How important is gun dog registry to this pair?

Question: I have a purebred springer spaniel pup, but I was told I can't "register" him because his mother wasn't registered. He's smart and is learning well and with some training should make a good hunting dog. But I'm wondering if it will be a waste of time to train him since I can't get the papers on him. Did I make a mistake paying only $85 for him when all the other ads I saw wanted $350 to $600 for a puppy. (Iowa)

Answer: I'm assuming you are a hunter who appreciates a good gun dogÂ…not somebody who is "into" dogs in one way or another as a means of making a living. If you were, you wouldn't have asked this question. For pros and semi-pros, registration of their dogs has become a must, although some minor canine business is transacted with unregistered dogs.

For most hunters, however, registration with a major registry is an unneeded expense unless (for whatever reason) they plan to breed, or compete in trials, tests and shows sanctioned by the registries. While a case can be made for mixed-breed dogs I'm not advocating "mongrelization" any more than I'm trashing the major dog registries in the world--although some seem to have strayed from the original goal of improving various breeds through selective breeding practices.

Pure breeding is important, particularly when it's a matter of prestige. More people will be impressed when you brag "he's purebred" than if you can say he's "registered," except pros who know that dogs with registered ancestors bring higher prices than those from perhaps equally pure parents (sire and dam of the same breed). Only registered dogs are eligible to compete for ribbons, honors, money and other accoutrements sought by some owners of purebred, registered canines.

Just in case there is any confusion, let's put often misunderstood breeder terminologies into understandable context: Pedigree: If you know the dog's sire and dam (pa or ma) you've got a start on a recordable pedigree. All dogs have a pedigree--that listing of ancestors telling who begot whom.

Purebred: A puppy can be called purebred as long as its sire and dam were representatives of the same breed of dog. But without a pedigree there is no way of knowing for how many generations this purity existed. In the past there were, and still are, a few private breeders who honestly kept their own records and maintained lines as pure as those in the public registries.

Registered: Ideally, dogs are registered with an agency (The American Kennel Club, The United Kennel Club and The Field Dog Studbook are the major registries), and contests are conducted under their auspices in an effort to preserve and improve the various breeds of purebred dogs. Practically, they serve as referees or policemen in order to maintain a semblance of order and honesty in the dog game. Anyone can claim his dog is purebred. Registration verifies those claims.

So, while registration is vital as far as many dog owners are concerned, you and the large numbers of sportsmen who hunt with their dogs do not necessarily make a mistake but get a bargain out of either a pup or trained dog "without papers" at a steeply discounted price.

Before serious breeders protest this outrageous advice, it doesn't ignore an added risk taken by hunters who buy from "backyard breeders" or other sportsmen who have their dogs produce an occasional planned or accidental litter. Top flight, conscientious breeders have their own market niche. Those sportsmen really into dogs want the best and are willing to pay for it.

I'm telling it like it is because there are a lot of nice guys out there who would like a good dog but just can't afford the high tariff. More importantly, there are "puppy mills" which get the same high price for trash that scrupulous breeders do. Mass-breeder dogs are registered...expensive pups far inferior to purebred but unregistered discount bargains. For more on money and allied questions check out the next few questions and answers.

Do I practice what I preach? I have in the past and have done so just recently; particularly with "low-market" breeds and since I'm no longer breeding and competing as either amateur or pro. Even pro trainers, who couldn't make a living were it not for owners to whom papers and registration are marks of prestige, can pick up an extra buck or two utilizing an old business practice--buy low and sell high by picking up purebred bargain pups, putting the training on them and selling them at a good profit to hunters who want a useful gun dog, not some papers that go with him.

Question: What about this "penalty fee" the AKC socks us with when we delay sending in an individual registration. They've hiked their fees. But with computers and all that to keep instant track of everything, why soak me if it takes a while to decide whether or not the dog I bought is worth registering?

Answer: As noted in the answer to the previous question, I'm no longer as concerned with AKC policies, rules and regulations as I had to be in my youth. But if allowed to hazard a guess, what you're talking about has something to do with money.

A similar penalty billing came my way a few years back, and I wrote the American Kennel Club requesting an explanation "because there are two sides, maybe three (yours, mine and the truth) to every story. I certainly would be interested in hearing what the AKC's reasons, answers or arguments are regarding my concernsÂ…" After well over two years, there has been no acknowledgement of my complaint but several inquiries similar to yours and mine have hit my desk. So let's excerpt from my letter, giving other AKC patrons a "heads-up" and saving lot of paperwork.

"Your organization cashed my check in the amount of $8 and then sent me an explanatory letter dunning me for a $30 penalty fee (the dog's to-be-registered name was misspelled). Thanks, but no thanks. Please reimburse me as soon as possible."

It was questionable whether the registration of a spayed Labrador bitch out of two wedded Labradors of no particular distinction was worth $8. It certainly was not worth $38.

It must have occurred to AKC officialdom that by "rushing" registration it could increase the numbers of individual registrations received and economize in the registration process by setting a deadline. This bulks up the bottom line--perhaps a matter of business policy. It also demonstrates a disregard about the purpose for which studbooks and registries exist, an out-of-touch ignorance of the realities of serious dog breeding and a deep distrust of a membership the AKC is supposedly dedicated to serving and guiding.

Registries exist, ostensibly, for breed betterment, through intelligent and controlled breeding of purebred stock. Accrued profits from the business are desirable, but the goal is the promulgation of better-bred, better-performing dogs. This "penalty" for delayed registration is an example of the AKC's all-too-frequent emphasis on the bottom line.

The AKC is bound to penalize serious breeders among its members who "hold back" on registrations until they can ascertain whether the dogs they register for breeding or for sale are representative and worth enrolling in a program of breed betterment. It appears that, rather than respect and trust serious breeders laboring under the apparent delusion that registered animals should represent the most desirable breed qualities, devoting AKC efforts to sheer-numbers registration encourages breeders and buyers to roll the dice on everything that is whelped.