Kennel Club Registration

Pedigree puppies for sale will usually be advertised as KC Registered; while this does not guarantee that the parents of your puppy has undergone one or more of the range of health tests talked about here on Labrador Health, what it does do is provide the buyer with some form of audit trail in the event of future difficulties.  (This does NOT however mean that Labrador health in any way endorse breeding puppies from parents who are not AT LEAST Hip scored with current clear eye certificates).

But won't my pup be cheaper if it isn't KC Registered?

Quite often you will see puppy sellers advertising puppies as 'CHEAPER' because they are not KC Registered - prices are usually somewhere in the range of £100 to £250 less than the 'going rate' for pedigree pups in your area.

This statement by such advertisers is INCORRECT .  It costs the breeder just £12 to register each surviving pup in a litter, an overall cost of between £12 and £168 dependent on the litter size, LESS than the cost of the dog undergoing Hip and Elbow Scores.

So why hasn't the breeder registered the puppies?

If the breeder tells you they haven't registered the puppies to save you money - WALK AWAY - Quickly.  There may be various reasons why your pup has not been registered, but cost is definitely NOT one of them; these reasons could include:

• One or both parents of your puppy are not registered with the Kennel Club

• The mother has had more than 6 litters

• The mother was below 12 months at the time of mating

• The mother was above 8 years old and permission was not granted by the KC to register the litter

• One or both parents of your puppies have breeding endorsements on their own pedigrees which means their offspring are not eligible for KC registration.  (Responsible breeders will sometimes lift these restrictions providing the new owner has met a specified criteria in terms of breed standard conformation and / or acceptable health test results).  This means, in simple terms, it is likely the breeder of your pups has not met this criteria, and therefore, you should WALK AWAY. 

Kennel Names

Some breeders have a kennel name, particularly if they are established in working, showing, or other such type activity.  These are unique names that can be purchased through the kennel club and will be included in your puppy's new name. 

A Kennel name is not however a mandatory requirement of breeders wishing to register a litter. 

Remember - by buying from these breeders you are playing a role in encouraging irresponsible breeding.

For more information on puppy registration, visit the UK Kennel Club Website

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