What Does It Mean When a Dog Is AKC Certified?

The American Kennel Club, which is based in Raleigh, North Carolina, is a not-for-profit organization for breeders and owners of purebred dogs. The AKC maintains an official registry of every purebred dog that has been submitted for registration by either the dog's breeder or owner. The AKC also sanctions official dog shows around the country. In addition, the AKC promotes responsible dog ownership and education through commercials and pamphlets that can be found at pet stores and veterinarian offices. The AKC also issues grants to researchers who are working to improve canine health. The certifications that the AKC issues are mostly beneficial to the breeders for financial purposes or for owners who wish to show their dogs.

  1. Registration of Purebred Dogs

    • When a purebred dam is mated with a purebred sire and puppies result from the mating, the breeder can send in forms to the AKC to register the litter. After researching, if the AKC determines that both parent dogs are listed in their official database, then they will assign a registration number to each one of the puppies, sight unseen, and blue slips for each dog. These blue slips are given to the new owners and must be turned in to the AKC. Once that is completed, then those dogs are also eligible, down the road, to mate with other purebred AKC-registered dogs to create litters that can be sold in the same manner. AKC registration allows a breeder to sell dogs for a much higher amount than those without official papers.

    Monitoring of Breeders

    • The AKC does not have legal oversight over the conduct of breeders who sell AKC-registered dogs. The AKC will, on occasion, conduct site inspections of breeders who produce and sell a large number of dogs annually. These inspections are generally just conducted to make sure that the breeders are following the rules set forth by the AKC for handling each puppy's paperwork, and to check on the conditions of the operation. Although the AKC has no legal jurisdiction to shut down a poorly run kennel, they can withdraw registration privileges, making it so that any puppies produced at the location, even if both the sire and dam are purebreds, cannot be certified by the AKC.

    Dog Show Competitions

    • When a dog is officially certified by the AKC, it means that the dog can compete in AKC-sanctioned dog shows, such as the annual Westminster Dog Show. The AKC sets forth judging guidelines, as well as creating and governing the rules by which each sanctioned dog show must abide. The AKC keeps official records of the dog shows. It issues certificates and awards to winners of the various sectional categories and to the winner of best in show.

    AKC Certification Considerations

    • Anyone who breeds an AKC registered female dog with an AKC-registered male dog can have the litter certified by the AKC. There are no official requirements that the AKC imposes on breeders in order for them to have their puppies certified. The AKC also is unable to verify that all the information provided by a breeder is correct, because there are few on-site inspections conducted by the AKC. Finally, the AKC cannot verify the health or quality of an AKC certified dog. When a dog is certified by the AKC, all that means is that the breeder is in good standing with the AKC.