AKC UKC ASCA ASDR NSDR NKC CKC APR- What does it all mean?
The short answer is...nothing really.
The Australian Shepherd is quickly becoming one of the most popular family pets, probably because of their wonderful temperaments, intelligence, agility, beauty and ability to do almost anything. But, just like any breed that is rising in popularity, there comes the danger of backyard breeders and puppy mills that will breed anything with or without papers, real or fake, to make a buck.
The American Kennel Club sets what is called the breed standard. That is the standard in which an Aussie should meet before being considered for breeding. There is no such thing as the perfect dog. But, breeders should strive toward the breed standard in each litter. As a breeder, I only want to pass along the desirable traits. I want to weed out any undesirable traits, i.e. timidity, aggressiveness, bad feet, prick ears or excessive white by spaying/neutering those puppies who do not meet the 'breed standard'. I have to ask, 'what is this female/male contributing to the breed?' It makes my stomach turn when I read advertisements for 'rare' color. Now, just because an Aussie is a bit small or extra large, has excessive white trim or has ears that stand up doesn't make it less of an Aussie, but, it does mean that it should never be bred. When you go to pick out your puppy, don't be fooled by breeders who claim that ALL their puppies are AKC standard and ALL their puppies could be in the show ring or breeding program simply because they have papers. This is simply a misinformed breeder at best or a flagrant liar who wants your money more than anything else at worst. Registries are very important when it comes to breeding. It helps us keep track of bloodlines so we don't inadvertently cross two dogs that are closely related and it helps trace and weed out any health defects. But, registration papers in and of themselves do not make a puppy.
The National Stock Dog Registry or NSDR is the original registry for the australian shepherd. Their records go back to the very foundation of the breed. American Kennel Club or AKC recognized the Aussie in 1993. ASCA is Australian Shepherd Club of America. ASCA was established as the parent club for the breed in 1957 and is a highly respected registry. ASCA requires DNA testing, which I greatly appreciate. When you see a dog that is NSDR you can expect a dog that is highly motivated, extremely intelligent, athletic beyond belief, smaller stature, fiercely loyal and protective. Those traits come from the working lines. And this is where Aussies get their drive to herd. When you see a puppy that is AKC, you can expect more symmetrical markings with more white trim, longer, thicker hair, more laid back personalities in general. ASCA puppies are built like AKC but work like NSDR. ASDR is American Stock Dog Registry. ASDR became popular when NSDR's customer service went to pot. NSDR just never made it to the 21st century. Last I checked, it was one woman in the office and she preferred snail mail... they became almost irrelevant over time. I don't know what ever happened to NSDR, I switched to AKC over 15 years ago. ASDR is acceptable if both parents are ASDR and DNA profiled. I would want to see a 3 generation pedigree on an ASDR puppy just to verify one of the parents wasn't 'hardshipped' in.
UKC or United Kennel Club is as reputable as AKC. Although not as popular as AKC, they are a solid registry. They sponsor shows, competitions, all the things just like AKC and they uphold the same breed standards. I have found that UKC is much more beginner friendly for a novice in showing or competing. Over the years I have come to prefer UKC over AKC for various reasons.
Now...to address the issue of CKC or Continental Kennel Club. There is a couple of reasons why a puppy is registered CKC. The obvious reason is because one or both of the parents is not registered but the owner bred anyway and now they need to get their hands on some papers to appear legit to the uneducated buyer. CKC will accept any dog without proof of bloodline. They literally ask no questions and for a minimal fee and very little effort, a backyard breeder will have some kind of registration papers giving buyers a false sense of security. If a dog is being used for breeding and does not have legit registration papers, i.e. AKC, ASCA, UKC,NSDR or ASDR there is a reason. Probably because that dog was sold as a pet only puppy from a breeder and the new owner is disregarding that agreement and breeding anyway or they bought a female and their next door neighbor's cousin has a good looking male that they can use and make some money.
The American Kennel Club sets what is called the breed standard. That is the standard in which an Aussie should meet before being considered for breeding. There is no such thing as the perfect dog. But, breeders should strive toward the breed standard in each litter. As a breeder, I only want to pass along the desirable traits. I want to weed out any undesirable traits, i.e. timidity, aggressiveness, bad feet, prick ears or excessive white by spaying/neutering those puppies who do not meet the 'breed standard'. I have to ask, 'what is this female/male contributing to the breed?' It makes my stomach turn when I read advertisements for 'rare' color. Now, just because an Aussie is a bit small or extra large, has excessive white trim or has ears that stand up doesn't make it less of an Aussie, but, it does mean that it should never be bred. When you go to pick out your puppy, don't be fooled by breeders who claim that ALL their puppies are AKC standard and ALL their puppies could be in the show ring or breeding program simply because they have papers. This is simply a misinformed breeder at best or a flagrant liar who wants your money more than anything else at worst. Registries are very important when it comes to breeding. It helps us keep track of bloodlines so we don't inadvertently cross two dogs that are closely related and it helps trace and weed out any health defects. But, registration papers in and of themselves do not make a puppy.
The National Stock Dog Registry or NSDR is the original registry for the australian shepherd. Their records go back to the very foundation of the breed. American Kennel Club or AKC recognized the Aussie in 1993. ASCA is Australian Shepherd Club of America. ASCA was established as the parent club for the breed in 1957 and is a highly respected registry. ASCA requires DNA testing, which I greatly appreciate. When you see a dog that is NSDR you can expect a dog that is highly motivated, extremely intelligent, athletic beyond belief, smaller stature, fiercely loyal and protective. Those traits come from the working lines. And this is where Aussies get their drive to herd. When you see a puppy that is AKC, you can expect more symmetrical markings with more white trim, longer, thicker hair, more laid back personalities in general. ASCA puppies are built like AKC but work like NSDR. ASDR is American Stock Dog Registry. ASDR became popular when NSDR's customer service went to pot. NSDR just never made it to the 21st century. Last I checked, it was one woman in the office and she preferred snail mail... they became almost irrelevant over time. I don't know what ever happened to NSDR, I switched to AKC over 15 years ago. ASDR is acceptable if both parents are ASDR and DNA profiled. I would want to see a 3 generation pedigree on an ASDR puppy just to verify one of the parents wasn't 'hardshipped' in.
UKC or United Kennel Club is as reputable as AKC. Although not as popular as AKC, they are a solid registry. They sponsor shows, competitions, all the things just like AKC and they uphold the same breed standards. I have found that UKC is much more beginner friendly for a novice in showing or competing. Over the years I have come to prefer UKC over AKC for various reasons.
Now...to address the issue of CKC or Continental Kennel Club. There is a couple of reasons why a puppy is registered CKC. The obvious reason is because one or both of the parents is not registered but the owner bred anyway and now they need to get their hands on some papers to appear legit to the uneducated buyer. CKC will accept any dog without proof of bloodline. They literally ask no questions and for a minimal fee and very little effort, a backyard breeder will have some kind of registration papers giving buyers a false sense of security. If a dog is being used for breeding and does not have legit registration papers, i.e. AKC, ASCA, UKC,NSDR or ASDR there is a reason. Probably because that dog was sold as a pet only puppy from a breeder and the new owner is disregarding that agreement and breeding anyway or they bought a female and their next door neighbor's cousin has a good looking male that they can use and make some money.
Registries are a good thing for every breed. Accurate record keeping is important for many reasons in every breed. Do not disregard the importance of legit registries. Don't be offended if a breeder only offers limited registration or no papers at all. A ton of work goes into breeding and building the next generation and not everyone makes the cut. You want a healthy, balanced puppy with parents that made the cut. Always ask to see the parents pedigree regardless of registry. And make sure the names match. Breeders should supply a 3-generation pedigree for both dam and sire. Breeders should also supply a copy of dam and sire genetic testing. If the breeder says the dam and sire are 'cleared by parentage' then ask to see those tests and make sure the names match. 'Cleared by parentage' is only for the pup on the ground, the dam and sire must have their own genetic testing in order to say 'cleared by parentage'. That's how you know if a breeder cares about the breed and it's future. If a breeder's biggest accomplishment is AKC papers...run. A well bred dog will have genetic testing. Period. An honest breeder will genetically test their breeding pairs with no excuses.
AKC sets the standard in the dog world. But they do not verify or police registrants. It is an honor system. So again, just because a dog has papers, does not mean that it's actually the dog on the paper. The most common practice of fraud is breeders registering an extra pup or two in a litter and then assigning that registration to a dog that doesn't have papers. It's an all too common practice among unethical breeders. So if all a breeder has is AKC papers and that is their claim to fame, run. I would trust an ASDR litter with genetic testing over an AKC with no genetic testing. As a pet owner, it's the genes you care about, not the paper. Another paperwork scam unethical breeders run is using long, sometimes foreign and complicated names on paperwork and then say the 'call name' is so and so. 99% of the time the call name is different because those same papers are used for every female they have.
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A MINI OR TOY AUSSIE. Never has been. There has always been small aussies but they were aussies, just small. Then folks got hell bent on breeding the small to the small as market demand grew. Over time all the other faults started emerging. Sled feet, prick ears, etc. And size was a crap shoot. Unethical breeders became impatient and wanted in on the trend and demand for small aussies. Other breeds were brought in to guarantee the small size. You will never see an AKC registered Mini or Toy Aussie, because it does not exist. AKC opted to create a completely new breed known as Miniature American Shepherd. The Mini American is actually bred from small aussies. Toys and Minis are mixed. I suspect Sheltie, Papillion and Pomeranian. But who knows!
PawPrint Genetics offers a simple cheek swab for DNA profiling. PawPrint has recenty been acquired by NEOGEN. Same company, different name.
AKC sets the standard in the dog world. But they do not verify or police registrants. It is an honor system. So again, just because a dog has papers, does not mean that it's actually the dog on the paper. The most common practice of fraud is breeders registering an extra pup or two in a litter and then assigning that registration to a dog that doesn't have papers. It's an all too common practice among unethical breeders. So if all a breeder has is AKC papers and that is their claim to fame, run. I would trust an ASDR litter with genetic testing over an AKC with no genetic testing. As a pet owner, it's the genes you care about, not the paper. Another paperwork scam unethical breeders run is using long, sometimes foreign and complicated names on paperwork and then say the 'call name' is so and so. 99% of the time the call name is different because those same papers are used for every female they have.
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A MINI OR TOY AUSSIE. Never has been. There has always been small aussies but they were aussies, just small. Then folks got hell bent on breeding the small to the small as market demand grew. Over time all the other faults started emerging. Sled feet, prick ears, etc. And size was a crap shoot. Unethical breeders became impatient and wanted in on the trend and demand for small aussies. Other breeds were brought in to guarantee the small size. You will never see an AKC registered Mini or Toy Aussie, because it does not exist. AKC opted to create a completely new breed known as Miniature American Shepherd. The Mini American is actually bred from small aussies. Toys and Minis are mixed. I suspect Sheltie, Papillion and Pomeranian. But who knows!
PawPrint Genetics offers a simple cheek swab for DNA profiling. PawPrint has recenty been acquired by NEOGEN. Same company, different name.