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Limited Registration

Do you offer limited registration privilages?
I would like to be able to hold back my registration papers till I am certain that my breed confirms to standard and is OFA certified? I feel that this is one way as a breeder to insure the correct standards are put in place.

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Sherry Hughes
Great Lakes Epagneul Bretons
www.great-lakes-ebs.com
President of:
Great Lakes Pointing Breed Club

limited registrations

Afternoon:
I to would like to know about this.... As a person who spends a lot of time and resources rescuing my breed ... I want to make sure that none of my puppies end up being used unless they are quality... I offer in my contract a $50 refund when proof of spaying/neutering is proven..... then I give them their papers... And as I am new to UKC I really do not know what is the right way... Since my next litter will be registered UKC/AKC....
Thanks in advance for any and all help on this matter... Ruthann

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Never let disappointment tempt you to abandon your principles.

No, UKC does not offer limited registration. Here's our policy on that issue:

LIMITED REGISTRATION

Limited Registration is a program established by AKC. A breeder has the option to mark a box on the litter application if they determine a pup should not be bred. Later this can be reversed at the breeder’s discretion. The theory is that less dogs and better dogs will be bred and that dogs won’t end up in pet shops. Does the Limited Registration program work? Sadly, no. It only gives the illusion of a program that might work.

Some breeders say they like it because it absolves them of any further responsibility and places it on the registry. There is nothing that takes the place of careful selection of the individuals who wish to purchase a dog. This is the most important. And let’s face it, checking a box on a litter application will not stop a dog from being bred.

AKC has had this program for years. Still, dogs are still being sold in pet shops. In fact, there has been NO reduction. How is this happening? Puppy mill breeders do not use Limited Registration. They use their own stock. So, the pet shops continue to sell “purebred” dogs of lesser quality and the problem continues. We also must face the fact that any dog can be bred regardless of whether papers are marked.

There other problems that no one thought of when the program was established. It was never dreamed that the breeder might charge one fee for a dog marked Limited Registration and then agree to reverse the decision for more money. I am not talking about breeders selling pet quality dogs for less. I am talking about pet quality dogs being registered if they agree to give the breeder more money. Think it’s not happening? It is. It’s happening a lot.

Also one must consider that there might be some very good dogs that are marked Limited that should not be. These dogs while weak in one area may have strengths the breed needs in another. A small gene pool may sound like a good idea, when in fact it is not. Last but not least and some breeders will shudder at the mention of this, simply because a dog has a disqualifying fault does not always mean it should not be bred. A dog may still have a lot to offer the breed.

The administrative problems of Limited Registration are a nightmare. Since the original choice can be reversed at a later date, this requires a program in place for that, which drives up registration costs. Some breeders check the non-breedable box for each pup and wait to see how they turn out. Then they reverse the decision. Unfortunately, the breeder cannot always be located to reverse the decision. Just imagine if the breeder were to die and the dog turned out an excellent specimen of the breed.

So, how can we solve this problem? First, carefully select the individuals who will purchase your dogs and follow up with them. Second, have a good contract in place indicating exactly what the new owner may and may not do. Keep in mind that AKC requires breeders to provide papers at the time of sale while UKC does not. Our belief is that non-breedable dogs should not be registered (must be covered in the contract) or should be spayed or neutered. The dogs can be sold and enjoyed as pets without papers or papers until proof is offered of spay/neuter.

UKC’s philosophy has been with the Total Dog, a dog balanced in structure, function and temperament. UKC provides free pedigrees and was the first registry to have a proactive puppy mill program. We didn’t wait until reporters discovered a problem and react, we’ve had one in place for years. As a result, we have very little problem with puppy mills. UKC was also the first registry to offer a DNA program, Breeders Code of Ethics and Kennel Requirements. We haven’t waited for a problem to develop and then reacted to it, we’ve been there first. UKC will continue to be the leader in programs that work.

Sara,

I concider your thoughts on not having a limited Registration. And agree to some, however don't you think it is in the best interest of the breed if you as a breeder have control over which pups should and should not be breed?
I fully understand that backyard breeding will still exist, however if you have no registration papers with your new puppy you could not breed it and advertise as a registered litter. This is a sound way to reduce some unwanted pups.
We have alot of hip problems in our breed and wish to limit registration until OFA are produced as Excellent, or Good.
Any chance of having this debated? This is an excellent way to insure quality dogs.

Sherry

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Sherry Hughes
Great Lakes Epagneul Bretons
www.great-lakes-ebs.com
President of:
Great Lakes Pointing Breed Club

Hi Sherry,

Thanks for your post. It depends on the knowledge of the breeder. Sadly, only a handful of breeders are experts and use limited registration for the correct reasons. A few years ago a very knowledgeable breeder said that best dog he had ever seen, a dog that would really improve the breed, was marked limited registration. The breeder informed him that she automatically marked all dogs limited registration unless she was the breeder. She felt this kept her pups out of pet shops and she would not reverse her decision. How very very sad.

Sara,

You are right about limited breeders using things for the good. It is the good ones that seam to get the short hand on this subject with limited registrations.
Is it possiable to push for limited registrations with UKC?
I would really like to see this put in motion to help with the correct standards of each breed.

I am by no means a big breeder, just a love of my Epagneul Bretons and wish to see "better" quality in the United States.

Please let me know if there is anything that I can do to further this with you. I really do think that using limited registrations will help.

Sherry

__________________
Sherry Hughes
Great Lakes Epagneul Bretons
www.great-lakes-ebs.com
President of:
Great Lakes Pointing Breed Club

Sherry,

I think you misunderstood my post. We are very, very much against Limited Registration. It has done NOTHING to improve the AKC registered dogs. Breeders are under the illusion that it works. It has been proven that it does not.

Nothing takes the place of careful selection and education, nothing.