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AKC approves "Conditional" registrations ...?

The AKC just approved a new kind of registration, the "conditional" registration. This is for a dog that appears to be purebred, but their application for registration was refused because there was a "question" about one or more of the dogs in their family tree. In order to get a Conditional Registration, DNA tests on the dog's parents would have to be submitted as proof of their being purebred. A "Conditional" dog may compete in all sanctioned AKC events except conformation (same as ILP). A "Conditional" dog may be bred, and his get would also be able to get a Conditional registration. After the 4th generation, offspring qualifies to receive a regular registration. I know the AKC is doing this purely as a source of income, but (money aside) what do you think? Good idea ... bad idea? My wife is an AKC delegate. We got an email this afternoon. Thanks to those who provided a web link to the information. CLARIFICATION: Under the rules, both the dog's parents would have to be DNA'd. Any dog could be refused a regular registration because there might have been a question about a dog in a previous generation. What does the AKC consider to be a "question"? How often does this happen? I have no idea. Cynthia: the AKC never guarantees quality on any dog they register. That wouldn't change, despite the type of registration they offer.

Public Comments

1. Where did you see this? I went to the AKC site and don't find anything about it. Typical AKC. They've been talking about mixed breeds and haven't said anything about this.
2. I don't like it. I have an AKC Lab who comes from a long line of wonderful dogs and I really feel that only Pure breds should be able to register.
3. Here's the info http://www.akc.org/reg/conditional_reg_info.cfm I need to think about this, but at first glance I don't think I'm in favor of it. I can see where it might be useful in rare breeds with a limited gene pool, but really, do we have such a shortage of, say, labradors that we need to breed ones with unknown parentage? If if were only available for breeds below a certain threshold of registration numbers I might be in favor.
4. I havent heard of this. I had to do a search on AKC to find it: http://www.akc.org/reg/conditional_reg_info.cfm I dont know what to think of it. There is an ILP listing for dogs who appear to be purebred.. but the dog has to be spayed or neutered to get this listing. Its only for the purpose of entering your dog in AKC sponsored non-conformation events.
5. i don't think it is right. So here they are competing with who? CKC,UKC, APRI? (contiental kennel club, Universal kennel club, American pet registery?) imean that makes no sense..
6. Not quite sure allowing a dog with an unknown dog in the pedigree being used for breeding to create or develop a 3-4 generation pedigree is the answer. Honestly, if parentage is in question and cannot be proven, it should not be allowed registration period. DNA can be used to prove parentage, so what on earth are they doing? EDIT: DP, as with the "Z" in the doberman's registration # to identify they, they want to use a "Q" for these "Conditional Registrations". What a crock!
7. I don't think it's purely a source of income. Good idea....bad idea???....well that depends on the dogs in question. A lot of dogs are bred and sold with AKC papers that have bad temperaments, congenital problems and bad conformation which is wrong by the person doing the breeding! The conditional registration came in late 2005 after more DNA testing showed that some dogs parentage couldn't be verified. You just can't take a dog and says it's purebred, send in a DNA sample and get a conditional registration. The dogs parents have to be registered with AKC. Go to AKC.org and type conditional registration in the search box. There will be all kinds of information in regards to this Conditional Registration.
8. I will too have to read and to think about this latest Revelation from AKC. I really don't know who it will really benefit. GinBail who would determine which AKC registrations are to be suspect? AKC or does one have to make a formal complaint? I truly don't understand the reasoning behind this just yet. I am not aware of this being a big enough problem to warrant this decision. To many unknowns for my taste, which right now is very sour.
9. While I understand the thought behind this, I am not so sure that I like it. Say if someone had bought a dog, that dog ended up getting its UDX, then was DNA'd for the Frequently used sires program, and its papers were pulled for incorrect parentage. They also pull the UDX title on the dog. I fully understand why someone would be angry about this. That dog could go back in and go through it's CD through UDX again with this conditional registration probably fairly easily. But, I would not buy a dog that had a pedigree with these conditional dogs in it. I do not agree with it at all. I think if the papers were pulled, then they should stay that way. The AKC is probably doing this, so those people won't go to the junk registry's to register their dogs. The AKC probably should start requiring bitches to be DNA'd just like dogs are in the frequently used sire program. Or maybe they should require both to be DNA'd before they even have 1 litter if they want to make sure of the DNA instead of these papers getting pulled from tons of dogs after a DNA is found to be untrue.
10. I don't know.. If there is a question about the dogs in the pedigree, I think as a registrating body, they should not register the dogs conditionally.. I don't care of the immediate parents are correct, what about the questionable ones?? Obviously the papers would say something like Conditional Registration Papers. But would the questionable dogs be marked?? Who would want to breed with these dogs with questionable dogs in their background?? Anyway to find out what the problem was before using the male as stud ??? Bad Idea I think!
11. Wait a minute ... how can there be any question about a dog already appearing in an AKC pedigree? Unless, of course, they are again reconsidering dual registries (AKC-UKC) and need a way to deal with the dogs which do not appear as purple ribbon brood-stock. Or, maybe too much of the AKC- 'FS' is coming in as 'suspect' and the AKC wants a way to register them anyway? Seems way too cunbersome to be anything BUT a means to allow suspect registration; cha-ching.