Searching for a new Dachshund puppy can be a daunting task, not made any easier with all the acronyms breeders throw around and expect you to understand. A common acronym often seen on breeders adverts is ‘KC registered’ but what does KC registered mean?
What is the Kennel Club?
The Kennel club is a UK organisation that is there to protect and promote the health and welfare of all dogs. The KC set out breed standards for 210 breeds of pedigree dogs that are recognised in the UK. The breed standard is a picture in words of how the breed should look and details the temperament of the breed. One benefit of buying a KC registered puppy is you are usually guaranteed that the puppy with grow with the appearance and temperament detailed in the breed standard.
What does KC registered mean?
Kennel Club or ‘KC’ registration means your breeder has completed a KC registration form for your puppy, the form only costs £16 so every eligible breeder should register their puppies with the Kennel Club.
The main advantage of your puppy being KC registered is to help with the traceability of your puppy. The breeder can also submit health assessments of the dog and bitch they bred from, which will be detailed on your puppy’s certificate. A puppy can only be KC registered if both the bitch and the stud are also KC registered.
Each puppy may also come with a Pedigree Certificate, which will detail the KC registration number, name and details of the breeder, in addition to breed, sex, colour and date of birth. When you have purchased your puppy and transfer ownership and additional registration fee of £16 is charged to you.
The Kennel Club details a code of ethics that all breeders should follow, this includes statements such as:
- Will agree not to breed from a dog or bitch which could be in any way harmful to the dog or to the breed.
- Will abide by all aspects of the Animal Welfare Act.
Make sure you find out why they are not willing to register your puppy, as they could be hiding that the puppy is not actually eligible to be KC registered.
What is a dog breeding license?
Breeders must have a breeding license if they run a business that sells dogs, or if they breed 5 or more litters in a year and sell any of the puppies. Breeders will have an inspection carried out by a vet to check the welfare of any dogs that are being bred.
Ask your breeder if you feel like they may fall into this category. This law was introduced to try and stop ‘puppy farms’.
Is it better to buy a KC registered puppy?
If you purchase a KC registered puppy you are more likely to get a puppy that’s close to the breed standard. With this you also know both parent dogs are pedigree and true to the breed standard, this eliminates the risk of breeders lying about your puppy being a pedigree dog.
Having a KC registered puppy means you are able to transfer ownership into your name, giving you proof that the dog belongs to you, this will be identified by their microchip number that will be on the registration form.
By also following the breed standard, the KC does not allow the registration of ‘rare colour’ dogs, or dogs that have been bred with bad genetic combinations, such as breeding two dapples dachshunds together.
Buying a KC registered dog does not mean you will have a superior Dachshund, but it does provide you with a sense of security in knowing that you will be getting a Dachshund that has been bred following guidelines.
What Questions should I ask a breeder?
There are many great breeders out there, who follow all guidelines, genuinely care about their puppies and the homes they select for them. Unfortunately there are some breeders that just care about profit, these are the breeders to avoid. Try not to look out for warning signs, ask the appropriate questions and most importantly trust your gut instinct.
Can I see the puppy?
Never ever part with any money before you see the puppy either in person or via a video call. There are many puppy scams where they pressure you to put money down on a puppy after just sending a few photos. Often these fake breeders steal other peoples photos, so always ask to see them in person or live over video call.
Can I see the parent dogs?
Sometimes it isn’t always possible to see the stud dog, but if he is KC registered you know he will be close to the breed standard. Never buy a puppy without seeing the mum, if breeders refuse to show you the Bitch, then they could be from a puppy farm, or in ill health, or not pedigree.
Are both the stud dog and the bitch KC registered?
Again being KC registered gives you traceability. Find out why they haven’t bred from registered dogs, and do not take ‘‘we only wanted a family pet, not a show dog.’’ as a valid response. If you are not provided with a satisfactory answer then maybe this isn’t the breeder for you.
Have any health checks been done on the parent dogs?
It is important to find out what health checks have been completed, especially if the breed is renowned for certain hereditary health conditions. The kennel club does not make genetic testing or health screening a requirement, it is always a good idea to ask, most breeders will have completed some health screening tests.
How many litters do you have a year?
This is an important question, the guidelines state no more than three litters a year, which is still a lot litters for one dog to have. In addition, if a breeder breeds multiple dogs and has more than five a year, they must have a breeding license, which you should ask to see.