Traditionally litters of pups are registered with the Kennel Club, however in recent years several commercial private companies have set up alternative puppy/dog registration systems.

They offer low cost registration to ALL dogs & certain breeders will utilise the services of these organisations rather than KC Registration. However, the fact still remains that in the UK the only universally recognised registering body is that of the Kennel Club.

The Kennel Club was established in 1873 and was not established to make a profit (it is not a commercial organisation). After running costs, the 'profit' it receives from litter registrations & other sources of revenue is used for the benefit of all dogs via The Kennel Club Charitable Trust and to support all areas of dog welfare and canine activities.

The registration of puppies is a lucrative exercise (the KC 'earns' around £10 million per year from litter registrations according to their published accounts) and in recent years, several commercial organisations have seen the financial rewards associated with dog registrations and have established alternative registration systems including the following companies:

• The Dog Lovers Registration Club Ltd (DLRC)
• Pedigree Pets Registration Club Ltd (PPRC)
• Kennel Registration
• Canine Registration Club UK

The DLRC sells itself as a "NO NONSENSE" registration club, who does not believe in too much "red tape" and states "The fact that we can supply you with these documents enhances the sale of your puppies" Source: DLRC website 2008.

The Pedigree Pets Registration Club website states "Increase sales and profits add value to your sales with professional documents." "Competitive Registration Fees means more profit for you the breeder!" Source: PPRC website 2008.

The Kennel Registration sells itself on the natural breeding philosophy, (does natural breeding equate to none pedigree?) their website states "Our philosophy is natural breeding - free from man-made breed standards. We'll provide you with elegant documents" Source: Kennel Registration website 2010.

The Canine Registration Club UK website states "We accept non-registered and registered puppies or adult dogs and on registration each puppy will be given a pedigree name (chosen by you)" Source: Canine Registration Club UK 2010.

Unlike the UK Kennel Club, details submitted to the alternative registry organisations are not cross-referenced with The Kennel Club database, and as such, they rely only on the information supplied by the applicant (the breeder/owner) as part of the registration process. It would therefore be possible, if desired, for a breeder to register a litter or a puppy as purebred when perhaps the pup/dog's ancestry is unknown.

Reputable breeders in the UK still maintain that KC registration is the correct form of registration and they do NOT register their puppies with any of the alternative registries.

It is important to note the following:

• ONLY breeders of KC registered dogs can use the hip-scoring & eye-testing schemes (these schemes are not open to dogs registered with alternative clubs)
• Puppies registered with any organisation apart from the Kennel Club are not recognised by the Kennel Club
• Puppies/dogs registered with alternative organisations cannot be subsequently registered with The Kennel Club by the new owner
• Only Kennel Club Registered dogs are eligible to compete at Kennel Club events (shows, trials etc.)
• The offspring of dogs registered by alternative registries cannot be registered with the Kennel Club (unless both parents are already KC registered - if they are already KC registered what is the benefit of registering dogs with more than one organisation?)
• Breeder's registering their puppies with the Kennel Club are bound by the KC Code of Ethics which amongst other things covers welfare of the mother and puppies, THIS Code of Ethics can be enforced.

KC Registration vs. Alternative Registries

Although many people intend their dog to be a "pet" and most people don't transfer their puppies Kennel Club registration from the breeders name into their name, if you are buying a registered puppy then a Kennel Club registered puppy is the preferred option for most people.

The Kennel Club is not connected to any of the alternative registration companies - they are completely separate organisations. The alternative registration companies are private limited companies, which for a fee provide a "birth certificate" service for puppies & dogs that do not possess a registration document verifying their Kennel Club ancestry. The Kennel Club is a charitable organisation that uses a significant proportion of its income for the benefit of ALL dogs & has maintained a registry of purebred dogs for over a hundred years.

Any form of alternative puppy/dog registration is not the same as KC Registration. If you want a Kennel Club registered puppy, do not be persuaded by a breeder that a DLRC, PPRC, Kennel Registration or Canine Registration Club UK registered puppy is just the same - it is NOT!

A KC registered puppy is the nearest to a guarantee that your puppy is a purebred pedigree dog with a genuine pedigree. The Kennel Club checks & validates the information supplied by the breeder against their extensive database.  The information held on file by the alternative registries relies ONLY on the applicant providing correct information. Puppies registered with other organisations may not be purebred and the accuracy of pedigree information may be doubtful.

The alternative registries are acutely aware that the puppy buying public are educated towards purchasing "registered" puppies (the term "registered" is traditionally associated with puppies which are Kennel Club registered). Unfortunately, there is often confusion amongst puppy buyers regarding what "registered" traditionally means & many will purchase a puppy registered with one of the alternative registration companies in the mistaken belief that their pup's registration is the same as a Kennel Club registered puppy.

More recently, the alternative registries have updated their websites to state that their registration documents apply to "pet puppies/dogs & not show dogs". That's certainly an accurate and honest statement; however, "show" dogs are also pet dogs first & foremost! Dog’s that are exhibited at shows are much loved companions who have a dual role, and because they are KC registered, they are able to fulfil that role.

If you are buying a puppy registered with one of the alternative registries then you should be aware of the limitations of these forms of registration before you purchase your puppy.

Puppies from 'puppy farms' & pet shops may be Kennel Club registered. However, the trend in more recent years is for their registrations to be issued by one of the alternative registries. This may possibly be due to the Kennel Club tightening up their acceptance of registrations, or because breeders are exceeding the Kennel Club's welfare regulations and cannot register their litters with the Kennel Club or because the alternative registries are cheaper and profit is a priority for commercial breeders!