Frequently Asked Questions
Traditionally, a kennel is an area where dogs are kept and bred. A hobby breeder with two Wheatens is a kennel. So might be one in which several hundred breeding pairs are kept to supply pups for commercial sale. Pet stores often call themselves “kennels” although their puppies are from commercial establishments which breed for resale. Some kennels are large-scale retailers who breed and sell their own stock. It is best to visit the kennel yourself in order to determine with which type you are dealing.
- CH before a dog’s name indicates that the dog is an AKC champion.
- CD, CDX and UD following a dog’s name indicate Obedience Titles — Companion Dog, Companion Dog Excellent and Utility Dog.
- There are also representing various levels of achievement in Agility, Rally, Tracking, Herding, and manymother areas.
- ROM as a suffix means Register of Merit Top Producer, an award bestowed by SCWTCA on males producing 15 or more champions and bitches producing 8 or more champions.

Once registered, the AKC issues litter number and the breeder receives individual registration applications for each puppy. Each registration provides a unique number, date of birth, and details regarding the sire and dam – AKC registration numbers, registered names, of the sire and and OFA/CERF numbers. The form also includes the name and address of the breeder. A puppy cannot be AKC registered without this application.
The breeder or new owner submits the individual registration application to the AKC with the registration fee. If a pedigree has not been provided by the breeder/seller, one can be obtained at this time from the AKC for a fee. The puppy is now AKC registered and carries its own AKC#. Dogs must be registered within one year of the date of issue of the AKC Dog Registration Application.
Many commercial kennels have been boycotting American Kennel Club registration because of certain requirements imposed on all breeders to insure the validity of the registry. Instead, they have established brand-new, highly unregulated registries with similar sounding names. Make sure your new puppy can be registered with the American Kennel Club. Some things to look for:
- Sire and dam should have Registration Numbers beginning with RA, RB, RM, or RN and followed by 6-8 numbers.
- Address on the registration documents should be The American Kennel Club, 5580 Centerview Drive, Raleigh, NC 27606.
- The pedigree is a dog’s family tree and can be certified by the breeder alone as true and correct. Unless it is an AKC Certified Pedigree, bearing the AKC address and seal, it does NOT prove AKC registration.
If you’re still not sure, write down the sire and dam’s Registration Number and puppy’s date of birth. Call AKC Customer Care at 919-233-9767 to confirm the parents’ registration and if there is a litter application on file.

- OFA — Orthopedic Foundation for Animals
- CAER — Companion Animal Eye Registry
- PennHIP — University of Pennsylvania Hip Improvement Program
Enter the sire or dam by name or AKC# and enter your breed into their search engines and you’ll see if the dog has been certified. You can also use this to learn a bit more about the breeder’s practices. Just enter the breeder’s kennel name and breed into the search engine and see what comes back. If they don’t do OFA or CERF, there won’t be recent entries and you should beware.
A quality puppy is worth the wait!
You can search by state, first name, last name, or kennel name.