Doodles are an ever-popular breed of dog. They usually cost a pretty penny, which leaves most people wanting to register them, just as they would any of their dogs. People often register purebred dogs and receive papers for them. These papers are proof of the dog’s breed and ancestry, making them essential to people that may unfortunately need to rehome their Doodle or plan to breed.
Doodles, however, can be a bit of a controversial topic when it comes to registering dogs. Doodles are considered to be designer dogs because of their high price tag and some associations refuse to register them because they are not purebred dogs. If you’re planning to register your dog or purchase a Doodle puppy, it’s important to understand the purpose behind registering your dog, and where you can register them at.
Most major Kennel Clubs will only register purebred dogs. As a Doodle is a crossbreed or ‘Designer Dog’ they do not qualify. However, there are other registration bodies that will allow your Doodle to be registered such as the International Designer Canine Registry and the Continental Kennel Club.
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The Purpose Of Registering Your Dog
The primary purpose behind registering your dog is both proof of ownership and proof of the breed of dog. Most breeders register their dogs to keep track of the lineage as well, this is especially helpful for coefficiency of inbreeding. When a dog has papers to prove that it is purebred, or that it is a pedigree, it can be sold for a higher cost than a dog without papers. There are several other benefits of registering your dog.
- To Ensure Future Generations Can Be Registered – Even if you don’t care whether your dog is registered right now, we still highly recommend it. If you choose to breed purebred or designer dogs in the future, you cannot register the puppies if the parents are not registered with many Kennel Clubs. However, the CKC (Continental Kennel Club) does allow this. If you find yourself in this situation, you can still register your puppy as a non-purebred. This is essential to ensure that the breeder is not falsifying information.
- Future Owners Might Want Proof Of Registration – Many people choose to register their dog to provide proof that the dog is a Doodle. Sometimes unforeseen and unfortunate circumstances mean that some Doodle owners have to rehome their precious pet. Those that are interested in becoming their new family often prefer to see registration papers as proof of their history. This can also assure the current owner that they are going to a loving and genuine new home. Customers of breeders might refuse to purchase a puppy unless it has registration papers to avoid being scammed. No one plans on rehoming their puppy but it can be better to have registration papers just in case.
- Registered Dogs Have Access To Benefits – With some Kennel Clubs dogs that are registered have access to dog shows, specific obedience classes, dog sports, and other things that non-registered dogs simply do not. The UK Kennel Club is one example. It’s important to research this as different Kennel Clubs often offer different benefits to members. If you plan to do any of these things with your Doodle, they often have to be registered to compete.
Common Terms Used
As you browse through Kennel Clubs and organizations, you will come across lots of terminology. Some of these terms are used interchangeably, but it’s important that you understand the difference so that you can properly fill out registration papers and discuss registering your dog.
Pedigree
A pedigree is simply the ancestral history of a dog. Therefore it is possible for a Doodle or any other cross to have a pedigree. It’s the same as a family tree for a human. However, the word pedigree is quite often used to also describe a purebred dog so its important to always clarify the actual status of the dog you are discussing. Most purebred dogs are recognized by the major kennel clubs such as the AKC and Kennel Club UK but a dog having a pedigree is not enough to register them with many clubs.
Pedigrees are still very important, not just for breeders but for owners too. Timberidge Goldendoodles have a great page for learning more about the annotations found on a pedigree.
Purebred
A purebred dog is a dog that has two parents of the same breed. A Doodle is created by breeding a purebred Poodle with another purebred. For example, a purebred Poodle bred with a Golden Retriever results in a Goldendoodle. Because Doodles never have two purebred parents of the same breed, they are not considered purebred.
Designer
Designer dogs are where Doodle breeds will fall. For a dog to fall into this category, two purebred parents of different breeds are bred to create a new breed. Often, this is done intentionally, whether it be for the appearance of the dog or other benefits.
What are the Main Kennel Clubs?
Major Kennel Clubs are used across the globe to help breeders register their dogs. Some of these span across the world, while others are used specifically in one country or another. Likewise, some will register Doodles, and some will not.
Fédération Cynologique Internationale
This international Kennel Club boasts of having clubs in 98 different countries. They register popular breeds of dogs and even have them perfectly categorized to make finding specific breeds easy. Doodles are not recognized by the FCI. This is because the Doodle is a mixed breed. This is a common situation that Doodle owners will run into, but there are other places that they can register their Doodle.
Continental Kennel Club
The Continental Kennel Club, or CKC, is one of the most popular clubs used to register Doodles. Whilst recognizing them as ‘Designer Dogs’ they go on to explain that mixing purebred dogs to produce another breed is not a new concept. Registration papers will clearly state that Doodles are Non-Purebred.
The Kennel Club
The Kennel Club in the UK will also register a Doodle. However, they cant be registered on their main database for purebred dogs.
- Breed Register – This is for purebred dogs only. They refer to them as ‘pedigree’ on their website which shows how the terms we spoke about are used interchangeably.
- Activity Register – Your Doodle can be registered here. The register is specifically for competitions licensed by The Kennel Club. This includes agility, canicross, and flyball amongst others. Your registered Doodle is able to compete in these competitions.
- Petlog Registration – This is for all microchipped pets and can aid in reuniting lost dogs (and other animals) with their registered owners.
Goldendoodle Association of North America
This organization does charge a small fee to register your puppy, but they also contribute quite a bit to research to ensure that this breed stays healthy. The Goldendoodle Association of North America only serves this continent and is solely to register a Goldendoodle.
International Designer Canine Registry
The International Designer Canine Registry aims to give those that enjoy a designer breed the same rights and privileges as those that enjoy a purebred. This organization serves the entire world, making it an exceptional choice for those that live in a country without its own registry yet. They specifically register designer breeds, such as the Goldendoodle, so you won’t have to worry about being turned down.
Summary
When looking to register your Doodle, it’s important to note that some Kennel Clubs, such as the Ireland Kennel Club, refuse to register designer dogs. They specifically state that this breeding is often solely for profit without regard to the health of the dog.
Because of this, we highly encourage Doodle owners to consider the International Designer Canine Registry, the Goldendoodle Association of North America, or the Continental Kennel Club. These international and continental clubs do not object to designer dogs.
Whether or not you choose to register your dog is a personal choice, but we do recommend it when they are a puppy. It can be more difficult to register a dog after their first birthday, and sometimes it can be more expensive. While you might not want to enjoy the benefits of having a registered dog now, you might change your mind later.
