AKC, APRI, UKC... What are they?

Our puppies and adults are all registered. Some of our dachshunds are registered with APRI, and some of them are registered with AKC. So, what's the difference? And why is it important that a dachshund is registered?

The AKC stands for the American Kennel Club. The AKC (as well as parent breed clubs) helps to create, set, and enforce the standard for purebred dogs, as well as educate the people about purebred dogs and the art of breeding. The AKC also hosts nation-wide events, such as Meet The Breeds, in addition to lots of yearly AKC Dog Shows, such as Westminster. With AKC, you can also attend obedience classes, advertise puppies on their website's classifieds, and do sports such as agility for titles on your dog. Your dog is eligible for AKC registration if all of your dog's bloodlines go back to FULL AKC registered dogs. Your dog doesn't have to be AKC registered in order to compete in sports, events, or AKC obedience classes, but your dog DOES have to have AKC registration in order to compete in conformation showing and in order to have AKC registered puppies. With the AKC, there are two types of registration: limited and full. A Limited AKC registration does not allow any of the dog's puppies to be AKC registered and can limit what AKC activities you may do with your dogs. A Full AKC registration allows you to breed your dog and register their puppies with the AKC, as well as compete in any and all events that AKC hosts. 

The APRI stands for the American Pet Registry, Inc. The APRI is a similiar group to the AKC, except that they do not set the standard for purebred dogs, and they are a much smaller group. In some cases, mix-bred dogs can have a special APRI registration as well and may participate in some APRI events. The APRI also hosts dog shows, events, and allows APRI registered litters to be listed on their website's classifieds. The APRI is a great registry for beginners and for pet owners, as their registration is cheaper, and their dog shows are cheaper, easier, local, and more-beginner friendly. APRI's mission with dog showing is to create a stress-free environment that is supportive and very educational towards novice handlers. The AKC, while a wonderful organisation, has a reputation of being somewhat unfriendly towards beginners at purebred dog shows and events. We prefer to show with the APRI rather than the AKC for these reasons, and also because APRI shows tend to be much closer to our home than AKC shows. However, many prefer to show with the AKC because they are more strict in their judging of breeds than the APRI. 

We also have several dogs that are dual-registered with or have champion bloodlines that come from the UKC, UABR, ACA, or CKC. These are all different pet registries, similiar to the AKC and APRI. The UKC in particular is a very well-known and well-respected registry, renowned for their conformation shows. The UKC is known to be similiar to the AKC in regards to conformation showing, but they are a little more easy going. For example, in AKC, many handlers/breeders must spend $1,000 or more on name-brand suits in order to be competitive when showing, whereas with the UKC, formalwear is expected but does not have to be perfect in order for your dog to win. The UKC is also known to be much more welcoming to novice handlers, depending on the show host, than the AKC. Recently, here at A Walk In The Park, we have started our conformation journey by beginning to show with UKC. 

Which company you want your future pup to be registered with is ultimately up to your personal preference!

Whether it is with the AKC, the UKC, the APRI... it is important that your future dachshund is registered. Dachshunds that are not registered are not always purebred, even if they look like they are. In most cases, backyard breeders will sell unregistered mix-bred dogs for the high price of purebreds. It is easy to be scammed, and buying a dog that is registered in some way is a great way to prevent being scammed. A full registered dog is proven to come from a long line of purebred dogs, and a purebred dog is much more predictable in personality and health. 

It is also a good idea to look for a future dachshund that has champion lines from a registry. Attending dog shows and participating in conformation is a great way to find the  strengths and flaws of a dog, and is a great way to prove that they are breeding-quality in both temperament and structure. By purchasing a dog with champion lines, you are much more likely to get a well-bred dog. 

The AKC and the APRI both have more information on their websites!