AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB
The American Kennel Club has always recognized the role of the
responsible breeder in preserving the integrity of its registry and
the quality of the purebred dog in this country. In June of 1989, the
delegates of the AKC voted to give breeders a valuable tool to protect
their programs--the option of selling their puppies under Full or
Limited Registration.
Dogs with Full Registration privileges can compete in all AKC events,
and their offspring can be registered with the AKC. Dogs with Limited
Registration privileges are allowed to compete in all AKC Companion
and Performance events, but not in Conformation events (dog shows).
Additionally, no puppies produced by a dog with Limited Registration
are eligible for AKC registration.
The choice to register a dog with Full or Limited privileges is solely
in the hands of the dog's breeder. The breeder indicates the Full or
Limited designation by completing a section of the dog's individual
registration application. The breeder's designation is entered into
the AKC registration system along with the dog's name, sex, color, and
number, and becomes part of the dog's permanent registration record.
If the dog is entered in an AKC event, or if it appears as a sire or a
dam on a litter application, it is checked for eligibility against its
Full or Limited Registration status.
Benefits for Breeders
Limited registration honors the
prerogative of knowledgeable, responsible breeders to decide which
dogs in a litter may later be bred to produce AKC-registered dogs and
which may not. By indicating Limited Registration on a dog's
application and explaining the conditions to the new owners, the
breeder can be confident that the owner cannot use the dog to produce
and sell AKC-registerable puppies that may not meet the standards of
the breeder's program.
If the breeder later decides that the dog has developed in such a way
that its registration status should be changed, the breeder has the
right to change the status from Limited to Full. Only the breeder has
the power to make that change, and, in the case of multiple breeders,
all breeders must agree. The owner cannot make any changes to the
dog's registration status.
By using Limited Registration, breeders can provide AKC papers to all
of their puppy owners, while still controlling which puppies will be
bred. It is an excellent tool to demonstrate breeders' concern for the
future of their lines and their commitment to preserving excellence
within their breed.
Benefits for Owners
Owners should know that the Limited Registration status has no bearing
on a dog's potential to be an excellent representative of its breed, a
wonderful pet, and a standout participant in most AKC events. In fact,
having a "Limited" dog can be very liberating, as owners don't have to
wrestle with the question "to breed or not to breed"-that decision is
made by the breeder when the Limited option is indicated on the
registration application.
Dogs with Limited Registration can compete in every AKC event except
Conformation (because the latter is an evaluation of breeding
stock). These include the
Companion Events--Obedience,
Rally,
Agility and
Tracking--which
are open to all breeds, and the Performance Events--Field
Trials,
Hunting,
Lure
Coursing,
Herding,
Earthdog and
Coonhound--which
are open to specific breeds only. Training for and participating in
these events promotes a special bond between dogs and owners.
Together, dogs and owners learn new skills, spend quality time
together, and--who knows?--may even achieve great success in their
chosen sport.
When it comes to being a great competitor or just a lifelong friend, a
dog with Limited Registration has no limits at all.
Dogs with Limited Registrations will
receive certificates with orange borders and the words, "Offspring of
this dog not eligible for registration." See "What's
on a Certificate?" for more information.
For more information, please visit
http://www.akc.org/registration/limitedreg.cfm. (opens in new
window)
Sheila & Michael Riley
P.O. Box 625
Valley Springs, CA 95252
MaltaAngel@comcast.net
209-772-8772 |
