Honest feedback on this subject from other responsible breeders would be greatly appreciated. Every puppy of my breeding who is placed as a companion goes with 'Limited' AKC registration and a written spay/neuter agreement. This has been my practice for 15+ years and I see no reason to change it. What are my peers doing in this regard these days?

All mine go out and have for years on AKC Limited. Pet familys do not care. They don't want to show or breed. I never have anyone say anything anymore. Some do obedience or therapy and love that.

My families actually comment that they appreciate that I try to prevent careless breeding by selling with AKC limited and spay/neuter agreement. Now only if UKC respected that and kept it limited when dogs are dual registered.

Always on limited. I explain what it is and why I do it upfront. Only had 1 or 2 balk about it through the years and they were not people I would have wanted to sell a puppy to anyway since they had ulterior motives than just a companion. Had a case where the puppy was turning out nicely and the owner became involved in my club and did all health clearances, so I lifted the limited so the dog could be shown and it ended up finishing.

Me too. Why change?

I also sell on limited, but now have seen a boy that I'd like to show. How does one lift the limited registration?

Concerning why to use limited; I sold a girl many years ago before there was limited registration or a test for PRA. She was at risk for PRA, and I cautioned the buyer that he had to come to me if he ever bred her so that I could help with stud selection. Well, several years later he did come to me - because he was having trouble selling her puppies sired by his neighbor's Lab! I had not been told of the breeding before then. If she had been sold on limited registration, he might still have bred her, but at least there would have been no papers with my pedigrees on them. And maybe he would have come to me to have me lift the limited registration and I could have at least made sure she had all appropriate clearances and helped with stud dog selection.

Here you go Peggy... http://www.akc.org/pdfs/remlimit.pdf

Thanks for sending the link to this thread, Nicole. AKC has provided breeders with the wonderful tool of 'Limited' registration. If we truly love our breed and want to preserve the good that generations of responsible breeders before us have accomplished, we will use this tool.

Does anyone disagree?

I have reversed registration on puppies before, after certain conditions are met.

The only 'breeders' you will find that will disagree but most won't reply to your question are those that charge a large amount more per puppy on full registration. You'll see for example on their websites, $2500 limited, $3500 full. It's all about the Benjmains.

There are several well known breeders that show their dogs alot doing the same without advertising it on their websites. If you call 1 of them, their hired help will state price is sometimes as high as $3500 or higher for a pup because they state their pups are special. They then charge an extra fee of $800 to $1500 for full registration. They don't interview the buyer to see what they'll be doing with the dog once they hit 2 years of age. It's usually a young, employee handling this for the breeder. Nor do they explain clearances or when the buyer should or shouldn't breed, sometimes a print out is given with the puppy packet. No explanations by the breeder themselves. If the puppy doesn't pass OFA clearances or has severe health problems, if try to get any help or a replacement pup after spending close to $5000 for the pup they're out of luck.

I personally know of a few, large volume breeders that do this, get away with it within the Lab community as they show several of their dogs constantly. So noone says much about those that show, except behind closed doors where they beat them up verbally but never try to self police.

There are others where it can be read on their websites that do minimal or no showing and are just considered puppy mills. They sometimes have what they call whites. Others have silver and charcoal weim mixes. Some stick to the normal black, yellow and chocolate labradors. If you surf the web, you'll find them especially in the central U.S.

Then there are ''programs'' where the breeder gives the bitch puppy for free, discounted or full priced. Then then expect a certain amount of litters back, usually 2 to 3. So the bitch pet is sent back to the original breeder 2 or 3 times for a breeding & then a week before whelping. They send her back to her family when the pups are weaned.

Those are the only ones I know of that do not insist on limited registration for a pet or companion puppy. I feel this is absolute greed & shameful.

While Limited is a great too, one that we use as well, it does absolutely NOTHING to prevent that wonderfully deceptive family from getting creative and making some Labradoodles.... Know of a breeder this happened to (saw her dog online on a website & was mortified) and had our lawyer draw up some verbiage that specifies damages of "x" amount if the dog is ever bred or produces any offspring; additionally, it also gives you the right to repossess the dog without due notice. Sure, someone could still breed if they wanted to, but this is sure a good way to discourage someone who might even be thinking about it-- and if this causes them to go elsewhere for a dog, so be it.

There are some that will breed a bitch or dog and sell the puppies with no AKC papers or use one of the fake registries. Unfortunately, limited doesn't avoid that.

Our gut feelings with potential buyers is all that might avoid it.

If I get a gut feeling I shouldn't allow someone to have a pup, I don't sell to them. They're usually the ones that carry on and want to know why and torture us with calls and emails. It makes me wonder even more then.

This is true. 'Limited' registration does not insure that the pup placed as a pet will never be bred. However, along with a thoughtfully worded written agreement and plenty of education, it is the best tool we currently have.

Please trust your gut. AND Please don't just litter. Use limiteds. If worried about other registries, don't allow them on companion pups until neutered. Have damages and consequences written into the contract. It really saddens me to see what pedigrees show up in commercial kennels even today with limited registrations. Rescue can't help them all.

I think a lot of nice pedigrees end in commercial or puppy mill lines because some give stud service to anyone. Sometimes it is hard to find out what a kennel is really doing.

Locally we have a Labrador and poodle kennel which also shows conformation. Website looks fine but I recently came across an ad for Labradoodles from that breeder. The Labradoodles have their own website. She has some really well known chocolate Labrador studs in her Labradoodle lines, she also has finished poodles. She gets stud service from some great Chocolates to breed to her own Labradors and then those pups are bred to her poodles. She does the same with the poodles. I can just see a good breeder agreeing to stud service at a show and not knowing what is really happening. It's a serious thing for the breed to offer stud service, a big responsibility. Even the most diligent can't always find out or know what a kennel does with their lines.