Can dogs without papers have their puppies registered?
She excelled on the shoot and I bred from her, keeping a puppy but, of course, I could not register it with the Kennel Club or compete with it. Has that policy now changed, and can dogs without papers have their puppies kennel club registered?
KENNEL CLUB REGISTRATION
Paul Rawlings
A scheme which could enhance genetic diversity was announced by the Kennel Club as a pilot in 2011.
It allows pure-bred unregistered dogs to be registered on the Breed Register on a case-by-case basis.
This will enhance genetic diversity by widening gene pools and allowing new bloodlines to be introduced within breeds.
Under the new scheme, every successful application will be admitted to the register with three asterisks next to its name.
Asterisks will then be applied for three further generations, in order to identify the fact that there is unknown or unregistered ancestry behind the dog.
Applications will need to be accompanied by a letter of explanation detailing how the applicant acquired the dog, and will only be considered on the provisos that the breed of the dog is verified by two Championship-level judges, it is DNA-profiled and it has the relevant health tests for the breed.
More details can be found by visiting www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/3672/23/5/3
GUNDOgs
I have been offered a Labrador puppy from a bitch that picks-up on our shoot and is one of the best dogs I saw work all last season. But she is not Kennel Club registered and has not had any health tests. The sire of the litter is owned by one of the Guns, but though the sire has a pedigree there don’t seem to be any well-known names of dogs in his breeding. He has had his hips tested but that is all. Am I taking
a gamble buying a puppy?
Yes, you certainly are. While some would say that any puppy is a gamble. no matter how it has been bred or how much testing lies behind it, a puppy of relatively unknown breeding — and only a hip test of one parent — leaves you vulnerable.
We have all seen good dogs working on shoots that have come from humble beginnings and from untested parents but that is not a good reason to go and buy something similar.
The puppy you mention will no doubt be a lot cheaper than a well-bred Kennel Club-registered puppy from health-tested parents — covering at least hip and elbow X-rays and a current BVA eye test — but if things go wrong you could face high costs or, even worse, lose the puppy.
Good breeding gives you some idea of the working ability of a puppy, but without any background knowledge there is a chance that there could be some issues. JH