CKC Registration

Because I just can't seem to ignore it, I was browsing the ultimate puppymill advertising website (PuppyFind) this morning.  On there, I saw a breeder advertising blue merle puppies.  Curiosity got the best of me and I emailed and asked for the pedigrees of the sire and dam.  Here is the ensuing conversation with Laura Powell of Morning Glory Farm Border Collies in North Carolina, word for word.

Me:  Hi there, Do you have a scan or a photo of Sky and Champ's pedigrees you could send me? Thanks.

Laura:  i can can champs abca pedigree.. but do not have one for sky as she is just ckc.. the puppies are just ckc.. let me know if you still wanna see champs 

Me:  I wasn't familiar with CKC, so I looked up what their requirements are for registering dogs. 

https://www.continentalkennelclub.com/Rules.aspx

5. The CANINE Registration Application must be used to register dogs whose parents are not registered with CONTINENTAL KENNEL CLUB. The dog owner must complete the application and provide a copy of registration papers from another kennel club (approved by CKC) as proof of his/her dog being purebred. If other kennel club papers are not available, the dog owner must provide two witnesses who can verify the accuracy and truthfulness of the information listed on the application. When using the witness option, your dog must be at least 6 months of age and you must submit 3 photos (front, left & right) of your dog with the application. If any of the information listed on the application or the photos submitted are challenged, the dog owner agrees to bring forth said witnesses.
So basically ... you don't even need a purebred dog to have it registered with the CKC, as long as you have friends who will say it is, and you submit photos of a dog that looks like the breed the person is trying to register.  The rules go on to state:

6. CONTINENTAL KENNEL CLUB accepts registration applications and issues certificates based on the honor and integrity of the owner/breeder applicants, and CKC accepts no responsibility for any inaccurate, false, or fraudulent information submitted on registration applications.
So basically ... they will register any dog as a particular breed with no proof of accuracy ... and make no guarantees.  That doesn't sound like a reputable registry to me.  Why would anyone buy a CKC registered dog?  The registration isn't worth the paper it's printed on.

Laura:  Well i bought her because I fell in love with her and that was pretty much it. I had always wanted a merle and didnt really care about breeding her.  I have priced these pups accordingly. My ABCA pups sell for 600-850 at this age with no training. We have several ABCA dogs here and an AKC and she is every bit as good of dog as the rest. It sounds like to me you are looking for a ABCA registered dog. That's the best registry as far as a border collie is concerned. We will have a litter of those in the spring and a litter of AKC. Good luck on your search and God bless!

Me:  Who did you buy her from?

 Laura:  i did not buy her from a breeder a bought her from an older lady when sky was several months old. she fell in love with the breed but knew little about them. the lady had nothing for her to do, and was trying to make lap dog out of her i guess. anyway she was more than the woman could handle, because she was bored. she was/is a perfect addtion to our farm. 

Me:  So who bred her?  

Laura:  i am unsure.. like you said with the ckc. ... they are not very elaborate with the registration. you have already said that you would not buy a ckc pup, and i totally understand that. i wish you well in hopes that you find the pup you are looking for with a better registry. 

Me:  I'm surprised someone would breed her when they are "unsure" of her background and pass her off as a purebred Border Collie.  Do you even know if she's a Border Collie?

Laura:  why is it that you are attacking me exactly? it is what it is..  they are ckc, that's it.  i did not buy her to breed but shes a beautiful girl and i decided i  wanted some pups out of her. we are just a small farm in nc with a love of border collies. so we have a couple dogs we breed. but they are our pets and working dogs.   (There are photos of her dogs working horses through the fence on her Facebook page.)

Me:  I'm not attacking you.  I'm just asking you.  You have nothing to base your claim on that she's purebred.  You're advertising her as purebred, no?  Registered and purebred.  Did you register her with the CKC or did she come that way?  

Laura:  curious to see why someone would be like this i googled your farm. now i understand you are a border collie breeder. you have some wonderful looking dogs jodi. not sure what the point of all this is but i am not responding back anymore. i love sky she is beautiful and a sweet girl. The fact that she is only ckc means nothing to me. 

Me:  Be like what?  That I am questioning the background of a dog you're breeding?  You can question me all you want on the background of my dogs and I can tell you exactly where they come from, who bred them, and why.  And am happy to do so.  Why are you so defensive?  Obviously her CKC registration means something to you or you wouldn't advertise it.

Laura:  please stop emailing me

Me:  Wow.  Ok.  That's shady, but whatever.

That, my friends, is what's out there nowadays.  She sells her ABCA registered pups for $600-$850 because of where they're registered, as opposed to only charging $350 for the CKC pups, but in the same breath, she says the pups are just as good as the ABCA registered ones.  If that's so, why the price difference?  

I was under the impression that you needed at least an AKC or ABCA registration to get a CKC registration.  Or at least a registration of another registry.  I didn't realize that the CKC was just like the other fly-by-night registries that will register dogs on a couple of photos -- oh, and a couple of buddies who attest that the dogs are purebred.  What a joke.

She doesn't know where her merle comes from, didn't care about the breeding when she bought it, but now breeds it and passes the pups off as purebred.

Nice.

But they are just as good as the ABCA registered ones who are being sold for twice the price.  Twice the price for what?  An accurate pedigree?  Seriously?  

The worst part is ... there are people out there who buy these CKC registered pups.  A sucker born every minute.  Where would puppymills be without them?