What does it mean to have a registered puppy (e.g., AKC and others)?
AKC stands for the American Kennel Club. This organization is the most familiar registry for pure bred dogs in the country. And there are several other purebred registries such as ACA, CKC, APR, etc. that also register and keep the lineage of purebred dogs. When you buy a purebred registered puppy (a puppy “with papers”), it means its family tree is documented as being exclusively that breed and it can be registered. One misunderstanding is that registered automatically means “healthier” or that it is automatically a show dog. Neither is necessarily true. A registered dog means only that its parents are of the same breed and the dog comes from a purebred line. We do not guarantee our puppies for showing or breeding. They are sold as companion pets. Many people do register their puppies and it is fun to look at the names of the parents and other relatives. Proven show-quality dogs can cost in the thousands, like racehorses, and other champions. But show dogs do not have guarantees of be
