Note: I suspect much of this will be shifted to other areas of my website eventually…since it is my first post I was unable to simply refer to other posts I have written so I had to be thorough, and if I wanted to mention something…I did!
Many pet owners are interested in getting more involved in organized activities with their dogs it can be overwhelming trying to figure out where to start. There are many organizations that host dog activities; I am not even going to try to list them all. I will try to give an overview of some of the main types of organization and the largest organizations.
Kennels have existed in order to breed specific types of dogs, for specific functions, for nearly as long as dogs have been domesticated. Eventually kennels sought ways to interact with each other and compare breeding stock as well as to brag about who had the best dogs! They began forming “kennel clubs”, or clubs comprised of kennels that had similar interests, and these kennel clubs would host dog shows to compare breeding stock, as well as field trials to compare working ability of the members’ dogs. Over time, registering dogs and acting as an external repository to accurately identify dogs and record pedigrees also became an important function of some kennel clubs.
Most countries have a primary kennel club that is globally recognized as the main, if not the only kennel club presiding over responsibly bred purebred dogs in that country. For example, Norway has the Norwegian Kennel Club. In the UK the national kennel club is just “The Kennel Club”, or the KC. The history of the KC is, in a way, a history of kennel clubs in general, as the KC was the first major national kennel club and continues to be very influential even outside of the UK.
Kennel clubs make rules for registering dogs in order to maintain breed consistency, and often they establish guidelines or requirements such as health screenings and other practices in order to protect the welfare of dogs and to ensure that dogs are being bred responsibly. They also publish rules and regulations for holding dog shows, field trials, and other dog activities.
Since I live in the U.S. and anybody reading this probably also lives in either the U.S. or Canada, I will now focus on the primary dog clubs and organizations in the U.S. and Canada. There are three major kennel clubs in the U.S. and Canada: the American Kennel Club (AKC), the United Kennel Club (UKC), and the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC). Because these three clubs maintain extensive registries of purebred dogs, they are often called “Registries” or “Registry Clubs”.
The American Kennel Club
The American Kennel Club is one of two “primary” dog registries in the U.S. The AKC was established in 1884 as a “club of clubs” – 10 U.S. clubs and 3 Canadian clubs interested in dog conformation banded together. These original 13 clubs were all associated with a particular breed, thus creating the foundational structure for the AKC whereby each breed is represented by a “parent breed club” which in turn falls under AKC’s authority. There is one and only one parent breed club for each AKC recognized breed. The parent breed club for beagles in the U.S. is the National Beagle Club of America (NBC).
If there is enough interest in a breed in an area, smaller breed specialty clubs may apply for membership in the AKC. These smaller breed clubs also fall under the parent breed club, and must abide by any breed-specific policies set by their parent breed club in order to maintain good standing as an AKC club. Usually breed clubs engage in conformation dog shows or field trials for their particular breed, or both. Some breed clubs will also offer “all-breed” events such as agility, obedience, or scentwork trials.
Often there are not enough people with a specific breed to form a breed club. In this case dog enthusiasts often band together to form kennel clubs, which usually focus on conformation dog shows but also sometimes branch out into dog sports like obedience and agility.
As dog sports became more popular, people with a large variety of breeds began creating clubs that focused on an activity rather than a specific breed. These clubs still apply to become AKC member clubs, but they do not fall under a specific parent breed club. These AKC training clubs focus on specific dog sports like agility, obedience, or scentwork, or on general training, or on combinations of several types of dog sports and general dog training.
The AKC presides over AKC dog registrations for every breed; the parent breed clubs may give the AKC input if a question of registration arises but the AKC has the final authority and keeps the final record. Specialty breed clubs, kennel clubs, and training clubs have no role in dog registration or any authority over which dogs can be registered. Although AKC began as a club and registry strictly for purebred dogs, it now allows non-purebred dogs or dogs with unknown pedigree to be registered in their AKC Canine Partners program. This program allows mixed-breed dogs or dogs with unknown pedigree to compete in AKC events such as agility, obedience, and scentwork.
The AKC organizes all of its recognized breeds into “Groups“. There are currently seven groups: Sporting, Nonsporting, Hound, Herding, Terrier, Working, and Toy. These groups separate breeds by function, not by appearance, so you can have dogs as diverse as an Afghan Hound and a smooth coated mini-dachshund in the same group.
To review:
- The AKC is one of the two largest dog clubs in the U.S. The AKC maintains extensive dog registries for nearly 200 AKC-recognized dog breeds. The AKC does not have individual membership; rather, it has member clubs which each form their own membership.
- AKC parent breed clubs serve as the official representative of AKC recognized breeds, under the authority of the AKC. Their primary focus is usually conformation and field, hunting, or herding trials to test their breed’s functional ability, but many of them also hold dog sporting events such as obedience and agility that may or may not be open to all breeds. Parent breed clubs will have the name of the breed plus some designation of their national status in their club name. They usually have membership scattered throughout the U.S. and may not have a local concentration of members in any one particular location. They often hold events around the country.
- AKC breed specialty clubs are local clubs that specialize in a particular breed or group of breeds and serve a locally or regionally concentrated membership. If a club has the name of a breed, or a group name (ie, Mid-Atlantic Hound Association), it is probably a specialty club and most likely focuses on conformation or functional tests and trials for the breed(s) it specializes in.
- AKC kennel clubs are local clubs that usually represent many breeds, with the common interest of club members being conformation dog shows and the responsible breeding of purebred dogs. They are therefore often a good source to find reputable breeders in your area. Many kennel clubs have the words “kennel club” in their name, such as the Licking River Kennel Club, which was the first dog club I joined back when I lived in Ohio.
- AKC training clubs are local clubs that focus on dog training, usually for one or more AKC-sanctioned dog sports. They often offer classes for non-members as well as members. They are a great resource for general training questions, but they usually have members who are also involved in kennel or breed clubs so they are also often a great source to find reputable breeders in your area. Most training clubs will have the word “training”, or the name of the dog sport they focus on, in the name of their club, such as Columbus All-Breed Training Club, the second club I joined back in Ohio.
There is one other type of club/organization that falls under AKC that I know of that (as far as I know) is unique to beagles: field trial federations. Field trial federations are not really subject to the authority of AKC, but their membership consists of AKC clubs, and the larger federations even have delegates in the National Beagle Club’s Beagle Advisory Committee, which votes on rules governing beagle field trials and submits input to AKC on changes and additions to the rules governing AKC sanctioned field trials. Most federations, however, also hold independent events that are not AKC sanctioned, such as derby trials for young beagles and “bench” or conformation shows that are not licensed by AKC and do not require the judge to be an AKC licensed judge.
Beagle field trial federations formed due to the unique history of of the beagle in the U.S. Although the fundamental, indisputable job of a beagle is to find, flush, and trail rabbit or hare, the specifics of how this is done is a hotly debated topic amongst beagle enthusiasts. AKC beagle clubs that prefer a specific “style” of beagle therefore banded together into federations to work towards their common interest.
In summary, there is a huge array of AKC member clubs that represent just about any interest you might have in dogs. Many people have multiple interests in the dog world and thus belong to several clubs. Although I am still getting settled in in North Carolina, while I was in Ohio I was a member of one AKC all-breed training club where I trained my beagles in obedience, rally, Barn Hunt, scentwork, agility, tracking, and anything else I dabbled in, one AKC all-breed kennel club where I pursued support and friendship among other breeders and dog conformation enthusiasts, and three AKC beagle field trial clubs where I learned about the beagle’s traditional field job and engaged in field activities. Plus I was (and am still) a supporting member of the National Beagle Club. Of my three AKC beagle field trial clubs, two were members of the United Beagle Gundog Federation, and one was a member of the Mid-America Brace Gundog Federation. I attended trials hosted by many other training clubs, kennel clubs, and breed clubs – more than I can possibly recount, including field trials hosted by member clubs belonging to different federations!
Joining an AKC club is a great way to get started in dog sports and to meet people who can give you help and camaraderie, who share your love of dogs. You do not always have to own a dog to join a club – most clubs welcome members who simply want to learn more about responsible dog ownership or be involved with dogs. If you love dogs but cannot have one of your own, joining a dog club could also be a fun way to spend time with dogs and meet people, and if you ever are ready to welcome a canine into your home you will be well-equipped with plenty of support. If you have a child who loves dogs, you and your child could join a club and find a fellow club member who supports AKC’s many junior handler programs that will allow your child to train and handle their dog.
The United Kennel Club
The other primary kennel club in the U.S. is the United Kennel Club. It was formed in 1898 as an alternative to most other dog clubs and registries at the time, including the AKC, which focused mostly, if not solely, on dog conformation (in fact, there is an interesting story about the National Beagle Club, which nearly did not join the AKC because it wanted to retain its field trial activities which were not supported by AKC at the time). The UKC has strongly maintained this foundational belief in the “Total Dog” – a dog that is conformationally correct as well as able to perform its traditional breed function and/or compete in dog sports.
Precisely due to AKC’s early focus on conformation, AKC is sort of unofficially recognized by other countries as “the” national kennel club of the U.S. However, the UKC actually has a wider reach, with many member clubs in Canada and other countries. Its website claims it is the largest dog registry in the world.
UKC is organized in a similar fashion to AKC, with breed-specific clubs, group specific clubs, and activity-specific clubs. Some breeds have UKC parent clubs, but a designated parent club is not required for a breed to be recognized by UKC, as it is in AKC. UKC recognizes over 300 different breeds. Often, a new breed will gain legitimacy and popularity in UKC before some enthusiasts of the breed split off to seek AKC recogniztion.
UKC has eight groups based on breed function: Companion Dogs, Guardian Dogs, Gun Dogs, Herding Dogs, Northern Breeds, Scenthounds, Sighthounds and Pariahs (a pariah here means an ancient or wild-type breed), and Terriers. These are similar but not identical to the AKC group classifications. For example, the Norwegian Buhund is in the AKC Herding Group but the UKC Northern Breed group. The Dalmatian is in the UKC Companion Dog Group but the AKC Nonsporting group.
UKC and AKC have essentially identical breed standards for many breeds including beagles; however, for some breeds the standards have some important differences. For example, the UKC German Shepherd standard prizes the working German Shepherd type and is much more in line with European German Shepherd standards than the AKC German Shepherd Standard. UKC allows for parti-colored (multi-colored) poodles whereas AKC does not.
I register all my dogs with both AKC and UKC, but I primarily compete and trial in AKC, so I know the most about AKC. However, UKC has comparable offering as AKC, with conformation shows, field trials, and performance sports such as scentwork (UKC calls it “nosework”) and agility. In fact, UKC offers a greater variety of dog sports, including weight pull and terrier races amongst others, than AKC does.
In general, I feel like UKC events focus much more on families. UKC conformation events are much smaller than AKC conformation events, which also makes them friendlier and less stressful for both the dog and the handler. If you are new to conformation I STRONGLY suggest you start with UKC conformation, even if you ultimately hope to compete in AKC.
In UKC I have primarily competed at conformation shows. I have done a few other activities that were held in conjunction with the shows such as rally and lure coursing, and I have also attended a few UKC beagle field trials. But at the end of the day, I only have so much time, money, and energy, so I chose to focus my efforts on AKC-sanctioned acticities, but I do have a very positive opinion of UKC as well. If you are not sure if you should throw your lot in with AKC or UKC, I would suggest first seeing what clubs there are in your area. Some areas have more AKC; some have more UKC. If you are interested in a particular activity, such as agility or nosework, see how many AKC trials are offered as opposed to UKC. The breed of dog you are interested in may also play a part in which registry you choose to primarily engage in. Finally, go to a few meetings of both UKC and AKC clubs and see how you and your goals compare to the club members and the club priorities.
UKC will allow a single purebred dog registration if you have an AKC or CKC registered dog, so that any AKC/CKC registered dog can fairly easily be registered with UKC to compete in UKC events. AKC is not so generous in recognizing UKC registrations, although they will accept UKC registered dogs in their Canine Partners program. UKC also has their own registry for non-purebred dogs called a Performance Listing (PL), which allows any dog to register and compete in UKC performance events.
Like AKC, UKC does not have individual memberships; rather, individuals join member clubs.
The Canadian Kennel Club
The Canadian Kennel Club is the national dog registry for Canada. It split off from the AKC in 1887, and it is very similar to AKC in many ways. There is quite a bit of exchange between CKC and AKC registered dogs. In fact, Miss P, the beagle who won Best In Show at the AKC-sanctioned Westminster Kennel Club in 2015, was actually a Canadian dog! She was shown extensively in both Canada and the U.S. (mostly Michigan, Ohio, and other midwest states), and her handler, Will Alexander, is Canadian and a prominent member of the Canadian Kennel Club.
Although the CKC has its own breed standard for each of its 175 recognized breeds, the CKC standard is nearly identical to the AKC standard for all breeds that I know of. CKC also sanctions breed function trials and tests as well as performance sports.
If you have an AKC registered dog it is fairly easy to apply for CKC registration and vice versa. I am not sure how CKC deals with dogs that are only registered with UKC.
Other (Reputable) Dog Organizations
Many legitimate dog organizations exists outside of AKC, UKC, and CKC. These organizations usually have a specific focus.
Organizations dedicated to a particular competitive activity. I do not compete in all the organizations listed below, but I have friends who have competed in all of them. This list is just a small sampling of the many legitimate dog organizations out there dedicated to some fun activity you can do with your dog:
North American Dog Agility Council (NADAC) – this organization focuses entirely on dog agility. It has different rules than AKC, UKC, and CKC, and has a wider selection of types of agility tests. NADAC titles are not recognized by AKC, UKC, or CKC.
North America Diving Dogs (NADD) – this organization focuses on “dock diving”, a sport for water-loving dogs in which the handler tosses a toy out over the water and the dog jumps off a dock-like structure to retrieve it. Dogs are scored on how far from the dock they get before splashing into the water. NADD titles are recognized by AKC, but AKC has no authority over the NADD rules and regulations.
National Association of Canine Scent Work (NACSW) – this organization focuses on scent work. It has significantly different rules than AKC scentwork, although many dogs compete in both. NACSW titles are not recognized by AKC.
Barn Hunt Association (BHA) – Barn Hunt is a sport that was created in 2014 by someone whose breed at the time was not allowed to compete in AKC Earthdog competitions. In Barn Hunt, live rats are hidden in large tubes with air holes in a large area with stacks of straw bales. Dogs must navigate around and over the straw bales, as well as go through tunnels in the straw, and find the hidden rat tubes. It is kind of like an Easter Egg hunt for dogs! Barn Hunt titles are recognized by both AKC and UKC.
International All-Breed Canine Association (IABCA) – this organization focuses on dog conformation (dog shows), but it is unique compared to AKC, UKC, and CKC in which it follows the dog show format found in European countries. In AKC, UKC, and CKC, dogs earn conformation champion titles by being evaluated by a judge as the best representative of the breed standard presented on that day. In IABCA shows, dogs are evaluated only according to the standard, not in comparison to the other dogs presented, so every dog in the ring can earn points towards a champion title, or NO dogs in the ring can earn points towards a champion title, depending on the quality of conformation of the individual dogs presented. Once each dog has been rated by the judge, a “best of breed” is still chosen to go on to group competition, but this does not contribute to points or titles…it is just for fun and bragging rights of the day. Also unlike UKC, AKC, and CKC, IABCA is not a registry; it does not collect and safeguard registrations and pedigrees for the use of breeders. Rather, purebred status for the pupose of competing in IABCA shows is determined by registration with another recognized/legitimate registry, such as AKC, UKC, or CKC.
Most organizations that offer performance titles are reasonably legitimate if not necessarily very prestigious. My basic opinion is that so long as dogs are being treated ethically, if you are having fun and/or bonding with your dog and/or learning how to be a better dog owner, I don’t care how prestigious the organization is. I would, however, caution against paying $20 or more for a title certificate on a piece of paper that has about as much value as your grocery list. There are so many activities available through more well-established organizations; unless you believe you have truly found a unique niche or passion there is really no reason to look beyond the reputable organizations I listed in this section and above, or other well established, nationally recognized dog sport organizations.
Breed clubs for legitimate breeds that are not yet recognized by a major U.S. registry – Many foreign breeds have not yet been recognized by AKC, UKC, or CKC. When they begin to grow here in the U.S., they usually form a breed club to organize and regulate ethical breeding practices. For example, one of my favorite breeds (other than the beagle) is the Nederlandse Kooikerhondje, which was only recognized by AKC a few years ago but had legitimate, ethical breed clubs in the U.S. working hard to promote the breed many years before that. In many cases these organizations are quite legitimate, but it is up to you to research them and make sure.
Another example is the biewer terrier, which is working towards full AKC recognition. In the 1980’s a Yorkshire terrier breeder produced a litter of puppies with non-standard white in their coat. Usually, people who breed for “rare” or “exotic” colors abandon sound conformation, temperament, health and other important breed traits, but the breeders of these nonstandard colored Yorkies were very experienced and knowledgeable about the Yorkie breed, and they carefully bred these tricolored Yorkies to retain the same structural and temperamental standard as Yorkies while also accomplishing consistent reproduction of the tri-colored coat. Due to their careful and ethical breeding practices and their long term vision with clearly defined goals, the creators of the biewer terrier have gained international breed recognition and the biewer terrier has been accepted into AKC’s “Miscellaneous class”, a precursor to becoming a fully AKC recognized breed.
Organizations that fill a niche in an ethical manner. This is where it starts to get a little gray. How do you determine if they fulfill a niche in an ethical manner? First, the niche should be unfulfilled by any other reputable organization. Second, the organization should promote and enforce ethical standards of conduct and animal husbandry. And third, the organization’s purpose should be far more than simply providing a way for breeders to charge more money for their puppies through an empty promise of legitimacy and papers that are worth less than the ink used to print them. There should be something about the organization that is attractive even to people who are fully qualified and capable of participating with other, well established organizations. One good example of this, I feel, is the National Kennel Club.
National Kennel Club (NKC) – The National Kennel Club was formed to accommodate people who believed they had quality dogs but whose dogs were ineligible for registration with AKC, UKC, or CKC. This included dogs that were believed to be purebred but could not prove it to AKC/UKC/CKC standards, as well as including some mixed breed dogs. When it was founded in 1969, the NKC was coined a “Paper Mill” registry, a derisive term for registries that will provide registry paperwork to any dog whose owner is willing to pay a fee. However, over time NKC has gained a significant degree of legitimacy through sound and ethical organizational practices and by offering a variety of enjoyable competitions and dog activities.
Many breeders who register with NKC are, in fact, producing sound, correct, purebred representatives of their chosen breed. Others are…not. For example, to register a “purebred” beagle with NKC, an NKC conformation judge examines the dog, determines that it looks enough like a beagle, and then you submit a pedigree which is not looked at or examined or questioned; it is simply accepted at face value. If the NKC judge certifying your animal is not very knowledgeable…or not very honest…yes, you could get a raccoon registered as a purebred beagle with NKC and list its parents as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. However, the general membership of NKC would not welcome such a dog, or its owner/breeder, into their fellowship (and unlike true “paper mill” registries, NKC does, in fact, foster fellowship amongst its breeders and competitors), and they certainly would not cooperate with you in breeding or perpetuating your raccoon-beagle’s lines. The judge that approved the raccoon beagle would likewise be scorned by NKC club members. The scorn of others may not be apparent to, and therefore may not help, the unsuspecting pet buyer. This is why I strongly encourage pet buyers to purchase their pet from a breeder whose dogs have quantifiable achievements in some competitive venue, even if the pet family is not interested in pursuing that competitive activity themselves. A raccoon-beagle from disreputable lines would never hold an NKC field or show champion title. Show, field, or performance titles on at least one and preferably both parents of a litter are a fairly good indicator that the parents are sufficient quality to be respected by knowledgeable and reputable judges and competitors in the Dog World. (I make this recommendation even if the puppy is AKC/UKC/CKC registered, as well, because there are plenty of disreputable breeders that have managed to obtain AKC-registered breeding stock, but almost none of them have the self-discipline and dedication to succeed in shows/function trials and tests or performance trials.)
NKC has absorbed (or bought?) other “marginal” organizations, including the American Rabbit Hound Association (ARHA), which was established to test the skills of beagles (or…dogs that were close enough to a beagle) on rabbits and hare, again to accommodate people who felt they had great rabbit dogs but did not meet the registration/purebred requirements of AKC, UKC, or CKC.
NKC also absorbed (or bought?) the National Hybrid Registry (NHR), which raised the ire of many purebred breeders. I understand that some AKC and UKC purebred advocates would disagree with me listing NKC as a “legitimate” dog organization, because their rules for registering new dogs are extremely lax. However, I believe NKC fills a niche and provides a service to dog owners and breeders that are disenfranchised by UKC and AKC, and allows them some form of dignity and the ability to compete with their dogs. I feel like it is better to give people in this category a more legitimate outlet, rather than continue pushing them towards less ethical alternatives. And, in fact, I know many beagle people who quite simply prefer the format, rules, and atmosphere of ARHA trials and compete primarily in ARHA by choice, even though they breed and own high quality AKC registered dogs. In fact, ARHA has become one of the dominant field trial organizations for beagles, and ARHA titles are greatly valued. A few of my dogs are registered with NKC (in addition to UKC and AKC) because I participated in a few trials with them and I am actually licensed NKC/ARHA beagle conformation judge, and I am proud to say I was invited to judge a statewide ARHA competition a few years ago.
Other (Maybe Not So Reputable) Dog Organizations
Dogs and dog products are quickly becoming a major share of the U.S. consumer market. There is a reason that Mars – yes, the candy company – has aggressively grown their array of pet care products and services! But along with high demand and potential profit come the less than reputable organizations.
In particular, there are many disreputable organizations providing “registrations” for dogs with little to no effort to actually confirm a dog’s ancestry (“paper mill” registries as mentioned above). Many puppy mills and disreputable breeders wanted to be able to claim their puppies are “papered”, “pedigreed”, or “purebred” even though their breeding stock and/or breeding practices made them ineligible for AKC, UKC, or CKC membership. The “designer dog” fad also witnessed an odd phenomenon in which hybrid breeders rejected everything that purebred dogs stand for, but still desire the “legitimacy” of a registered purebred dog.
One of the largest “register anything” organizations that I know of, other than NKC, is the Continental Kennel Club. Unfortunately, the Continental Kennel Club also uses the acronym “CKC”, so you have to be careful if someone claims they have a CKC-registered dog. On this website, I will reserve the acronym “CKC” for the quite legitimate and reputable Canadian Kennel Club, and use “CoKC” when I am referring to the Continental Kennel Club.
The CoKC seems to be trying to gain legitimacy, and now sanctions a very few dog events. It even has member clubs – I think three member clubs, but their link to their “affiliate clubs” does not work (intentionally or not?) so I don’t know the count for sure. However, in the thousands of dog enthusiasts, expert trainers, breeders, and competitors I have come into contact with since embarking on my own journey into the “Dog World”, I have never met a single one who believes CoKC is a legitimate registry. The only people I have known with CoKC registered dogs are pet owners who clearly do not know the difference, with very poorly bred, low-quality dogs that do not even come close to meeting their breed standards. So far, for the few CoKC dogs that I have known, a few questions about the breeder has immediately raised some disturbing red flags about for me about how the dog was bred and raised.
I have a hard time imagining how CoKC will build legitimacy at this point; NKC has cornered the market on the group of ethical dog owners, competitors, and breeders that are otherwise ineligible for UKC, AKC, and CKC, and what remains to drive CoKC membership and interests are the unethical ones. There is nobody that I have ever known or ever heard of that is involved with any legitimate dog organization, but also registers with CoKC or engages in CoKC activities. Quite frankly, anybody that is eligible to participate in any other dog activity and whose practices are reputable enough to gain fellowship anywhere else in the dog world shuns CoKC because they have nothing legitimate to offer. There is nothing CoKC does that is not done, and done better, by a more reputable organization. If information comes to my attention that convinces me otherwise, I will absolutely change my stance on CoKC.
The organization your dog is registered with matters! “Papers” and “pedigrees” and “championship titles” are worthless if they are not from a reputable and respected registry!
If your dog having paperwork or being “pedigreed” or from champion bloodlines is important to you, then it should be equally important to you that those papers, pedigrees and champion titles are from a reputable, respected registry. Even if those things are not important to you at all, you have to wonder…what is a breeder trying to achieve by registering puppies with a “maybe not so reputable” registry? The only thing a breeder can possibly gain from registering with a fake or disreputable registry is that it allows the breeder to con buyers into thinking they are getting better quality pets than what they are actually getting. And if they are going to such lengths to con pet owners about their puppies’ ancestry…what else are they going to lie to you or mislead you about?
There are other hybrid registries; I am not going to try to list any more. Like most purebred dog enthusiasts I have strong opinions about hybrid or “designer” dogs, so I don’t typically have a high opinion of hybrid or designer registries. However, I recognize that every pure breed of dog in existence today was at some point a “mixed breed”, and I do have an open mind for the conscientious development of new breeds that fill a specific, well defined niche (more on this below!). Unfortunately, the vast majority of hybrid and designer breeds are bred for no reason other than to sucker pet buyers into forking over massive amounts of money for cheaply bred dogs. I hope to write a longer post about this some other time; stay tuned!!!
“Breed” clubs for mixes that are not actually breeds – A breed by definition has a large, well defined set of traits and characteristics that clearly distinguish it from any other breed and that reproduce consistently, generation after generation. No recent hybrid mix meets this definition. No “designer dog” meets this definition.
ANY dog that is has more than one, single, well-documented breed within the first four generations is NOT a breed. It is a mutt.
Some pure breeds have carefully brought in blood from other breeds to enhance their genetic pool; an excellent example of how this is responsibly done can be found in the Norwegian Lundehund. Would a first generation cross between a Norwegian Lundehund and a Norwegian Buhund, under the auspices of this legitimate breeding program, still be a mutt? YES, actually, it would. But the breeders know that, and they aren’t trying to fool anyone into thinking it is a “new breed”. They wouldn’t be offended to know that I consider that cross a mutt, and in truth they also probably consider that cross a mutt themselves. BUT they know exactly what they are doing and why, and as they carefully follow the protocols of the program, that mutt‘s progeny will eventually be warmly welcomed back into the fold of purebred dogs, because it is a mutt with an extremely important and well-defined purpose. The word “mutt” is not an insult. It is a factual representation of the dog’s DNA.
So yes, all hybrids are mutts, plain and simple. And unless you can say that your hybrid mix is the result of an international effort, spearheaded by the national breed club in the breed’s country of origin, along with national scientific institutions specializing in genetic diversity, and recognized and applauded by most if not all the other major dog registries in the world (all things the Norwegian Lundehund crosses can say)…then no, your hybrid mutt’s mixed blood is actually not carefully crafted or “designed” in any sense of the word. There is no reason to believe that it will have greater health or vigor (ah yes, I sense another future post in the works here) or better structure or more appealing traits. The breeders simply had access to some (most likely poor quality) dogs and decided to make a buck off of you. And no, you cannot tell if the parents are high quality by meeting them in person. I cannot tell you how many horrendously structured, poor quality dogs I have met and I shut my mouth and force out a smile as their owners talk about how wonderful they are. Cute does not equal quality. If you have actually done the research and studied dogs enough to be able to identify a high quality dog…you wouldn’t be considering a hybrid.
Most hybrid “clubs” are really just organizations that help breeders sell puppies and find breeding stock belonging to people who either don’t know or don’t care how to breed a quality dog. Some are not much more than blogs maintained by someone who truly loves their dogs and enjoys raising puppies but has no long-term vision, has no desire to research genetics or sound breeding practices, and is using the “designer dog” fad and a cute name to inflate the price they can charge for their puppies.
However, There Is Always Some Gray….
I have only found one hybrid mix that seems to be going in the right direction to become a legitimate breed: the Australian Labradoodle, as defined and registered by the Australian Labradoodle Club of America. Although this line of labradoodles does come from an original mix of labradors and poodles, much like a “generic” labradoodle that will make me raise my eyebrows and take a deep, pained breath, and its history is still controversial, what is now the ALCA has a fairly well developed vision, with an educated understanding of breeds and breeding practices, and they took great care in pursuing and refining that vision. Once they had the elements they wanted in their breeding stock they limited their breed registry. This is important, because an open registry will allow inconsistency and poor quality to sneak into the line of dogs. Australian Labradoodles have been bred with a relatively consistent gene pool and the club requires similar consistency for any newly registered dog. Some of the other things I appreciate about their website are the detailed, well thought out breed standard, a clear priority on temperament and health as well as the specific traits that have been identified as defining characteristics of the breed, and a code of ethics for their breeders. They state that they are striving for “purebred” recognition and they have structured their club in the format of an AKC club with that goal in mind. They will reject breeding stock and members that do not adhere to their high standards and that do not promote their goals (to less legitimate clubs, more members means more money so anybody can join for the right price).
Another club that does not impress me quite as much but does seem to be moving in the right direction is the Goldendoodle Association of North America. Their website has a lot of features I approve of – a detailed standard, a focus on health and temperament, and a code of ethics for members that includes many staples of responsible dog ownership and responsible breeding. However, their registry is open to any new golden retriever-poodle cross which leaves them vulnerable to inconsistencies and to the inclusion of poor quality stock. So long as they allow a fully open registry they cannot be considered a breed. Their goals and standards are poorly defined; they pay vague homage to “health” and the welfare of the “breed” but it is hard to tell where and what they want to be in ten years, or if they have even thought about this. I am not really sure what the purpose of their club is, other than to try to claw out some legitimacy for members. In fact, some statements on their website seem decidedly short term. Pretty much, they seem to still be in the mindset of thinking “goldens and poodles make a cute cross and buyers think they have hypoallergenic coats (not true in most cases, by the way) and we can make a lot of money breeding and selling them but we also want to be seen as legitimate so….here is a fancy website”. I am not clear what traits they believe define a “correct” goldendoodle other than some generic things that sound good but aren’t very specific, and a hypoallergenic coat (about which they make several extremely scientifically inaccurate statements, and also they make flat out contradictory statements about this in different parts of their website). They make several other patently false statements on their website that I do not think are malicious; I think they just truly do not understand the genetic and scientific principles that they are depending on to try to legitimize themselves. Which is concerning. BUT they do have a lot of positive things on their website; they are at least making a strong effort for legitimacy, and I will be interested to see where they go from here.
And that is it. Of all the vast multitude of “designer” dogs whose “designers” have little to zero knowledge of genetics, breeding, or even the functions and characteristics of the input breeds, I have found only one club that has sufficient command of the “design” half of the phrase “designer dog” to have started on a path towards legitimacy, plus one other club that is at least somewhat convincingly going through the motions. Feel free to email me if you think you have found another; I promise I will look at it with an open mind.
There Are Bad Apples Everywhere….
Finally, be wary of training clubs, entities, videos, or ebooks that promise miracle cures for pet behaviors. There is no solution that will work for every dog, every time, period. There is no way to get the perfect dog in 6 easy steps. There is no secret training method with guaranteed results. Anyone claiming this probably wants your money upfront for a reason.
Run…do not walk, but RUN…from any trainer or organization that uses ecollars or other electrical shock or “stimulation” devices as a primary training method. I am not saying that ecollars do not have a place on the training spectrum, but it should never be a central place, or the go-to technique, for every single dog, regardless of breed, age, or temperament. No dog trainer worth anything will use an ecollar or shock collar without spending a significant amount of time and effort on other training methods first. The problem with ecollars is not just an ethical one. Yes, dogs have a high pain threshold. Yes, I have shocked myself with an ecollar to see what it is like and I am not permanently scarred by the experience. The biggest problem with ecollars is that they simply do not actually train dogs. They dominate and scare them. Dogs obey when they have the ecollar on because they are afraid. But you have not properly trained them to do anything, and shortly after that ecollar comes off the dogs will revert to their previous behavior. So using an ecollar as a primary training method basically sentences your dog to a lifetime of constant shocking, because it will never be truly trained. It also puts you, the owner, in a position of trying to manage a completely untrained dog in the event that your ecollar breaks, the battery dies, or some other situation arises when you cannot resort to the fear tactics of the ecollar to get your dog to comply.
I am not anti-ecollar. I actually have a few ecollars myself. They are used in conjunction with a GPS collar for when I run my beagles on rabbits in areas that are not securely enclosed. The shock feature on these collars is an absolute LAST RESORT, meant to stop my dogs in their tracks if they are headed into a life threatening situation and all other means of recalling them have failed. To date I have never used the feature except in the (unfortunate but necessary) pre-training so that they understand what the pre-shock beep means, and then only on the minimum settings and accompanied with lots of positive reinforcement for correct behavior and lots of love afterwards.
Back to the WORLD of Dogs….
This article focused on U.S. and Canadian organizations in the “dog world” but there is one major global organization that I have to talk about, as it is quite influential. This is the Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI). The FCI was created in 1911 (after AKC, UKC, and the KC in the UK) by five European countries. Although most countries maintain their own national kennel club, the vast majority of them mirror FCI rules and structure and most breeds clubs that do not fall under the AKC, UKC, CKC, or the KC choose to mirror their national breed standards on the FCI standard for their breed. Many UKC breeds that are not recognized by AKC also mirror their breed standards on the FCI breed standard.
The FCI recognizes over 350 breeds divided into 10 groups, which are then subdivided into “sections” and then further divided by country of origin (so the FCI recognizes a breed as “belonging” to a particular country that has significant say over the breed standard). There is also provisional status for breeds working towards FCI breed recognition.
FCI primarily exists for the purpose of conformation breeding, but it also has function (field/herding, hunting, etc.) trials and tests as well as performance titles. It also serves to ensure consistency in breeds across national boundaries, as FCI pedigrees and breed standards are recognized as authoritative by all member countries.
The United States and Canada are not members of the FCI, due to their existence prior to the existence of the FCI, as well as their historical dominance in shaping the world of purebred dogs. The Kennel Club (of the UK) is also not a member of the FCI, for the same reasons. Because of this, AKC/UKC/CKC/KC breed standards sometimes deviate from FCI standards, and from each other (the beagle standard is an example of this). However, there are no bad feelings between these organizations; in fact there is mutual respect, admiration, and cooperation. A dog bred to the FCI standard may have some slight differences from a dog bred to the AKC standard, but overall both will be quality representatives of the breed and they both probably share many ancestors, as there is considerable cross-breeding between these organizations since it is not generally difficult to get an FCI registered dog registered in AKC and vice versa.