The Jamaica Kennel Club (JKC) has as its goal the preservation, improvement and promotion of the various dog breeds in Jamaica. As part of that goal we encourage registration of all purebred dogs. As such, our constitution and rules, and in fact our FB page is designed with the primary objective of the Club pursuing those goals.
Persons are always asking why a registered vs an unregistered dog, what’s the difference? This has recently brought into question why it is that we promote and encourage the use of registration. In effect, why a registered vs an unregistered dog? To answer that question, one must first understand what is registration.
What is registration?
Registration is the process by which each puppy is recorded in an organization’s (e.g. The Jamaica Kennel Club) registration database. The database issues and keeps records of the name of the breed, colour, date of birth, sex, registered pedigree name (this includes the kennel name followed by the dog’s official registered name), Jamaica Kennel Club registration number, microchip number (if applicable), name and address and signature of the breeder and owner. Five generations of ancestors are recorded by registered pedigree name and whether a dog has achieved championship status, working trials titles, obedience titles etc. Health status, where applicable is also recorded to include DNA, Hip/Elbow scores and Haemophilia testing as examples.
Registration as a breeding tool.
Other than the obvious advantage of identifying yourself as the legal owner of a dog having regard to being registered as the owner of an identifiable dog, there are other advantages to registration. The main advantage of registration is identity and traceability of a puppy’s ancestors and the breeder’s details. Serious breeders would appreciate that this database of traceability is critical in breeding dogs of high quality that are also healthy. Serious breeders know and appreciate that the results from breeding is not solely determined by the sire and dam which is right in front of the breeder’s eyes, but also by the ancestors of the sire and dam. As such, it goes without saying that the record of generations of parentage carry a heavy influence in decisions breeders make in who to mate their dogs to. In general, though it is not a determinative factor, serious breeders who care to breed high quality and healthy dogs tend to have and use registration databases in their breeding programme.
