Is The AKC Dead?

  It seems some people are trying to kill it. Lately there has been a lot of attacking the AKC. Formed
in 1884 to register purebred dogs and maintain pedigrees,they oversaw dog shows and performance events as the wins of those dog shows needed to be accurately maintained for pedigree purposes. In 1888, they published their magazine, The AKC Gazette which has educated many a dog fancier.   If it was 1930 and you had a female Wire Fox Terrier that you wanted to breed to the best top quality male Wire Hair possible, it was the AKC records that you depended on to verify that Champion Wins Alot indeed really was the dog his owner claimed he was. Why is that important? Because responsible breeders must have accurate records. 

How else are they going to maintain the breeds we love?

But the AKC is under attack by people who pretend to love dogs. In the very near future, a documentary will be playing in most major cities, titled Dog by Dog, it takes a hard look at the horror of puppy mills. And they point fingers at the AKC as well. If you have read this blog before then  you know I have said many times that a line must be drawn in the public mind between responsible breeders and irresponsible breeders. In reality, that line is more blurred each day in the public mind. I walked away from a very lucrative job because the CEO would not stop ranting about how horrible dog breeders are...ALL dog breeders.They are being lumped together. And on Facebook there are people wanting to  petition the AKC, people leave comments threatening death to dog breeders, death to the AKC, they talk about how the AKC should suffer just like the dogs do. 

OK, I admit I have had feelings like that toward puppy mills and people who exploit puppies for profit.

They are the lowest of the low. But in fact, most irresponsible puppymills and backyard breeders breed CKC, Continental Kennel Club stock. CKC was started by puppy mill owners when the AKC denied their privleges because they could not prove the accuracy of their breeding records and would have to have their dogs DNA tested. CKC dogs do not require DNA, therefore they can be bred over and over and over.

This means that it is completely impossible for CKC breeders to develop bloodlines free of hereditary defects and  explains why CKC  registered dogs have so many health problems which is proportionately higher than AKC registered dogs. Any vet tech can tell you that.

Unhealthy puppy mill dogs are BIG profit for the veterinary industry as their new owners do all they can to make them better. How many  puppies are born in puppy mills each year? 2.5 million is the estimate  according to The Puppy Mill Project. The majority are CKC  registered because of the DNA requirement for AKC dogs frequently bred. That doesn't mean that AKC dogs don't make their way into puppy mills. They do.  Puppy mill owners love AKC papers because they can get more money for an AKC registered dog. How do AKC dogs get into the puppy mill system? Owners die and estates sell off the dogs as property as required by law when owners don't include their dogs in the will. They don't care who the buyer is. Puppy millers also pretend to be loving wonderful buyers and pick up dogs on Craigslist and they buy dogs in foreign countries, like Mexico and with foreign registration in order, legally apply for AKC registration, just like a responsible breeder who sometimes goes out of the country for new bloodlines. If an AKC registered puppy  dies in a mill, it's papers are put with another puppy and sold for higher dollars. They never let those papers go to waste.

It is going to be impossible to remove AKC papers from mills until mills are stamped out.

People like the previously mentioned FB AKC haters never look at the big picture. They obsess over their own version of the world as they want it to be and in doing so injure the very people who are trying to maintain the health and breed type of the breeds we love, responsible breeders. Breeders who health test and certify their dogs, breeders who maintain accurate records, check out prospective owners and only place in pet homes with spay neuter contracts are being hurt badly by the anti AKC propaganda currently being spread.Yet these very groups who attack AKC never speak of the CKC puppies.

Remember, there are no responsibly bred CKC puppies. A responsible breeder must choose the most genetically healthy stock to breed from. Even if a CKC dog is bred  in a home, with proper veterinary care, it still carries the puppy mill genes of bad health and genes pass on. With a lack of DNA testing to verify parentage, and a very lenient CKC registration requirement, bad health is impossible to stamp out. These activist groups never bring this very important fact up. They never ever  put the blame where it really belongs..in the lap of the Continental Kennel Club..why is that? Isn't it obvious?  Indeed,
without puppy mills, how are these national rescue organizations going to collect donations?

 It seems an ulterior motive is afoot.

This is Puppymill Action Week, lets work to stamp out puppy mills, not the AKC. If the AKC ended tomorrow it would not make a dent in the puppy mill situation since most have CKC papers, the puppy millers would just keep on. Make an effort this week to educate people that by purchasing a CKC dog they are not getting the long history of accurate breeding records such as the AKC provides.  Remind people that pet store puppies come from irresponsible breeding practices. Adoption is my personal choice but if you want a healthy puppy with parents certified free of certain genetic problems, your only choice in the U.S. is a responsible AKC breeder.

Responsible dog breeders never sell to pet stores.

 Legislation won't stop puppy mills. Movie documentaries won't stop puppy mills either. Only people can do that. Educate your friends, your co-workers and your neighbors.

When people stop buying from irresponsible breeders,  then irresponsible breeding will stop.

The Only Way to Stop Puppy Mills

Each of us have simple pleasures that lift our spirits.
Mine are southern pecan coffee, chocolate dipped french madelines and pure soy candles from Scentsational. Last week, with Earth hour approaching, I went to the store for my favorite candles. Also buying candles was a woman with a Chin like Puff in tow.
Well, I should say a breed like Puff as there certainly was little similarity in type. Martin, the womans' Chin, was about 18 pounds (Puff is 9lbs), with a wry undershot jaw that left his lower canines protruding at a slant,one canine tooth was turned funny and it prevented his lip from lying properly. I suddenly thought of another simple pleasure, the soft velvety nuzzling from my Chin, whose muzzle is as soft as a new born foal's...you couldn't be nuzzled by this face, his jaw was too messed up.
Still, he was the breed I love and I oohed and awed over him and asked if I could pet him, but he was very aggressive....aggression is a big big no-no according to the breed standard.
His owner in comparison was very nice and told me that he was a puppy mill rescue and had a lot of problems'....well imagine that, another messed up CKC registered dog.
There is legislation pending in Tennessee to attempt to stop puppy mills. These proposed bills are throwing the baby out with the bath water.
Sadly, these honest efforts will only hinder the true responsible breeder. Remember that the AKC started requiring DNA tests on dogs who were bred more than 3 times and the puppy millers couldn't prove genuine parentage(i.e. their dogs were not purebred) so the puppy millers began the CKC registration to fool the public into thinking they were buying a real purebred with papers. Someone told me that it is guesstimated that less than 10% of CKC registered dogs are truly purebred, that somewhere in their ancestry is a dog of another breed because of poor breeding practices.
Responsible dog breeders breed for a love of their chosen breed, and they do so at a financial loss,not a profit. By the time they have run all the necessary tests to have eyes and hips certified clear, checking for von Willebrands or whatever health issues may occur in their chosen breed,doing background research on the family tree, temperment testing,feeding and housing the best that money can buy, etc.it gets expensive. Therefore, NO RESPONSIBLE BREEDER IS GETTING RICH BREEDING DOGS....just puppy millers. Plus, responsible breeders keep the pups until they are around 14 weeks for physical and mental health reasons whereas a puppy miller will let a pup go at 6 weeks...and most importantly, responsible breeders don't sell to just anybody.
Since the pending legislation requires more outlaying of money for a commercial breeders license, I truly believe a number of private breeders of quality dogs simply won't bother any more...but the puppy millers will.
I am also bothered by the legislations requirement that the government decides on the moral character of the breeder before issuing a commercial license. I am not sure such things should be the governments' decision.
I do know this however, that my beloved Puff was bred by a woman who first rescued a Chin and then later became enamored of the breed and began to show as a hobby. She studied long and hard before ever breeding a litter.It took her years of study. Looking at Puff right this minute and thinking of Martin, I am saddened at the thought of Martins' suspicion of humans, his difficulty eating because of his bad bite,his crooked little legs that can't run like the wind...tears are welling up in my eyes as it is so unfair!
All dogs have the right to live a healthy life and that healthy life begins with GOOD BREEDING!!!!!!!!!
Puff has a perfect level bite and all his teeth that enables him to eat his five organic quinoa biscuits he insists on at bedtime.... we walk 45 minutes twice a day and I can barely keep up with him. In the yard he runs and jumps and twists with great joy. He has no genetic heart issues so he can exercise as long as he wishes, his eyes are as clear as a bell and remember he is over the age of ten now. His only health issue was from an injury when I fell on his back causing partial paralysis and seizures. He has no more seizures as the injury is healed and I truly believe his perfect confirmation (the result of responsible breeding) helped his back heal with no complications.
Puff is not just the result of his breeder Michelles' diligence to breed a dog close to the AKC standard, nor my diligence to feed and house him properly, but he is also the result of the MANY RESPONSIBLE BREEDERS whose dogs make up his pedigree, not only the 10 generations of National Specialty winners but the ones who didn't win Best In Show as well.
Martin,on the other hand, is the result of irresponsible breeders.
Ironically, I only paid 100 dollars for Puff. On the other hand,most people who buy Chin from puppy mills pay 500- 2000 dollars. Puffs' breeder wanted him in a good loving home and he was never meant to be made a profit from. His breeders' reward was seeing a beautiful pup in the show ring, not how many dollars she could sell him for. The 100 dollars covered his puppy immunizations. From a business standpoint she lost a lot of money producing him and his 2 sisters. I am so glad she decided to breed that litter, Puff is, without a doubt, the king of my heart, and he is healthy as he deserves to be, free from genetic mistakes. Sadly these pending bills will probably discourage great breeders like Michelle.
Folks,there is only one way to stop puppy mills and one way only. STOP BUYING FROM THEM!
And don't let this legislation pass and discourage responsible breeders. Puppy milling has been a serious problem for a long time,and time has proven that puppy millers are resilient and easily hurdle everything thrown at them. There is only way to stop them and one way only, don't buy from them.
Period.
If you want a purebred, rescue one. If you want to buy a pup, then research your breeder and get on a waiting list as most responsible breeders take reservations and only breed after they know what homes the pups will go to.
Believe me, the wait is worth it. A puppy mill pup will cost you a fortune trying to fix all its' problems..
Hop over to The Endangered Owner blog for up to date info on the breeding legislation.. http://endangeredowner.blogspot.com/2009/03/hsus-sinks-to-new-low-even-for-them.html


It may seem contradictory, but letting legislators' know that you do oppose puppy mills but also oppose these particular bills will help keep a healthy gene pool from becoming too small,or extinct, in your favorite breed. Although I am a vegetarian and a huge supporter of animal welfare, I cannot get behind these bills. When a good bill comes along that helps responsible dog breeders while hindering the for profit breeders/puppy millers, then we can support it.
Anything less really endangers the future of dogs....