What’s the Kennel Club’s Code of Ethics?
Membership of The Kennel Club brings with it a Code of Ethics that members are required to follow. To give an example from the Code, all breeders must make sure that any dogs under their care are properly housed, exercised, fed and watered.
Another clause stipulates that registered breeders should only offer dogs for sale if they are reasonably confident that the animal has a happy, healthy life in store. The seller should commit to helping to rehome the dog if those circumstances change. On top of this, clauses are sometimes added to the Code, which are specific to one or more breeds.
What is a breed standard?
Each breed of dog has its own breed standard. You can look up the various breed standards on the Kennel Club website. This is, essentially, a detailed description of how a healthy dog of that particular breed should look. This includes their appearance, movement style (or gait), and their behaviour or temperament.
Can a cockapoo be KC registered?
If you have bred a Cockapoo and the mother or father was a Poodle or Cocker Spaniel then you can register the litter with the Kennel Club (KC). If you have mated a Cockapoo with another Cockapoo then you will not be able to register it with the KC as they only acknowledge pure breeds.
The Kennel Club launched the Companion Dog Club to enable owners of companion dogs, including crossbreeds, rescue dogs and purebred dogs with no recorded parentage details, to enjoy the benefits of being registered with the Kennel Club.
A pedigree certificate is a family tree and will usually show four or five generations. It begins on the left with the individual dog or litter and moves one column to the right with each earlier generation, giving the registered names of the ancestors. Dogs that have won titles are in red writing.