKC registered dogs?

 This is one time I’d like to be wrong but I’ll just leave it to breeders to decide who’s looking out for them, TheDogPress or AKC.  As I said, things change and we can hope that AKC will too.  DNA technology now makes it possible to verify disputed litters and shucks, it would bring in a little extra money in fees. 

But not as much as the new Pedigree Research Service.

Barbara (BJ) Andrews

Handy links:______________________

FYI: Chapter 3, Section 6 of Rules Applying to Registration and Discipline states in part:

"For the purpose of registering or refusing to register purebred dogs The American Kennel Club will recognize only such conditional sale or conditional stud agreements affecting the registration of purebred dogs as are in writing and are shown to have been brought to the attention of the applicant for registration. (emphasis added).  The American Kennel Club cannot recognize alleged conditional sale, conditional stud or other agreements not in writing which affect the registration of purebred dogs, until after the existence, construction and/or affect of the same shall have been determined by an action at law."

The only contracts that the AKC will enforce will be the withholding of AKC registration papers until a dog is paid for or altered, if the terms are clearly set out in the bill-of-sale and signed by all parties involved in the sale of the dog, (emphasis added) this is required by our rules.

Also see the new rule allowing owners to change the name of their dog which was approved in March 2008 and which not all breeders appreciate!