Does the AKC do home checks?

Question

Does anyone from the AKC come to a breeder's home to check and make sure that conditions are well and good to raise puppies in?

Okay, so now that I know that, on to my next question:

With all the backyard breeders and puppymillers who are using the AKC registry to their advantage, why are they not considering starting something like this?

To Kate M: As far as time goes, then why not notify breeders that spontaneous checks may happen? Say, once sometime every 1-5 years.

I agree that the task would be time-consuming, but if the AKC loves their dogs as much as they say they do, wouldn't they want to make an endeavor to improve the living quality of the dogs they have claim to?

Answer 1

The AKC does inspect a breeders home, like said above, if a stud has sired a number of litters, if the breeder has had more than 6 or 7 litters in one year, or if they have received a complaint about the kennel. AKC inspection is no big deal. I was inspected a few years ago. I did get a call from the inspector stating that he was about 1 1/2 hours away. They can just show up on the property without warning. The inspector came, and the first thing we did was go out to the dogs with his microchip scanner. I would pull a dog out, he would scan the dog and ask me the dogs call name, then we would go on to the next dog. He did not scan everyone, he scanned about 3/4 of the kennel. He made a note of what surface was used in the kennels, if the kennels were clean or not, he also made a note if the dogs had shelter and shade and if they had food and water. We then came inside, he made a note that I had a litter of pups. The rep can DNA a litter of pups if they see one, but he did not. I brought all my records out, and first he would call off a microchip number and tell me to give him the AKC registered name of the dog for that chip. He would call out a date of a litter birth, you have to find that litter in your records, and he goes over every name on your records with the names in his computer. He went through my records on my adults that had left the kennel several years back even. It is not a big deal. If you are doing everything correctly, there is nothing to worry about!! If a person refuses AKC inspection, they can get suspended and fined. The inspector that had seen me told me that he started with the kennel first because of an experience he had the year before with a breeder. I guess he went over all her records and they were wonderful. He said he had went out to his truck and printed off the passing forms, and then they went out to the kennel. Then he immediately tore the passing forms up!! Her kennel was a mess, and did not pass. I don't know what happened with that kennel. The problem with the other registries are that if a breeder gets suspended with the AKC they just register thier kennel with one of the other registries!!!! The AKC will suspend a dog for life, say if it bites a judge in the ring. The AKC can also suspend if a person abuses a dog at a show.

Answer 2

Last I knew the AKC did do kennel checks on some kennels that had either lots of pups or a stud who had lots of pups or lots of complaints but laws in states often allow the conditions the dogs are in. AKC is primarily a registering organization and the more pups registered the more $$. The fact that AKC is cracking down more is the reason there are more "homemade" kennel clubs. Joes Kennel Club registers whatever Joe feels like, he makes it up as he goes along. The PM/Petstore here had more "other" registered dogs than AKC. In my county a open packing crate and 3 foot chain was considered legal so even if AKC sees horrid conditions they can not shut a place down. AKC leaves alot to be desired but this is the USA. In Germany and other European countries the dog, say a GSD, must be titled, have decent hips and health plus temperament checked b4 being bred and only to the dog the breed warden says is OK. The pups are checked b4 8 weeks and only eligible for registration if the breed warden OKs them. The breeding rights can and are pulled if a dog produces X# of pups with problems.

Answer 3

AKC will do inspections IF a breeder has a complaint filed against them and/or if their paperwork (not just registration, a breeder has to keep other paperwork as well) isn't forthcoming when AKC asks for it or if there is a big discrepency in it, more then a certain number of litters has been produced in a year, etc.
AKC is a registering body only.. it really should be up to the parent breed clubs and their afiliates to police breeders since they have members in virtually every state and have access to areas the AKC doesn't. AKC even if it wanted to do inspections wouldn't be able to since it lacks the manpower to do so and do so effectively. Also animal welfare personell in the states need to be more up on policing breeders and owners in their respective states.

Answer 4

The AKC is a registry,, only,, this means it only serves as a record keeping body.. think of it as the state keeping a title history on your car.. They hold events, to provide a way for people to showcase and title their dogs to prove their dogs Quality.. but again its main purpose is to keep records your dogs family tree and family history..
But like the title on your car,, it does not indicate that the car was well mantained, or has problems..

Unfortunaly because it is one of the older and better known registries.. people have mistakenly decided that it also is some sort of Stamp of quality..This goes back to the idea of upper class, blue blood,, pure bloodlines.. and now with several competing registries,, yes their is a diffrence but, the effect is that the average person,, has heard of the AKC and assumes that they must be some better quality dogs, Not records like it should be..

The AKC does inspect the record keeping aspects and does on occasion do kennel checks, require DNA parantage and such..But it is only to insure the intregirty of the record keeping,, unlike some Registries that allow the you to register ANYTHING..
The overal care and health of the dogs FALLS under the USDAA, and local laws,, Local breed clubs do police their own,, unfortunaly there are far more litters registered than Any one partiular group could inspect.. For example there are MORE litters of lab puppies registered in one month than are in a year than some breeds.. it is not illigal to rase dogs like livestock, sell in pet stores, or in the paper as long as the minimum care is given to the dogs,,

There is not a simple easy way to solve this issue, as long as people mantain the general right to breed, sell, or own dogs, as they see fit..
laws limiting what dogs can be bred, who could breed and who could own dogs.. would be about the only solution.. unfortunaly any attempt so far as proven difficult to enforce, or honesly hard on the average small scale hobby breeder..

So at this point in time,, it is up to the BUYER,, to be educated, informed about dogs, and pet ownership so they do not buy dogs from bad breeders, pet stores, or themselves Just breed a litter.. to decrease the demand that allows puppy mills brokers, and back yard breeders to have a market for.


Amanda

Answer 5

AKC likes to say it's a not-for-profit organization but a lot of the stuff they do certainly make it seem untrue. They get a pretty penny from registering any purebred dog regardless of the conditions of the dog or it's home. That's most likely why they don't do home checks. It would cost them money to make sure they are only promoting good breeders and that's not a sacrifice they're willing to make. I've never heard of them checking the health of a dog. I mean, the registration is mail in. How would they check that they dog is healthy?

Answer 6

Actually the AKC is the ONLY REGISTRY WITH AN INVESTIGATIONS DEPT.
From their website:
"Investigations and Inspections Department

AKC Works to Preserve the Integrity of the Registry and the Welfare of Purebred Dogs

The American Kennel Club does a great deal more than register dogs. The AKC is the only purebred dog registry in the WORLD that maintains a systematic and sustained investigation and inspection effort to ensure compliance with standards that support the health, safety and welfare of dogs and the environment in which they are maintained.
• AKC Compliance Division Fact Sheet
• Inspections Educate Breeders and Promote Better Breeding Practices
The AKC Investigations and Inspections Department routinely conducts inspections of breeders that use the AKC registry. Any AKC customer (breeder, retail pet shop or broker) that registers 7 or more litters per year or conducts 25 or more registration transactions per year (supplemental transfer statements) is automatically added to the list for inspection. Inspections are also scheduled based on supported written complaints.

In 2005, the fourteen Executive Field Staff Inspectors performed more than 4,800 inspections. The Field Staff's approach to inspections is to educate AKC customers to improve compliance. During inspections, the inspector assists the customer in understanding the rules and regulations regarding record keeping, identification and maintaining proper care of the dogs and kennel conditions. In addition, the inspectors collect DNA samples to verify the parentage of AKC registrable litters through the DNA Compliance Audit Program.

When major deficiencies are detected in record keeping, identification or dog or kennel conditions, the customer's AKC registration privileges are immediately stopped until the customer is re-inspected and determined to be in compliance. A $250.00 fee is required prior to re-inspection. Customers who fail to correct deficiencies and maintain compliance are subject to discipline ranging from letters of reprimand to 10-year suspensions coupled with $2,000 fines. Investigators also work with local authorities to assure proper care of dogs. Fines and suspensions are published monthly in the AKC Gazette and on the AKC website in the Board minutes. Any person convicted of animal cruelty involving dogs is suspended from all AKC privileges, and their name is also published in the Board minutes.

The AKC's active role through its Investigations and Inspections department is improving the integrity of the registry and conditions for our wonderful breeds."

Answer 7

the akc cannot do home checks as they would never have time to do anything else if they did that . and they would have to send folks to school to learn what to look for . I mean considering that they probably spend most of their day entering dogs into their system . good luck. because they dont really care as much as they claim too . I think all these dog registrys are a bunch of neer do wells with nothing better to do anyway.

Answer 8

No, the AKC is all about a dogs history. Its the dogs lineage.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,It would be impossible to police. There are millions of register dogs. Just like any other organization disreputable people will always find a way to scam others.

Answer 9

AS others have said they primary concern is the linage and accuracy of paperwork. They DO occasionally do "kennel checks" - I know two breeders who have been checked, they both called it brutal...

Answer 10

No, they mostly just make sure the blood line is pure and its free of incestry. They also make sure the mother and father are in good health. They assume if the dogs are in good health they have a good home ,a reasonable assumption.