What registration is
A JKC registration says three things: this dog exists, these were its parents, and both of them were themselves registered. It does not say the dog is healthy, well bred, or a good example of its breed. Those are separate questions, and the club is careful not to let a registration be mistaken for an answer to them.
Registering a litter
Litters are registered by the breeder, not by the puppy buyers, and they are registered as a litter rather than one puppy at a time. Both parents must already be on the register, they must be the same breed, and the sire must be a dog and the dam a bitch on the club’s own records.
This can now be done online. The form asks for each parent’s registered name and registration number, the whelping date, the kennel affix, and every puppy’s name and sex. The completed registration form is attached as a PDF, because the signature on that form is the breeder’s declaration that the mating details are true.
Worth knowing
A submission is not a registration. Every litter is reviewed by a registrar, and it is approval — not submission — that issues the numbers.
Fees
The fee depends on whether the breeder is a member and whether the litter is registered before the puppies are eight weeks old. Registering late costs more, deliberately: a puppy should go to its new home with its paperwork already done.
Transfers
When a dog changes hands, the registration is transferred to the new owner. The breeder signs the transfer section of the registration card and the new owner sends it to the office. A dog whose registration was never transferred is still registered — but the register still shows the breeder as the owner, which matters if the dog is ever bred from or disputed.
Checking a registration
Anyone can confirm a registration using the number and the dog’s date of birth. That is deliberately two pieces of information: a register you can simply browse is a gift to anyone forging a card.