You're looking for a new puppy. You scan kijiji hoping to find that perfect little puppy for a decent price. There's a Golden Retriever puppy for $1200!
"This must be a good breeder if they cost that much" you tell yourself.On the next page there is another Golden puppy for only $650. You think to yourself why is that one half the price of the first. You notice that the $1200 Golden is not registered. You think to yourself, "registered, what does that mean anyways?".
Then you notice that $650 Golden mom is papered and registered and the dad is a purebred. Same thing right?
That day you decide to go check out the pet store and see what they have. You look in the tiny little cage at the little puppy sitting above its urine, all alone curled in the corner. You read the sale tag, purebred non-registered Golden Retriever $1500. You think to yourself that must be the going price for purebred Golden's, and this poor puppy is all alone. So you impulsively buy this puppy. Not knowing the parents, the breeder, where it came from, how old it really is, any health history, not being properly socialized in the key months, urinating when and where it wants!
Does it seem confusing to you: Purebred, registered, papered, non-registered and so on? Do you feel like your being ripped off or unsure of where to get a puppy and how much to pay for one?
In this post I am going to briefly go over and explain to you about registered dogs.
Is there such thing as a non-registered (not papered) purebred dog?
Yes and No.
Yes- Why? One reason they don't register the puppies might be that they told their breeder that they only wanted a pet, so didn't want to buy the breeding rights on the dog, so they paid less and promised to spay or neuter the puppy. The breeder kept the registration papers in the breeders name until that puppy was spayed or neutered (which is typically done, but a responsible breeder would follow up on this). So they don't ever get the dogs papers. Basically the spay or neuter was considered PART of the purchase agreement, just like the payment. By not holding up their end of the bargain, it's like not completing the purchase. They DON'T own the breeding rights. They may not even legally own the dog UNLESS it is spayed or neutered. It might not be their dog; it could be someones lost pet, or even stolen. Who knows? THEY certainly don't have the papers for it. So yes, technically they are purebred, but not legal.
No: There is no such thing as a non-registered purebred dog. This whole non-registered purebred is a nasty little cycle. Way back that one "breeder" bred and sold his puppies as purebred even though they technically were not. He had no papers proving they where true to that breed, that they were ONLY that breed. Then the owner of that puppy sold their litters as purebred and so on. Now you have any Tom, Dick and Harry selling their litters as purebred for obscene prices. Why are they not considered purebreds? There is no proof in the pudding. A dog cannot be purebred without papers proving they are true to the breed. A dog without papers has no proven history that they or who they came from is pure. Make sense? Don't be fooled when a breeder wants to sell a purebred puppy without papers. By placing the word purebred (without the dog being registered) in an add allows the seller to think they can charge more for a dog. This is robbery! Do not pay for a dog that has no proof and is not pure! It's like paying for a piece of art without a certificate of authenticity.
Some Tidbits on Non-registered purebred pups:
1. Be aware that for a puppy to be sold as a purebred, it must be eligible to be registered with the Canadian Kennel Club. Did you know this is the law in Canada? I bet not!
2. The sale of purebred dogs is governed by the federal Animal Pedigree Act (APA).
3. If a certificate of registration is NOT provided by the seller within six months of the date of sale, the buyer can lay an Information Charge against the seller for violation of the APA.
4. Article 64. (h) of the APA states: "No person shall offer to sell, contract to sell or sell, as a purebred of a breed, any animal that is not registered or eligible to be registered as a purebred by the association authorized to register animals of that breed." The penalty for violation of the APA is a fine of up to $50,000.00.
5. If your puppy is not registered (without papers), it cannot compete in any purebred competitions (obedience, draft work, showing, etc,). Any offspring from a non-registered dog are not considered purebred.
Paying the Price
After being educated a bit would you now pay the $1500 for a non-papered/registered dog? I sure hope not! There are plenty of great breeders out there that sell amazing purebred registered puppies at a fraction of the price. In our "fast paced/want it now society" it takes some planning and patience to acquire one of these dogs. But the payoff is well worth it. Check out the CKC for breeders, search accredited breed clubs, ask someone where they got their purebred registered dog or help out a local shelter and go the opposite direction by helping a homeless dog!
As you can see this is a long debatable subject in the dog world. Breeding is not fully regulated as anyone and anywhere can breed dogs as purebreds. It is your job as the purchaser to do your homework, ask a professional for help and have patience while looking. Above all don't overpay for a dog and ask questions, lots of them! There are lots of irresponsible breeders out there. Again, check out your local shelter and give a homeless dog a forever home!http://www.canadogs.com/Buy_Pup.htm More info on Buying A Purebred puppy!
