How to Join the American Kennel Club

By eHow Pets Editor

Instructions

Step 1:
Buy a pure-bred puppy from a reputable breeder. Never buy a puppy, pure-bred or otherwise, from a pet store. They buy their dogs from puppy mills, which breed dogs under deplorable conditions.
Step 2:
Obtain the American Kennel Club registration paperwork from the breeder. Make sure the breeder has completed the appropriate information.
Step 3:
Complete your registration paperwork. You can do this by completing the form you received from the breeder and mailing it to the American Kennel Club. Alternately, you can opt to complete the registration online using the club's interactive registration tool.
Step 4:
Register an entire litter if you are a breeder. The litter must be the offspring off an AKC-registered sire and an AKC-registered dame of the same breed, and the litter must be born in the U.S.
Step 5:
Opt to register during open registration. Sometimes the American Kennel Club admits new breeds to its ranks. Following the entry of the new breed, the club allows U.S. residents who own U.S.-born dogs of that breed to register their dogs for a limited period of time. Other requirements are listed on the American Kennel Club website.
Step 6:
Check on the status of your American Kennel Club registration using the club's interactive online registration status tracking tool.

Tips & Warnings

You can download forms directly from the American Kennel Club's website.

Resources

American Kennel Club

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