# Limited AKC vs Full AKC Registration



## Mommy2Laci (Nov 19, 2013)

I am a bit confused as to what a limited registration is vs a full registration? Is there even such a thing as limited?

I am looking at a female pup in my area that says a limited registration (no breeding or showing) on this pup would be less ($300) than full registration. Does this mean they would not give me akc papers on a limited? 

When I got Laci, the breeder gave me the akc registration papers, I filled them out and registered her. It cost about $35 to do this. I am not showing or breeding Laci, but I still registered her. I don't recall there being a limited registration, so this leads me to think for this new pup, I would not be given papers at all and would have to sign a personal contract saying I would not breed or show. 

Can someone please explain?


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## Trisha (Aug 8, 2014)

This is the info from AKC site you can go there and read more. Limited Registration

"Limited Registration means that the dog is registered but no litters produced by that dog are eligible for registration.

Limited Registration helps breeders protect their breeding programs. If breeders do not want puppies used for breeding purposes, they can request the Limited Registration option for those puppies."


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## Trisha (Aug 8, 2014)

Just to add, when you received your registration papers from the breeder, he/she would have checked a box or wrote in "Limited Registration". And as explained on the AKC site, that if you registered your dog as you said you did, you would receive a registration certificate that would be white with an orange border. In the top right corner it would say* "Offspring of this dog not eligible for Registration".*


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## Sylie (Apr 4, 2011)

Um, I don't want to upset you, but no reputable breeder gives you full registration unless it is with a contract to show. The breeder who is offering you an option on the same puppy is not an ethical breeder. By giving registration with breeding rights she is contributing to the problem of recklessly bred Maltese. Please don't get a puppy from a back yard breeder who breeds for money without consideration for maintaining the integrity of the Maltese breed.


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## Ann Mother (Dec 18, 2013)

That's right when I bought my Fox Terrier I signed a contract to show her until she finished.


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## mdbflorida (Feb 28, 2013)

In addition to the limited registration they would require you to neuter or spay as part of the contract. It is how they protect their lines.


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## CloudClan (Jan 31, 2007)

I am concerned about any breeder that would charge a pet buyer $300 more for full registration. Full registration should be something based on the interest of the buyer showing (and perhaps eventually breeding). If the dog is sold for show, that might increase the price, but the price should not increase based on the types of papers received. Most reputable breeders only sell puppies on limited registration unless there is a mentorship system in place with the intention to help the buyer show the dog. Limited registration is something the AKC devised to allow breeders to protect their dogs and their lines from being bred without proper guidelines being followed. The limited registration is valid. It allows the puppy buyer to be assured of the pedigree of the dog and allows the dog to compete in all companion and performance events. The only restriction is that they cannot be shown in conformation (which is a test of breeding stock) or bred.


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## Mommy2Laci (Nov 19, 2013)

Sylie said:


> Um, I don't want to upset you, but no reputable breeder gives you full registration unless it is with a contract to show. The breeder who is offering you an option on the same puppy is not an ethical breeder. By giving registration with breeding rights she is contributing to the problem of recklessly bred Maltese. Please don't get a puppy from a back yard breeder who breeds for money without consideration for maintaining the integrity of the Maltese breed.


How is it reckless breeding if all of them are AKC registered? I thought AKC registry is what protects the breed? Is it because cross breeds have become so popular for those just wanting a pet, so the purebred could eventually become endanger of extinction? It seems that purebred Maltese are hard to come by these days, most are cross breeds. 

I do agree having the option to pay more for full registration is unethical. It is only a way to get more money. 

What defines a backyard breeder? Would a family who owned a Spoiled AKC Maltese as a pet and wanted to breed them with another Spoiled AKC Maltese for the experience of breeding an animal or wanting another puppy be considered a backyard breeder?


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## Mommy2Laci (Nov 19, 2013)

Trisha said:


> Just to add, when you received your registration papers from the breeder, he/she would have checked a box or wrote in "Limited Registration". And as explained on the AKC site, that if you registered your dog as you said you did, you would receive a registration certificate that would be white with an orange border. In the top right corner it would say* "Offspring of this dog not eligible for Registration".*


Thanks Trisha! This was very helpful!


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## Summergirl73 (Sep 18, 2011)

Mommy2Laci said:


> How is it reckless breeding if all of them are AKC registered? I thought AKC registry is what protects the breed? Is it because cross breeds have become so popular for those just wanting a pet, so the purebred could eventually become endanger of extinction? It seems that purebred Maltese are hard to come by these days, most are cross breeds.
> 
> I do agree having the option to pay more for full registration is unethical. It is only a way to get more money.
> 
> What defines a backyard breeder? Would a family who owned a Spoiled AKC Maltese as a pet and wanted to breed them with another Spoiled AKC Maltese for the experience of breeding an animal or wanting another puppy be considered a backyard breeder?



Please understand that most of us here on SM do not consider it an option to breed a Maltese "for the experience" of it. Breeding is for showing and creating quality lines. Otherwise, yes indeed - that's called backyard breeding. The mission statement of SM may help with clarification on this issue.

Also, purebred Maltese are not "hard to come by these days". There are many, MANY reputable breeders with clean lines of which to adopt a purebred. The AMA has a list of reputable breeders on their site should you wish to visit it. Other than that, contacting a rescue group may be a great option.


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## zooeysmom (Aug 1, 2011)

Mommy2Laci said:


> Would a family who owned a Spoiled AKC Maltese as a pet and wanted to breed them with another Spoiled AKC Maltese for the experience of breeding an animal or wanting another puppy be considered a backyard breeder?


 Unfortunately, in our world today, yes. We have so many unwanted dogs in shelters, that it is considered irresponsible to breed "just for the experience." If you really want to breed/raise a puppy, then consider doing it the ethical way and purchase a dog that is show quality.


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## bellaratamaltese (May 24, 2006)

Limited and full AKC registration both mean that the puppy being registered is from two AKC registered parents. It doesn't mean that they are from reputable breeders though, which can be a bit confusing! 

Serious and responsible breeders will never offer full registration for a 'pet' puppy being sold, it's against the AMA code of ethics that each AMA member is required to sign. If you are interested in showing though, that may be a different story. But charging more for full registration on a pet puppy is a huge red flag, IMO. 

Good luck with your search!


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## Trisha (Aug 8, 2014)

Mommy2Laci said:


> Thanks Trisha! This was very helpful!


You're quiet welcome, Alischa. I am glad it was helpful. I do not know everything or pretend to, I can only pass on the information that I learned first hand or researched and base it on that. I have had many pets through the years, but I learn things everyday.

Good luck and I hope you have a better understanding & can make a good decision on getting a new pet.


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## Ann Mother (Dec 18, 2013)

Guess I should of added that my Cody was limited meaning I would neuter him.


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## Mommy2Laci (Nov 19, 2013)

zooeysmom said:


> Unfortunately, in our world today, yes. We have so many unwanted dogs in shelters, that it is considered irresponsible to breed "just for the experience." If you really want to breed/raise a puppy, then consider doing it the ethical way and purchase a dog that is show quality.


Hmmm, that is unfortunate that some consider every breeding situation other than a "reputable" breeder to be irresponsible. It was actually my vet who would want to breed for the educational experience since he hadn't done so before. I would not have considered him to be a backyard breeder. It is a shame there are so many irresponsible dog owners and it essentially ruins it for everyone. At the end of the day the puppies are the ones who suffer. 

I chose to spay Laci because I didn't want that experience. I am just a Spoiled Maltese mommy who protects, loves and spoils her like no other! The honeymoon never ends


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

If your vet wants to breed then he should get involved with a reputable breeder, purchase a show-quality dog, show it, and then breed it under the advisement of that reputable breeder. Having worked in the veterinary field for 14 years, a vet wanting to breed for "educational experience" sounds awfully shady.


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## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

jmm said:


> If your vet wants to breed then he should get involved with a reputable breeder, purchase a show-quality dog, show it, and then breed it under the advisement of that reputable breeder. Having worked in the veterinary field for 14 years, a vet wanting to breed for "educational experience" sounds awfully shady.


Your vet is considering becoming what we call a backyard breeder. If he or she is not mentoring with a responsible breeder for the purpose of showing the dogs, then he is not doing everything possible to better the breed. Breeding for the education of it is IMO irresponsible and highly unfair to the dogs.


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## Summergirl73 (Sep 18, 2011)

jmm said:


> If your vet wants to breed then he should get involved with a reputable breeder, purchase a show-quality dog, show it, and then breed it under the advisement of that reputable breeder. Having worked in the veterinary field for 14 years, a vet wanting to breed for "educational experience" sounds awfully shady.


 
Agreed.


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## CloudClan (Jan 31, 2007)

Mommy2Laci said:


> *How is it reckless breeding if all of them are AKC registered? I thought AKC registry is what protects the breed? *Is it because cross breeds have become so popular for those just wanting a pet, *so the purebred could eventually become endanger of extinction? It seems that purebred Maltese are hard to come by these days, most are cross breeds. *
> 
> I do agree having the option to pay more for full registration is unethical. It is only a way to get more money.
> 
> *What defines a backyard breeder? Would a family who owned a Spoiled AKC Maltese as a pet and wanted to breed them with another Spoiled AKC Maltese for the experience of breeding an animal or wanting another puppy be considered a backyard breeder?*





Mommy2Laci said:


> Hmmm, that is unfortunate that some consider every breeding situation other than a "reputable" breeder to be irresponsible. *It was actually my vet who would want to breed for the educational experience since he hadn't done so before. * I would not have considered him to be a backyard breeder. It is a shame there are so many irresponsible dog owners and it essentially ruins it for everyone. At the end of the day the puppies are the ones who suffer.
> 
> I chose to spay Laci because I didn't want that experience. I am just a Spoiled Maltese mommy who protects, loves and spoils her like no other! The honeymoon never ends


AKC Registration protects the integrity of the registration. It does not ensure the quality of the puppies registered. You can take two very poor examples of the breed who have AKC registration and breed them together. They might have missing dentition, luxating patellas, fuzzy coats, long muzzles, skin issues ... any one or a host of the above issues or worse (liver shunt, GME). None of that is kept in the records of an AKC registration, so in effect you can take two dogs who are very poor examples of the breed and breed them. Many of our beloved dogs came from such pairings. My first Maltese was bred by a neighbor. It was a loving situation he was born into, but it was not an ideal one. He did have Luxating Patellas, he was oversize and he himself never should have been bred. He never was. We later learned though that many in his family also carried the genes for diabetes. 

AKC registration only ensures that the pedigree is reliable. It has become more so since the advent of DNA testing. Prior to that many unethical breeders bred Bichon x Maltese or Maltese x Poodle crosses and called them Maltese. Without any checks on their DNA it was easy to get away with. It is interesting that this cross-breed popularity seemed to begin once the puppymillers lost this ability to lie about pedigrees. Perhaps that was when they began to play with some of these tales about cross-breed vigor to fool people into thinking their puppymill dogs were healthier than those bred by ethical breeders. 

A Puppymill breeder is a large scale breeder who breeds dogs in an almost industrial way. A Back Yard Breeder is someone who breeds on a smaller scale than a PuppyMiller, but it would be anyone who breeds without the careful study of breed traits and characteristics --- anyone who breeds just for the experience would fall into this category. Anyone who breeds to line their pockets would be both a Back Yard Breeder and what many here call a Greeder. 

Your vet is actually a classic example of where the term back yard breeder comes from. Breeding should never be done solely for the experience. There was a breeder around here who decided she wanted to breed Pom-tese. Maltese X Pomeranian mixes. She claimed her vet asked her to do it as the vet owned the Pom. Being a vet did not make this situation ok.

Breeding is a major decision which should be carefully contemplated and done with deliberation and mentorship of long time established breeders who understand not only the breed traits, but also the pedigrees of the dogs involved. Breeding a well bred, lovely example of the Maltese breed is not as simple as taking two dogs and putting them together. 

There are different degrees of poor breeding choices. Many of us have found loving companions from less than ideal circumstances, but I hope this forum continues to educate so that the best breeding practices are encouraged. As Maltese owners our commitment to supporting the best practices is an important responsibility.


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