When you are looking for a purebred Beagle, you have probably stumbled upon the term “Registered Beagles for sale”. You may have wondered what exactly does a Registered Beagle mean. It has to be a purebred correct?
When you come across a breeder who says they are selling registered dogs, there are a few things that you need to know before you buy.
The first thing you should find out is what kennel their dogs are registered with.
Other things you should focus on is how long the breeder has been breeding, and the reputation they have built.
What is a Registered Kennel
A registered kennel is a club or organization whose mission should be to enhance and protect the integrity of a purebred dog.
There are many kennels out there that a breeder may use to register their dogs. However it is important to remember that not all kennels are equal. Though I cannot list them all, I will focus on the three kennels that I use to register my Beagles.
Those three kennels are:
- American Kennel Club (AKC)
- United Kennel Club (UKC)
- Continental Kennel Club (CKC)
AKC Registered Beagles for Sale.
When looking for a registered or purebred Beagle, you have probably come across a site saying “AKC Registered Beagles for sale.” The problem is, you are not sure what that means.
AKC (American Kennel Club) is the oldest and the most trustworthy kennel in the world. It was founded in 1884. You can read their mission statement at https://www.akc.org/about/mission/ to find out what they stand for.
Not only are they the oldest kennel, but they’re also the most strict when it comes to registering a dog. For a dog to be registered with AKC, both parents of the dog must already be registered with the AKC.
If a Beagle puppy father is AKC registered but the mother is UKC registered, then that puppy would not be permitted to register with AKC.
When it comes to dog shows, the AKC once again sets the standard. They judge a dog based on physical looks and quality that breeds should have.
For a Beagle, they will look at the length of its ears and the “C” curl of the tail. They also consider the height of the Beagle. They will take off points if they are to small, below 12 inches or to tall, above 15 inches.
I myself do not show dogs, but from what I have read and seen, these shows can be stressful. Lots of time and training must go into the dog in order for them to compete competitively in AKC shows.
Since AKC is the best, why look elsewhere.
So if AKC is the oldest and most credible kennel, why look elsewhere? Well there are a few reasons.
For starters, AKC does not let outside dogs into their kennel. As stated above, in order for a dog to be registered with the AKC, both parents of that dog must be registered. There are pros and cons to this.
The pros: If you get an AKC dog they come with a full pedigree. There is not gaps in their generations. You can check out Cosmo or Luna’s pedigree, if you want to see an example.
The cons: Since AKC is so strict on not breeding to outside dogs, genetics disorders are more likely to arise.
Every dog heritage in the AKC has been crossed with each other so many time, that if a genetic order does arise, chances are high that it will pass down to future generations.
Remember that no matter which kennel a breeder belongs to, it always comes down to the integrity and honesty of the breeder.
In short, even AKC breeders can lie. If one of their litters becomes tainted, such as the female was bred by a stray, they can still lie on the AKC form. They may claim that the puppies are purebred, when they are not.
AKC does not confirm if a litter is infact purebred or not. They rely on the honestly of their breeders.
If the breeder is dishonest, your dog will not be a purebred. No matter what papers they give you claiming otherwise.
UKC Beagles for sale.
Why should you buy Beagles that are for sale with the UKC? For starters the UKC is the second oldest and respected, kennel in the USA. The UKC was founded in 1898, 14 years after AKC.
Unlike the AKC, who seems to focus on the physical looks of a purebreed. The UKC focus on the instincts and heritage of the dog.
Their shows focus more on why the breed was made, instead of the “perfect look” of the breed.
Beagles, since they are hounds, would show off their tracking and hunting skills.
If you are lucky enough to get a UKC dog with champions in their pedigree. You will know that those dogs won based off of their skills, instead of their looks.
Another benefit is that UKC allow dogs not of their kennel to still be registered with them. They recognize that talent can come from a variety of places and not just one particular kennel.
If you want to find out more about how to register a dog with the UKC, visit their site: https://www.ukcdogs.com/.
Since UKC, does let outside dogs in their club, a dogs pedigree, may be lacking a generation. Some generations might be blank since it can be hard to tract down a dog’s lineage.
If you are looking for a Beagle breed for hunting, the UKC might be the kennel for you.
CKC Beagles for Sale
Now if you see Beagles for sale with the CKC, you have to be careful and make sure which CKC they are talking about.
There are two kennels that claim the abbreviated term CKC. There’s the Canadian Kennel Club, which is mainly the AKC but just in Canada. Also there’s the Continental Kennel Club, which is the one we will be discussing.
Founded in 1991, the CKC is just like any other kennel. Since they are young, they are still trying to establish their place in the dog breeding world.
This kennel is not as well respected as the other two kennels. Some people believe that their standards for purebred dogs, are to low.
It is true that it is really easy to register a dog with the CKC however, unlike the other kennels, they do try and help out and reward responsible breeders.
They have a program call the preferred breeders program. They state that “The CKC Preferred Breeders Program provides support and resources to CKC breeders to aid in the establishment of a superior breeding program.”
I registered all my dogs, even if they are already ACK registered, with CKC.
Why? Well first off they offer better customer support than other kennels. Second, I believe that in order for them to improve people have to give them a chance.
The only way they can improve is if quality breeders continue to register quality dogs with them.
Conclusion on Registered Beagles
When a breeder states that they are selling registered Beagles, what they are saying is that they are with a club that recognize their dog as a purebred. It is up to you to find out all you can about that club to see if they are respectable or not.
Remember, just because a breeder is registered with the CKC does not mean that they are poor breeders, and vise versa just because a breeder is registered with AKC does not mean you are getting a superior Beagle. It is all about reputation.
Find out a bit about the breeder. If they are registered with the CKC, or a kennel you are unfamiliar with, ask if you can see a copy of their dog’s pedigree. This will give you an idea of the lineages of the dog.
If their dog’s lineage does not go past the first generation, then that might be a problem. Also if they refuse to show you a pedigree, that is also another warning sign.
Some kennels post a list of breeders they have disqualified or suspended from their program, and UKC is just such a kennel. You can find the list at: https://www.ukcdogs.com/suspension.
Ask around, find out what you can about the breeder and his program. Take time to discover the breeders reputation. Take the time required to make sure that you are getting the dog of your dream.