What Are the Differences Between CKC & AKC Registered Dogs?

Continental Kennel Club (CKC) and American Kennel Club (AKC) are bodies that govern the registration of dogs in order to maintain breed standards and track the pedigree of an animal. Registered dogs are eligible to compete in show events. The AKC was founded in 1884, whereas the CKC was introduced in 1991 as an alternative for registering dogs.

  1. Eligibilty

    • CKC and AKC have different eligibility requirements for their registries. AKC requires the pedigree of a dog to be confirmed before the dog is accepted for registration. The pedigree of a dog is like a family tree; it provides proof that the dog is from a purebred line for a number of generations. In contrast, a dog can be registered with the CKC without proof of pedigree by providing three photos (from the front, left and right) and two witness signatures.

    Recognized Breeds

    • The CKC recognizes all AKC-registrable breeds but also accepts purebred breeds not recognized by the AKC. For example, the dingo, or Australian native dog, is recognized by the CKC but not the AKC. In addition, the CKC recognizes all of the breeds that are in the interim stage in the AKC, also known as miscellaneous class breeds. Breeds in this class, such as the rat terrier, would not be eligible to compete in AKC but would be eligible to compete in CKC events.

    Mixed-Breed Dogs

    • A mixed-breed dog may qualify for registry with the CKC.

      The AKC only registers mixed-breed dogs for eligibility in rally, agility and obedience trials. These animals must be spayed or neutered and are therefore not meant for breeding. The CKC differs in that mixed-breed dogs can be registered and bred to produce litters eligible for registration. For example, Labradoodles, cock-a-poos and schnoodles are all CKC-registrable breeds. In effect, as long as the parent dogs are CKC registered, a litter produced by any breeding combination is eligible for registration with the CKC.

    Breed Standards

    • Both CKC- and AKC-registered dogs may not meet all the breed standards set out by the club to which they belong. This is because eligibility for registration in both the CKC and AKC is subject to parentage, such that a puppy may not meet the breed standard but will be granted registration because of its pedigree. That being said, the standards of the AKC are more rigorous than the CKC, and therefore a dog that has won an AKC show has been held to a higher standard than a dog that has won a CKC show.