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Learn what AKC registration papers and pedigrees really mean -- and don't mean. Golden Retriever Main Page Golden Retrievers: What's Good About 'Em, What's Bad About 'Em Golden Retriever FAQ Golden Retriever Health Golden Retriever Training Buying or Adopting a Golden Retriever Good Breeders versus Bad Breeders Choosing Golden Retriever Puppies Adopting Golden Retrievers Golden Retriever Puppies in Pet Shops Male or Female? » Registration Papers and Pedigrees Links AKC registration is nothing but a chain of numbers. The AKC will issue registration papers to any puppy whose parents were also registered. Cara Takahashi: "I wanted to express how much I am enjoying your web site. Everything I have read so far is right on the money! I am a trainer by profession, a rescuer and a purebred exhibitor. I will be picking up your book as soon as I can and sending people to your web site, for what I can honestly say is the best advice I have seen on buying a dog - period." An AKC registered Golden Retriever doesn't have to meet any qualifications of health, temperament, behavior, or structure. Ms. Joey McDonald: "Your insight and expertise in raising dogs is unlike anything I've ever read or seen before. You truly have a gift, and I'm just so glad that you've shared it for clueless people like me. I'm also so glad that I found this now, before I got a puppy, so that I can be completely prepared for when I finally get my little companion. I'm going to recommend your site to everyone I know who has a dog!" A "pedigreed" Golden Retriever is simply a dog whose family tree has been written down. Bill Ford: "You are a wonderful writer -- your dialogue is so down to earth, so compelling. I have by no means read everything...yet. But it is certain I will. Your style of writing is not only a compelling read, it is certainly informative and on an educational level that anyone can readily understand. Bravo! I have bookmarked your web site as a place to go for some serious down-to-earth, logical, realistic and up to date canine information. I am very impressed not only with the wealth of information you provide but in how it is so well presented." AKC registration papers and pedigrees don't suggest quality in a Golden Retriever any more than registration papers suggest quality in a CAR. Arline Esposito: "I happened on your website and since have e-mailed your website address to everyone who has a dog or is thinking of getting one. It's a wonderful website that you've set up. Your e-books will be on my gift lists for years to come." AKC registration papers do NOT prove that a Golden Retriever is purebred. GENES make a dog purebred or not purebred -- not registration papers. Gail: "Your website is awesome. I can't imagine needing any other source of information in choosing a dog. Thanks for all the work it must have taken to put together such a thorough site."

AKC Registration Papers and Pedigrees What They Mean -- And Don't Mean At some point, if you're talking to an unknowledgeable breeder or a proud but unknowledgeable owner, you might hear something like this: "My Golden Retriever puppy has AKC papers and a pedigree!!" They expect you to respond with an awed whistle. Here's a better response: "Oh, yay." "But I thought AKC registration papers meant good quality!" Nope. The truth is... The AKC will register any puppy whose parents are registered. The AKC registered those parents because their parents were registered. The AKC registered their parents because... You get the idea. Registration is nothing but a mechanical process, a chain of numbers. You send the AKC money. If the owners of your puppy's parents and grandparents were all good doobies who kept the chain intact by sending in their own money, the AKC will insert your puppy's name into the database, too. They'll send you a piece of paper with a number on it. Voila...he's registered. Dr. Herm David, Ph.D. says: "The AKC has an infinite supply of numbers. It's a good business to be in." "But what about a pedigree? Doesn't that mean something?" Send more money. The AKC will access their database again and it will spit out the names of your puppy's parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, as many generations as you're willing to pay for. Voila...his pedigree. That's all a pedigree is -- a list of names. Registration papers and pedigrees don't tell you a single thing about a dog other than its place in the chain of names. To get registration papers or a pedigree, a Golden Retriever doesn't have to meet any qualifications of health, temperament, behavior, or sound structure. None whatsoever. Your Golden Retriever can be purple, sickly, aggressive, obese, ears pointing every which way -- and the AKC will give them the same kind of registration number they give to the Best of Breed champions at the Westminster Kennel Club show. The exact same kind of registration number. "Good grief! And here I thought AKC registered meant good!" Don't be fooled. Registration papers don't suggest quality in a Golden Retriever any more than registration papers suggest quality in a CAR. Does buying a "registered" car mean it won't be a clunker? Of course not! In fact, in CARS, registration papers at least mean that a car has passed a smog check or a mechanical safety check (in most states, anyway). The AKC registers DOGS with no health or safety checks at all. Hopefully you will never again make the mistake of thinking that the existence of AKC papers or a pedigree has anything whatsoever to do with a dog's quality. "But papers at least guarantee that a dog is purebred, right?" I'm beginning to feel like the bearer of bad news here! Being purebred has nothing to do with registration papers. Being purebred simply means that a puppy and all of his ancestors going back many generations have the same set of fixed genes. Fixed genes can be counted on to reproduce traits such as large size, short coat, black color, etc. Having fixed genes is what makes a dog purebred. The presence or absence of registration papers has no effect whatsoever on genes. In fact, if a dog DOESN'T have those fixed genes, he isn't purebred -- even he HAS registration papers! What??? It's true. A Golden Retriever puppy can have registration papers that are false. Most canine registries such as the AKC operate on the honor system. They simply take the breeder's word for it that "King" and "Queen" were really the parents of "Solomon." But scams happen all the time. Let's say someone has a female Golden Retriever and a male Golden Retriever who are purebred and have registration papers. Unfortunately, the female gets loose and is accidentally bred by the mixed breed who lives down the street. When the litter arrives, a dishonest person could fill out the litter registration paperwork -- claiming that his Golden Retriever was the father. The AKC will dutifully send him a bunch of individual registration papers for each puppy, which he will happily pass along to the new owners. And no one will be the wiser until the puppies grow up and start to look suspiciously non-Goldenish! Fortunately, the AKC does have a new DNA testing program where participating breeders submit DNA samples of parents and puppies, which conclusively proves parentage. If you want to be sure of who your puppy's parents really are, look for breeders who participate in this program. However, this technology has limits. Since it's new, PAST dogs in your puppy's pedigree can't be tested. Always remember that GENES make a dog purebred. The presence or absence of registration papers doesn't change the genes inside a dog. He can be purebred without having papers -- and sadly, he can have papers without really being purebred. "So are papers and pedigrees worth anything at all?" In the hands of responsible, knowledgeable breeders, oh, yes. It is extremely important for breeders to check pedigrees to be sure they're not breeding together closely-related dogs, which can lead to serious health problems in the puppies. Responsible breeders also use pedigrees to track down and evaluate the temperament, health, and physical build of as many ancestors as possible. This information is crucial in deciding how to match up breeding partners. "Should I buy a purebred puppy without a pedigree?" I sure wouldn't. How else will you find out whether a prospective puppy's parents and grandparents were too closely related? If you can't see a 4- or 5-generation pedigree, you'll never know whether the same name appears on both sides of the pedigree, which would mean the puppy is inbred. Anyone who breeds a litter of Golden Retriever puppies without examining the pedigree for inbreeding is ignorant and irresponsible. Why reward such a person with money AND take on the risk of an inbred puppy who is likely to develop health problems? You have as much right to a well-bred, genetically healthy puppy as anyone else. Rewarding an ignorant breeder with money only encourages him to keep doing the same thing. So you want papers and a pedigree with a purebred Golden Retriever puppy -- not because their PRESENCE means you're getting a high-quality puppy, but because their ABSENCE automatically means that the breeder was clueless AND that you're taking a big risk of getting an unhealthy puppy. Copyright © 2000-2006 by Michele Welton. All rights reserved. No part of this website may be reproduced without the permission of the author.