Your Poodle's Papers
Some folks have the impression that if a poodle comes with “papers,” it's an indication that she's a high-quality dog. (And some breeders try hard to make that impression.) In reality, the word “papers” simply refers to the AKC registration papers that a registered puppy will be sent home with (paperwork that has to be completed by you and mailed to the AKC). These papers are not a measure of quality, however. They simply indicate that the dog is purebred and that her parents were purebred and registered with the AKC.
Your poodle should be sent home with more paperwork than just an AKC registration. There's her pedigree, health records, the sales contract, and the health guarantee. Knowing what to expect in terms of paperwork will help you understand these documents when the breeder gives them to you.
Essential
Make the effort to pay a visit to the breeder in person. Along with seeing the living conditions and meeting the puppy's parents, you can get a feeling for how the breeder regards his poodles and (perhaps even more important) how the poodles regard him. Watch for casual signs of affection and adoring gazes on behalf of both dog and breeder.
Registration Papers
A breeder who says a particular pup comes with registration papers is probably talking about the American Kennel Club (AKC). The AKC is the largest and oldest purebred dog registry in the country (in Canada, the largest registry is the Canadian Kennel Club). If you'd like to participate in AKC activities, like conformation, obedience, agility, tracking, or hunt tests, your poodle will need to be AKC registered. The AKC requires you to register your dog within twelve months of her birth.
When you pick up your puppy, you should receive a blue form from the breeder, with all information about the dog properly filled in. You will need to complete this form and send it in to the AKC with the registration fee to register your pup. The breeder must register the litter before you can register the individual puppy.
If the breeder isn't able to supply the AKC form for registration, he should supply you with a signed bill of sale that includes the puppy's breed, sex and color, date of birth, litter number (when available), names and registration numbers of sire and dam, name of breeder, and date sold or delivered. When the breeder does eventually supply the AKC paperwork, compare the information on it to this identification information. If the breeder is not willing to supply you with that information, consider that a red flag.
Alert!
If a little voice inside you suggests that this is not the best breeder, don't buy the puppy. It can be hard to walk away from a poodle, but it's more important that the puppy come from an excellent breeder. Don't ignore red flags.
When you fill out the registration forms, you'll have to select a registered name for your poodle. The breeder may require you to include the kennel name in the registered name (or may require you not to), but after that, it's up to you. This is different than your poodle's call name (the name you will actually use every day), so you can have some fun with it. Bear in mind that your name choice is limited to twenty-five characters, including spaces and punctuation. If you're planning to compete in AKC events, the registered name is what your poodle will be known by, so select it carefully.
Limited Registration
If you are buying a pet-quality puppy (one whose physical characteristics don't make her a candidate for the show ring or for breeding), the breeder may designate a “limited registration,” meaning that your poodle is registered, but any offspring she might bear cannot be registered with the AKC. This is designed to discourage the breeding of all but top-quality dogs. A breeder selling a pup with a limited registration will probably also have a clause in the sales contract requiring the spay or neuter of the dog. A dog with a limited registration cannot participate in conformation shows, though she can participate in other AKC activities.
If your poodle turns out to be a fabulous show-quality specimen whose breeding would further the breed, the poodle breeder can reverse his decision about the limited registration and give you a full registration. Only the person who owned the dog at birth may apply to the AKC for the removal of the limitation.
Alternatives to AKC Registration
Rescued poodles that don't come with an AKC registration may be eligible for an indefinite listing privilege (ILP) number that allows the dog to participate in AKC events. In order to get an ILP number, you must submit two color photos of your dog and a letter from your veterinarian stating that the dog has been spayed or neutered, along with an application and application fee (refundable if the dog is not issued an ILP number).
The United Kennel Club is another legitimate registry for poodles, though it recognizes Standard Poodles as a separate breed from other poodles (that is, Miniature and Toy). Like the AKC, the UKC also sponsors dog shows and events that poodles can participate in. It allows sporting clips on poodles in conformation competition, but UKC conformation events are less widely available than AKC events.
Essential
If the registration papers your breeder offers are from any registry other than the American Kennel Club, United Kennel Club, or the Canadian Kennel Club (provided you're in North America), walk away. Alternative registries, like the Continental Kennel Club and the World Wide Kennel Club, have much less stringent requirements.
The Pedigree
Anyone who has done any genealogical research is familiar with a pedigree. It's simply a chart that shows an individual, her parents, her parents' parents, and so on. Your poodle's pedigree will contain each of her forebears' registered names, often with prefixes before and suffixes after the name. As a general rule, the more dogs in the pedigree with the initials “Ch” before their name (an abbreviation for “Champion”), the better, since champions have been judged to meet the breed standard. Other titles, like agility and obedience titles, which appear after the name, sometimes also appear on pedigrees. A pedigree is not essential if you're not going to breed your poodle. But it's nice to have in your files. You might meet a poodle whose background you'd like to compare with your dog's. Sometimes researchers of genetic health problems in poodles will want blood or DNA samples and pedigrees from healthy poodles (as well as those affected by the disease in question). If you have a pedigree in your files, you can contribute to that research and help the breed.
Fact
Registration papers from the American Kennel Club have no bearing on the quality of the puppy. They simply signify that the dog is purebred and both his parents are purebred and AKC registered. They say nothing about the health or temperament of the puppy.
A reputable breeder will provide you with a copy of the pedigree, or you can request one from the AKC, provided your puppy has been registered.
The Sales Contract
Your breeder will supply you with a contract that outlines the terms of the sale. These terms might include a requirement for spaying and neutering a pet-quality pup on a limited registration. It may require you to return the puppy to the breeder if you end up needing to find a new home for her. It will spell out the purchase price and will include the terms of returning the pup within the first few days if a veterinarian finds a health problem.
The Health Guarantee
In addition, the breeder should provide some sort of health guarantee, which can be part of the sales contract or a separate document. This clause guarantees the poodle to be free of inherited health problems for a prescribed length of time. It will spell out the breeder's responsibility in the event of an inherited problem. He might offer a refund of all or part of the purchase price, a replacement poodle, or a discount on a poodle from another litter.
Even though a reputable breeder is willing to supply a guarantee against inherited conditions, please understand that it doesn't mean your poodle will never become ill. Many health issues aren't predictable, and even if you do your very best to select a breeder who tests his breeding stock and provides guarantees, your poodle might have a health problem. It's possible for a poodle to be a carrier of a genetic disease without the breeder's knowing it. If that should happen, look to your breeder as an ally, not a foe. He might be able to provide valuable information on dealing with the disorder because of his experience with the breed.
Essential
Always inform your breeder if your poodle becomes seriously ill. If the malady has a genetic component, this is information upon which he might base future breeding decisions. Approach the breeder without accusation. This news may be as devastating to him as it was to you.
Veterinary Records
Your breeder will have given the puppy some vaccinations and deworming medication. The breeder should supply you with a list of which vaccines and dewormers were administered and when. Take these veterinary records with you to your first veterinary appointment. They will help you make informed decisions about further vaccinations.
