Is this a free thing or do we have to pay for it?
I read about it and looked on the site but can't figure out if it's money they want???

It doesn't cost anything. You have to meet the requirements.

Has a history of at least 5 years involvement with AKC events.
Earned at least 4 Conformation, Performance or Companion event titles on dogs they bred/co-bred.
Member of an AKC club.
Certifies that applicable health screens are performed on your breeding stock as recommended by the Parent Club.
Demonstrates a commitment to ensuring 100% of the puppies produced are AKC registered.

Thank you so much!

To me it is worthless designation. Used as a marketing tool for the unsupecting

because it shows the breeder isn't just breeding to be breeding and cares about soundness and health?

perhaps you more than likely can't meet the requirements so you poo poo it?

Nope, know too many that are dangerously close to puppy mills, falseify info to AKC and OFA and other such nonsense. Makes me leary of any breeder that has that on their website.

It's another money making scheme for the AKC.

Being a Breeder of Merit has nothing to do with puppy mills. You should know what constitutes a puppy mill. Many of us are very proud of having received that award. And, by the way, just wondering where you will go to dog shows if the AKC goes under. I can't believe the intelligence of some of these threads. And you all are so fired up about Potomac. What will charge your batteries up then if there is no longer the show of shows. Ellie

And would no doubt criticize those that don't - if it would suit your purpose.

Greg........ I've never had the pleasure of meeting you, but would certainly like you :) Love the way you say it like it is! This is exactly how I am :)

As a "pet" owner, I am grateful for an opportunity to see criteria set and followed by a breeder- I would surely value such an award in a prospective breeder. JMHO as a "pet" person.

Quote Reply Re: AKC Breeder of merit?

Nope, know too many that are dangerously close to puppy mills, falseify info to AKC and OFA and other such nonsense. Makes me leary of any breeder that has that on their website.

It's another money making scheme for the AKC.


Sounds like someone can't qualify for it, so it's easier to trash talk it than try to change their ways!!

I have not signed up for it, though I qualify -- or should I say I would qualify if I was willing to register EVERY puppy in every litter up front w/ AKC. I believe that is why they are offering it, to increase registrations, yes??? My issue w/ that is there are still plenty of pet homes who really don't care if their pup is registered w/ AKC or not. I'd rather leave that choice to my buyers, though I do encourage registration in other ways.

Bottom line though: Should we as breeders be forced to spend more money to pre-register every individual puppy in the litter basically for an AKC bail out? I think there are some possible privacy issue there to consider so am not going to jump on the bus just yet. Or maybe I totally misinterpreted the program's intent, and if so, someone enlighten me.

My puppy buyers know ahead of time that there will be AKC paperwork to complete when they come pick up their puppy. I fill most of it out ahead of time, to save time, then we complete the remainder together. They write a separate check for the registration fee, payable to me, and I send in all the registrations myself with a check for the fees they have already paid. I do this because I want them to have some pride in the fact that they purchased a puppy from a responsible breeder who researches pedigrees, shows her dogs at conformation shows to ensure that they are bred to the standard, and obtains all appropriate health clearances for the breed. I want them to have pride and an investment in the puppy. I believe the $600 newspaper ad puppies bred by someone who never wants to see the people or the puppy again after they leave his/her house are the majority of the puppies we see in the animal shelters.

I do what I can to support AKC because without them, I would just be a puppy mill producing puppies for profit and that's just a dark place that I have no interest in going to...

I'm with Anne (Windycanyon). This looks like a way to increase registrations to me. And I absolutely am eligible in all other respects. ONE single dog I bred and own has a Ch RN RA CD JH, I do all the health checks, and I am a charter member of a licensed club. I understand the argument that we should try to get all our puppies registered because the registrations support our hobbies, but I don't feel that it is ethical to force someone to register their dog for that reason. As soon as I read that last criterion, I said to myself, "Aha, that's what this is all about!" If you already register all your puppies, then you might as well go for it.

Windy Canyon( if that is your call name) and Peggy. Now I can tell you are proud of your CDs RN etc. Guess what, they came from AKC. Did you know that?? Also where would you exhibit your dogs to get the RN and all of the rest. Do you think that you would get those awards from anywhere else. The dog shows are run and managed by AKC so where could you go to show your dogs and trash other breeders and their dogs if there was no AKC show??????? Registrations do not cost that much. All of our puppy people love to have a well bred AKC registered dog. We need to support the AKC unless you have another organization who will do all that they do. ellie

That's funny! I thought it was hilarious that the poster recited the long list of ***AKC*** titles, then goes on to pooh-pooh the idea of keeping AKC in business.

I am glad I show both AKC and UKC. There is always another option out there for me and it will not be the end of the world for me if the AKC goes bankrupt.

In regards to the OP- I like the program except they require 100% of all puppies produced to be AKC registered. Not all pet people care to mail in that registration form. They care more that they are purchasing a healthy puppy from a reputable breeder. I agree with Ann and Peggy that the program is all about the $$$.

That is not true at all, you just have to have the majority registered which shows you do attempt to get them registered, but they do not all have to be, that is not a requirement. And also you have had to bred 4 seperate dogs with AKC titles, not one dog with 4 titles. They also offer discounts on litter registrations if you are part of the program.

Does it matter what type titles- such as if I had 4 dogs with 4 RN titles, would that count?

I don't get it. Is having the puppies you produce AKC registered not a good thing? When I sell puppies, I have the buyers fill out the papers and write a check payable to the AKC for registration and the "Lost and Found" option. The buyers pay and it costs me 44 cents to mail it to the AKC.

Well, sure you might do some things differently than the AKC, but don't you benefit from other things they do? For instance, it irks me that the AKC wants an extra $10 if the name you choose takes over 36 spaces. That does seem petty, but even so, I wish them well. Why not support this organization. We are all in this together.

Yes, that would count, could be conformation, obedience or performance titles. Shows you are doing something more with your dogs than just breeding.

I am all for encouraging buyers to register their dogs and to participate in AKC events. Most of my buyers do register the dogs, but I have had some buyers who specifically do not want to register their dog. I think it should be their option. For instance, I donate dogs to a service organization that does not want to register them, and that doesn't bother me. To be legal for AKC, the ownership of the dog would have to be changed four times, at least, as the dog transfers from me to the area representative, then to the foster parent, then back to headquarters, and finally to the recipient of the dog. As for having all the titles on one dog, I was just responding to the poster who thought that people like Anne (Windycanyon) were sour graping because they weren't eligible. She meets all the requirements, and so do I. In fact, I can off the top of my head think of 20 AKC titled dogs I have bred. Every time one of those dogs was shown a fee went to AKC. If those fees weren't high enough to support the cost to AKC of sponsoring the event, then maybe AKC needs to raise those fees. I don't think they've gone up recently. I think it is fine if breeders want to participate in the Breeders of Merit program, but the criteria for membership make the purpose of the program obvious. It is a money raising effort, and, assuming that breeders pass the costs along to their puppy buyers as you describe, it is directed at people who don't directly benefit.

I do not understand why someone always has to come on here and try and be a BUZZ kill! If you do not like the Program then don't apply and don't worry about those that do. I want my pups reg. no matter how many times they are transfered because I REALLY like to keep track of what I breed the best I can. If I or the new owner can't afford a Reg. fee, then how can they afford a Vet bill? You should read a bit more about ALL perks associated with the Program. I think it is a nice addition to AKC. To each is own.

Woo Hoo! Got mine today!!!!

I don't Think this is true. I qualified with 3 dogs. One is a GrCH so it counts for 2. 1 CH, 1 GRCh,CH and 1 CD.

One of the criteria that my letter from the AKC says is, "demonstration of commitment to AKC registering 100% of the puppies produced".

That sounds like they require you to register all your puppies, not just "a majority" or "showing you attempt to get them registered".

It would seem they want us to register entire litters.

I'm not arguing what their motives are, or whether we should support them, or anything else; but, this appears to be where many breeders are going to have an issue.

I am a fan of AKC too, you bet. In fact, I just did a quick count of AKC titles (actual titles, not CGC or other fluff) earned here in the past 13 yrs and came up w/ 44, though I may have missed a few. There are at least 5 more titles needing 1 more Q a piece to finish (likely )once spring comes and trials/tests resume. These aren't all novice level titles, btw-- I'm on generation 5 of CDX JH+++ titled dogs, and am working dogs at the Open/Excellent levels of agility as well in my spare time. So to infer I'm not doing my fair share of "keeping AKC in business" just made me roll on the floor laughing!

In today's mail, I rec'd another invitation to "join" the program. It was sent by Mr Sprung (has a current salary of over > $625,000 plus >$100K in other compensation) and John Lyons, COO, who has a total annual salary/compensation package of ~$400,000.

I'm not sure about you, but if I couldn't personally afford to do business in a fancy office building in NYC or pay the salaries/overhead they have been for yrs, I think I'd be thinking of different ways to make ends meet (perhaps move everyone to the Raleigh location?). The whole breeder of merit program may have impressed me a few years ago, but I still believe as long as this is a free country, our puppy buyers should not be forced to pay for something they may not want. I used to be a CGC evaluator until they started to charge the evaluators for the "privilege" of volunteering too. Next they attempted to make AKC judges pay annual fees for the privilege of judging-- this after they'd already invested $1000's annually into gaining that status. That said, I do still *encourage* registration and participation in such programs as CGC, etc, but won't spend any more out of pocket than I already have to on registrations beyond the litter registration and my own dogs' registrations.

For those still not convinced, have you read this? http://justsaynotohighakcjudgesfees.wordpress.com/akc-salaries-seriously-here-is-where-the-fat-can-be-trimmed/
The sad fact is that the stock market crashed and now the AKC piggy bank is skinniere. Most of us react to such by tightening our belts, but they instead are asking more of us. I'll continue to support the titling venues, but I have to draw the line somewhere. Anne

That may be a lot of money to you and me but the big execs in the business world commonly make that kind of money. I suppose you are going to stop buying products from Proctor and Gamble, Purina, and McDonalds. Quit your bitching!

Agree! That is a 'reasonable' income vs most of the executives in large companies for BASE salary. If you add what the execs get in stock options, i.e. millions, then the AKC doesn't pay much. Not saying it's right or wrong - just a fact.

Well, I was accepted in the program and 100% of my puppies are not registered due to various reasons.

I am not sure why AKC is pushing this concept so hard. At least for now, there is no money for them in it. Time will tell. This week I received a letter from AKC advising me that I qualified for this program and would I please submit the application. If they already know who we are, why not just send the certificate? I guess they need you to sign the statement that you will register all pups from your litters

Yup. My thoughts exactly, oldtimer. It's about increasing registration (income) and that's all.

And for those who don't think those wages are high, for a dog sport organization that is NOT developing new products or technology, I beg to differ.

Your argument holds about as much water as a strainer. Proctor and Gamble, etc., are commercial operations who have stock that trades on one of the exchanges. AKC is a membership organization, probably with non-profit status, and is as different from those companies you mentioned as night and day. When you get off your high horse look up salaries of the President and COO of organizations with similar make up: national, standards-based membership organizations - if you can't think of any then quit YOUR bitchin'.

I did a little research online, and according to the most recently available IRS Form 5500 filed by their respective organizations here are the CEO salaries as a percent of total revenue, and the total revenue of their organization:

AKC .9%, $68.5MM
AICPA .6% $209.4MM
American Heart Assoc. .2% $644.9MM
American Cancer Society .5% $429.4MM
NEA .1% $341MM

So, as a percent of revenue, Dennis Sprung is paid nine times what his counterpart for the NEA is paid, for running an organization with only 20% of the revenue of the NEA.

He is paid 50% more than his counterpart for the American Institute of CPAs, for running an organization with only 33% of the revenue of the AICPA.

He is paid more than 4 times what his counterpart at the American Heart Association is paid for running an organization with only 11% of the revenue of the American Heart Association.

These guys are paid on a much higher scale than their counterparts who are running much larger organizations - and they are most certainly NOT behaving as executives in a non-profit enterprise whose core mission is in jeopardy. This makes me just sick - and I haven't even priced out real estate in Manhattan - is there any doubt that the cost of having offices at 55 Madison Avenue is out of sight?

Bottom line, anyone who is "bitchin' " about this issue is more than entitled.

Oh yeah. I forgot. Perhaps I should have compared Sprung and the AKC to a charitable organization. Maybe Pacelle and the HSUS.

Quote of the day: "It is better to be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt."

You should take your own advice.

Ok, the CEO income to revenue ratio (if true) is shocking and I surely would be upset if I were a breeder. I wonder how the Board of this organization explains such information?

[quote="pet" owner & member of AKC]Ok, the CEO income to revenue ratio (if true) is shocking and I surely would be upset if I were a breeder. I wonder how the Board of this organization explains such information?[/quote]

How can you be a member of the AKC? Its not the kind of club you join.

Let me clarify- I have dogs registered through AKC, I pay the registration for those dogs, I participate in AKC events, thus I think of it as a membership (JMHO).

I guess I don't qualify for this program yet with 3 champions from 2 litters. I now have my 4th litter on the ground in 12 years. But when I do qualify I will do it for sure. I am writing because I just find it so amusing how people will not use their name when they are saying nasty and inappropriate comments. What happened to if you don't have something nice to say
don't say it at all. To those of you that do that you are classless and worthless people that don't have enough guts to say something without hiding. It's sad because you ruin the conversion for the rest of us.

Here's the website; you can get the information from the Form 990 of any organization required to file one. I think I said Form 5500 before - that's for Pension Plans. The financial information is on the 990. The search function is a link on the upper right of the page.

http://www.eri-nonprofit-salaries.com/index.cfm

I believe that AKC came to the realization that the hobby breeders have the ability to bring in a large amount of revenue just by making sure that all the puppies they produced got registered. Many of the puppies I have personally produced have not been registered over the years. I would send these puppies home with their litter registration forms for the owners to fill out and send in, but many just don't do it. I don't believe they think it is a bad thing to do they just forget to send them. My last litters I told the puppy people that I would be filling out the AKC paperwork when they came to get their puppy and to decide on a name as I would be sending in the registration for them. Everyone was fine with that and actually honored to have an AKC registered puppy.
AKC has some major financial issues and they are working to find ways to make up the lost revenues from the puppy mill litters that have gone to other registeries so they don't have to comply with the inspection policy of AKC. There is nothing wrong with that. I hope this plan works for them so they continue to offer us all of the benefits of registration and events. Yes they have some internal belt tightening they should be doing, and it will likely come to that eventually, but for now this is the best idea I have seen and will do my part to make it work. I enjoy showing my dogs and finishing titles on them. I love going to specialties. I enjoy judging Labradors and would hate to see all of that end. Lets look at the whole picture instead of fault judging.

What "My Take" said!

Here in Canada, we always have to register ALL our puppies that are sold, at our expense, ckc mails the entire litter worth of certificates to us, and we have 6 months to in turn, mail them to our individual buyers, otherwise, we can be disciplined by ckc.

The cost of this has risen substantially over the years. Having our buyers send in the paperwork just isn't an option.

We have a criteria that we can meet in order to have the word "Perm" after our kennel name (permanent), with some similarity in the requirements.

When I first saw the promo's for the Breeder of Merit program, I looked with interest. I felt that it was a way for AKC to get more puppies registered which is great. Now, my problem with the program is that some of the breeders in the program are using the title to promote themselves and sell more puppies. There are breeders in the program who are routinely breeding dogs without clearances, breeding 12 month old bitches to 12 month old dogs and having a new litter each month. Yet they are advertising that they are a Breeder of Merit which looks good to the uninformed pet puppy buyer. I just do not like the 'feel' for this.

Sounds to me like it's one more thing reputable Breeders have to educate the public about. Just like the rare silvers, the "vet said" clearances, the cheaper puppies, etc.

Not that all Breeders who choose to take part in it are in the above categories, but they COULD be and still get the designation, and the buyer naturally thinks it's a credential.

It's always something............

Well I would certainly like to know who is doing this????????

You do not have to register all the puppies you produce. You have to register the litters and do the best to educate and ask your new owners to register the puppies with the application you give them. There is no way you can affirm that you've register all the puppies you've produced or will produce.
If you've had only 1-2 litters, then you are not really a breeder of merit, not because you are not doing it right; but because you are not doing it enough. It doesn't mean that there aren't breeders that have produced their 4 titles in just 1 litter or just 1 dog.
Yes, you can qualify with 1 dog that is a GrCh and has a JH and a RN title for example.
A breeder that have produced 4 titles in any amount of litters, must be doing something right and definitely much better than any BYB or puppy mill.
As usual people is talking without having all the facts and trashing others for no reason.