To the average dog lover, the rules and regulations of some nationwide dog registry associations like the American Kennel Club (AKC) can seem unusual, to say the least. You would reasonably expect that a puppy registered by the American Kennel Club would be a healthy, high quality purebred, yet this is not always the case. You can really only be sure of getting a pedigree puppy. The American Kennel Club does not make sure the puppy’s parents are free from health issues that may be latent but genetic. Nor does it regulate the standards of breeders and their kennels. This can shock many dog owners who would certainly presume that a prominent dog association like the AKC would provide such fundamental regulatory care. And it shows why some breed clubs, such as those for the Australian kelpie dog breed, have chosen not to implement the requirements for AKC registration. Dogs not recognized by the AKC may not compete in the many AKC sponsored dog shows. What is does mean, is that a breed’s health and working dog qualities are protected.
The American Kennel Club in effect wanted to restrict the natural genetic variability of breeds like the Australian kelpie. Dogs in AKC recognized breeds, and with an AKC issued pedigree, have been bred for show, according to fairly limiting characteristics. The net effect is that a lot of these dogs can no longer do a lot of things the breed was once known for, such as hunt. It has also meant a lot of genetic health issues, as a result of injudicious inbreeding to keep the lines ‘pure’. Dogs are mated back to their grandparents and parents, all because it creates dogs that help win dog shows. An article on the University of Wisconsin website discusses this in detail. They write:
“First, the AKC defines quality in a dog primarily on the basis of appearance, paying scant heed to such other canine characteristics as health, temperament, and habits of work. Over the years this policy has led to destructive forms of inbreeding that have created dogs capable only of conforming to human standards of beauty. Many can no longer perform their traditional tasks–herding, tracking, hunting–while more than a few cannot live outside a human-controlled environment.” (Source)
Of course, this may not be the only reason why a breed isn’t listed by the AKC. Many are considered a size variation of a larger breed rather than a separate breed. This is the case with dogs like the small German spitz and the toy Manchester terrier.
Ultimately, registration by the AKC is not as important as buying a good quality dog from a breeder who breeds healthy dogs that still retain the abilities for which the breed was once (or still is), known. Breeders who breed primarily to achieve a certain look are more likely to follow breeding practices that don’t support a dog’s wellbeing. And it could result in dogs that have less than desirable temperaments as pets. Whilst this might not be true across the board, for all breeders, in the long run, excessive inbreeding can only create problems for a breed.