AKC Advantage?

[Dixieland Dancer]

Originally posted by Aspen and Misty
You don't need it to do Agilty or theropy cause they do it with mutts! We are going to have our "mutt" Chewy in agilty and other things and he is not AKC regesterd. I don't know about the whole CGC qulifications or anything so I can't help you there. Just rember have a fun time doing these things!

I am in the minority then because for me a AKC registration is very important for what I do with my dogs for many reasons.

Basically, to love your dog you do not need to register them. To show them competitively in AKC events it is necessary or to help in the ongoing research into canine genetics, it is helpful.

The AKC is a non-profit organization and proceeds of events and registrations (after expenses) go back into various avenues of bettering the various purebred breeds. These include the AKC/Canine Health foundation which strives to provide as much information on dogs health clearances before breeding through CHIC (Canine health and Information Center) and research into canine genetics to improve the quality of life for dogs and their owners.

In order to show your dog in a AKC agility trial you DO need to have an AKC registration. There are non AKC events that non registered dogs can participate in but they are not as plentiful as AKC sponsored events and you can not attain AKC titles at these trials.

You do not need to have a AKC registered dog to get the CGC. This is the Canine Good Citizen certificate that your dog is a good citizen. You can also do therapy and get the TDI - Therapy Dog International certificate. TDI is something you have to renew every year by paying a fee but you do not have to redo the test if you keep it current. A lot of places will not accept dogs for therapy work unless they have the TDI.

If you have a purebred dog or one that looks really close to a particular breed, you can get a ILP (Indefinite Listing Priviledge) number so you can compete in AKC events.

The love of dogs and the commitment to preserve, protect and improve a chosen breed represent the very essence of AKC and the basis for the sport of purebred dogs. There is a widely held belief that "AKC" or "AKC papers" and quality are one and the same. This is not the case. AKC is a registry body. A registration certificate identifies the dog as the offspring of a known sire and dam, born on a known date. It in no way indicates the quality or state of health of the dog. Quality in the sense of "show quality" is determined by many factors including the dog's health, physical condition, ability to move and appearance.

I know I am in the minority here but I believe if we all recognize each others values in loving our dogs, this will not be such a major issue. I personally do not want to continually defend my position of having purebred dogs and for supporting the AKC.