Checking your breeding rights is a crucial step you need to take before taking your new dog home.
Although the paperwork could be overwhelming, keep in mind that this will benefit both you and your dog in the long run.
When buying from a reputable breeder, you will most likely hear about breeding rights and be asked to sign certain papers and review contracts for your dog.
These documents, contracts, and procedures can be quite confusing sometimes, especially for new dog owners. Don’t worry, though. We got you covered!
In this article, you’ll learn more about breeding rights for your new puppy, the associated paperwork, and the cautions that come with it. So, let’s begin!
What Are Breeding Rights for Dogs?
Breeding rights protect your ability to register and breed your puppies under a bloodline as part of official registries like the American Kennel Club (AKC) or other kennel clubs. These rights protect the dogs involved as well as the rights of the breeders and buyers.
You’ll find dog breeders selling puppies of different breeds everywhere you go. One way to ensure that you are dealing with a responsible and ethical breeder is if they bring breeding rights for their dogs.
These rights are mostly used to make sure the pup’s lineage is properly documented. There are two types of registrations: limited registration and full registration.
Having a limited registration means you may register your pet but cannot register its future offspring. This means that the seller may already have spayed or neutered your dog before offering it to you.
Meanwhile, a full registration or total breeding rights signifies that the dogs and their future puppies could be registered under your kennel club of choice. However, this entails a higher cost.
You may also want to check this video to know a little more about the paperwork for getting a new dog:
Why Do I Need Breeding Rights to Breed My Dog?
Processing papers and compiling papers for your new pup could be troublesome. You may need to do some research to double-check the authenticity of breeding rights and know why you need them.
To help you with this dilemma, here are some important points as to why you need breeding rights before breeding your dog:
1. You’ll need breeding rights to register your dog’s puppies
Without breeding rights, you cannot register your dog or its future pups in various kennel clubs such as the American Kennel Club (AKC), Canadian Kennel Club (CKC), and United Kennel Club (UKC).
As mentioned previously, many kennel clubs like the AKC have two types of registrations: limited registration and full registration or total breeding rights.
It’s important to check proper documentation of breeding rights when buying a puppy so that you won’t have to deal with registration problems later on if you decide to breed your puppy.
2. Breeding rights keep your dog’s bloodline
Aside from registration, the breeder must keep the bloodline of a purebred puppy under control. Many dog breeders invest years and tens of thousands of dollars in creating a lineage that produces the ideal breed.
The breeding rights allow you to check a puppy’s lineage and see if its bloodline is prone to certain congenital defects and other hereditary diseases.
3. Breeding rights serve as proof that your dog came from an ethical breeder
Reputable breeders only offer full breeding rights if the puppy meets health standards and is without congenital defects.
A pup without breeding rights might have come from an unethical breeder. This should automatically warn potential pup owners from getting puppies from a litter whose parent dogs do not have breeding rights.
Without breeding rights, your puppies will also not be registered in any official kennel club.
Benefits of Breeding Rights for Dog Breeders
Breeding rights provide perks to breeders. From the dogs’ health to earning more, ethical breeders and their dogs definitely benefit from having proper documentation and rights.
Listed below are some benefits of breeding rights for dog breeders:
- Breeders can ensure the quality of the lineage. Protecting bloodlines is a significant advantage of breeding rights. When creating a lineage, many breeders put a lot of effort into ensuring the quality standards of a female or male dog they choose to breed. As a result, they produce healthy dogs that usually take many dog generations to develop. A powerful bloodline results from many years of research, failures, and accomplishments.
- Breeders will have control over the bloodline. An ethical breeder who wishes to control their dogs’ bloodline can restrict breeding rights for a puppy in a litter. Many breeders are determined to maintain control over their lineage even after selling a puppy to maintain the quality of its bloodline. A breeder can only implement such restrictions if they have proper documents signifying their dogs’ breeding rights.
- Puppies with breeding rights cost more. Aside from preserving bloodlines, breeders can earn more money by selling a puppy with breeding rights. A dog breeder may make more profit from breeds that are registered as working or show dogs with full breeding rights. Breeders who opt not to grant breeding rights lose out on revenue from the sale of female or male puppies because they are not protecting the integrity of their bloodline.
Although breeding rights are directly related to profit, you should know that most breeders do not entirely breed for money.
Compared to a backyard breeder or puppy mill, a responsible breeder follows a strict breeding program that would protect future generations of dogs.
This means they only produce a few litters annually to preserve the bloodline’s integrity.
Benefits of Breeding Rights for Buyers
Breeding rights do not only benefit breeders but also provide advantages for potential buyers. Although a puppy with full breeding rights may cost more, there are other perks that are worth paying for.
Here are a few of the benefits of breeding rights for dog buyers:
- Buyers are assured of getting high-quality dogs. Ultimately, potential buyers who get a dog with breeding rights can be sure that the pup is of high quality in terms of health and physical standards. Breeders do not grant breeding rights to puppies with health problems to protect the bloodline.
- Buyers get the same rights and privileges as their sellers. Breeding rights give you several benefits if you’re interested in purchasing a registered puppy to breed dogs in the future. You can enjoy the same advantages as the original breeder when you decide to sell puppies.
- Buyers help preserve the bloodline. By properly processing breeding rights and other papers for your pup, you help breeders protect the dog’s bloodline. Papers guarantee a healthy dog that complies with breed standards, allowing you to help produce healthier future generations.
Keep in mind that properly processing papers will not only benefit you as a future dog owner but benefit your future pup as well. A dog with proper rights is a pup with a healthy and secure future.
What Paperwork Do I Need to Breed My Dog?
A potential breeder must complete proper documentation before breeding puppies. This maintains the standards of ethical breeders and the quality and health of the dogs they breed.
Here is a list of the documents you must accomplish if you want to breed puppies:
1. Full Registration
Full registration is necessary if you want your dog and its purebred puppies to be registered with major kennel clubs. If you intend to use the dogs for breeding purposes, registration papers are also necessary.
This registration indicates that your puppy is healthy and that you have the legal right to reproduce.
If you bought a pup with full breeding rights, you’d automatically have the right to breed it and register its offspring to any official kennel club of your choice.
2. Certificate of Ownership
Breeders must prove their ownership rights for their dogs. This record will serve as proof that you are the dog’s legal owner. Many legal services can register this certificate in the owner’s name as required.
A valid certificate of ownership also proves that the person registering the dog has legal rights over it and the dog is not stolen or is with its rightful owner.
Simply said, you cannot breed a dog that is not legally yours. Moreso, register it.
3. Health Certification
Health tests are necessary to prove that you have a healthy dog fit enough to reproduce and that it can’t pass on congenital diseases to its puppies. Some breeders have a licensed veterinarian who checks their dogs’ condition.
Dogs may undergo several tests, including phenotypic assessments and genetic testing, to ensure they are fit. Examinations will also be done to check for ailments unique to a certain breed.
These health certifications and other inspections are commonly overseen by the Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) and the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA). These institutions also provide veterinary advice.
You will receive a CHIC number to verify your puppy’s qualifications once it is cleared of illnesses and deformities. You will also be entitled to a health certificate.
4. Health Records
While health certificates are vital, keeping your dog’s health records close is also a good idea. This will include checkups, medication, and vaccination given to a dog. A complete medical history is a must for registration.
This confirms that you have given your pet all necessary checkups and up-to-date vaccinations. Potential buyers will surely want to view this information before making a decision.
5. Pedigree Certificate
One of the most crucial certificates when selling dogs is a pedigree certificate. This document proves the purebred status of your pet. This certificate also contains information about the pedigree or breed of your puppy.
In addition, these documents also offer information on the bloodline going back up to three generations. This is an excellent way to verify that a purchased dog is bred from purebred parents.
A Word of Warning
Take extra caution when choosing breeders. As you are now aware of breeding rights and the papers you will require as a breeder, you now know what to avoid when purchasing a puppy to breed in the future.
You should always insist on seeing proof of total breeding rights and all the other necessary documents about the puppy’s health and pedigree before purchasing a pup.
To ensure and promote ethical and healthy breeding, double-check the reputation of breeders by requesting all required certificates and paperwork. Yes, it will take time, but it will be worth it in the end.
Suppose you do encounter an irresponsible breeder who does not protect animals. In that case, you may report this to authorities such as animal control that can provide legal action and save other dogs in the process.
After reporting the said breeder, an authorized director of a humane society, accompanied by a sheriff or a deputy sheriff, may inspect their shady dealings and stop their business.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Happens If You Breed Your Dog Without Breeding Rights?
Puppies cannot be registered with a kennel club without breeding rights. This means that dogs without breeding rights cannot join canine shows and competitions.
Also, breeding pups without proper rights is risky. There are certain diseases that may be passed down to pups if the parent dog’s lineage is questionable due to the absence of breeding rights.
What Are Limited Breeding Rights?
If your dog has limited breeding rights, it means that you can register it in kennel clubs but not its puppies. Breeders who offer limited registration often have their dogs spayed or neutered before selling them.
Usually, breeders explain to buyers what type of registrations their puppies have. Nonetheless, you can always ask the breeder upfront about registration and breeding rights if they didn’t mention it to you.
Can You Breed a Dog With Limited Papers?
You cannot breed a dog with limited papers. You need a full registration and other pertinent documents if you really want to breed your dog.
Breeders offer limited papers to pups that do not meet the health and breed standards. This ensures that the dog will not produce a litter that could potentially inherit and pass down genetic diseases and abnormalities.
Can You Sell Puppies If You Are Not a Breeder?
No, you cannot sell puppies if you are not a licensed breeder. Selling pups without proper knowledge of their documentation and preservation is commonly done by backyard breeders and puppy mills.
Future pet owners are discouraged from buying puppies from irresponsible breeders because their dogs are unhealthily and unethically bred.
What Is the Rule for Breeding Dogs?
Many states request commercial breeders to get a license, pay a fee, inspect their breeding facilities, and follow standard breeding procedures. This includes accomplishing proper legal documentation.
Aside from this, responsible dog breeding starts from having enough knowledge on when and how to safely and ethically breed dogs.
Final Thoughts
Breeding rights are not just some paperwork used to increase the purchase price of a puppy. These documents prove that the breeder is responsible and the pup is in good health.
Understanding breeding rights and the involved documents are essential, whether you are a dog breeder or simply looking for a purebred dog to add to your family.
You should keep in mind that the goal of a reputable and ethical breeder is to maintain and enhance a breed, not merely for financial gain.
Have you ever experienced working on the paperwork involved in breeding rights? Share with us how you did it in the comment section below!