Dog papers and registration

If you want to adopt a purebred puppy, you should make sure your breeder has the proper dog papers including documentation concerning the background and health of all their puppies. Before bringing home a purebred puppy or dog, the following are some of the things you should look for:

Registration certificate

A dog registration certificate simply tells you that a puppy is the offspring of a particular dam (mother) and sire (father) and the date on which the puppy was born. Registration in no way guarantees the quality of the puppy! Even if the certificate is from the American Kennel Club (AKC) or the United Kennel Club (UKC), the largest organizations in the United States for purebred dog registration, it doesn’t mean that the puppy is healthy and well-bred. It doesn’t even guarantee that the puppy is a purebred dog. The registry relies on breeders to honestly report information about their puppies, which isn’t always the case. As long as the dam and sire are registered, their puppies are eligible for a registration certificate, too.

Registration isn’t useless, however. It’s a good starting point for determining your puppy’s background. If a breeder of a supposed purebred puppy doesn’t have the proper registration papers from a recognized registry, then you should be suspicious.

If you’re wondering how to get papers for your dog, it’s fairly simple. When you buy a purebred puppy, the breeder should give you a registration application that must be completed with the puppy’s registered name and signed by both you and the breeder. Include the applicable processing fee and you’ll receive your puppy’s new registration certificate in a few weeks. The AKC website has an option to apply for dog registration online.

Registered dogs have both a registered name and a call name. Sometimes the breeder will choose the registered name in keeping with a system they have for their litters. But the call name, what you’ll actually call your puppy, is up to you. It’s something to keep in mind when you’re looking for a good puppy name.

Your dog’s pedigree

Purebred dog papers should also include a pedigree, which is a family tree for your dog. It shows his bloodline going back four or more generations with the registered names of all the dogs. It may also record titles the dogs have won and other information such as color and special honors. A quality breeder should know the pedigree of their dogs by heart. It’s a record of their breeding program and the work they’ve put into raising their dogs.

When you’re looking for a dog breeder, remember that any breeder who doesn’t know the pedigree of their puppies probably isn’t serious about their breeding program. Also, a breeder that won’t show you the pedigree until after you adopt a puppy should be suspect.

Health papers

Even a puppy from the most popular dog breed has the potential to develop hereditary health problems. To find the right puppy, you should be aware of these ailments by researching the breeds you’re interested in. While there’s no test to detect every genetic disorder, there are some conditions for which a good breeder will screen their puppies. Some well-known problems include Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD) and certain eye disorders.

If you pick a dog breed and know there’s a test for a disorder to which the breed is susceptible, make sure the breeder has done the test. If they haven’t or say they don’t need to, go somewhere else. Don’t take the chance of getting a sick puppy.

When adopting a puppy, take the time to make sure purebred dog papers are in order and you’ll be sure to get a happier, healthier pet.