What do "Registered" and "Has Papers" Really Mean?
If you may be taking a new dog into your home and are inclined to look for one that is "registered" or "has papers," there are some things you should consider.
"Registered" and "has papers" imply that there is a registry somewhere keeping records of bloodlines. You may think they assure you of getting a high quality or purebred dog. But there are now lots of dog "registries" and only a few of them provide "papers" of any value.
The American Kennel Club (AKC), the Canadian Kennel Club, and the United Kennel Club, do. The AKC is the largest purebred dog registry in the world and has been the "gold standard" for more than a hundred years. But even the AKC states, "A registration certificate... in no way indicates the quality or state of health of the dog."
What the certificate does provide is about as much assurance as you can expect to get that the dog you buy is purebred - that the sire and dam are AKC registered and of the same AKC recognized breed. You can look at the pedigree and get an idea of the quality of the dog. You may be able to determine that the parents have been certified free of hip dysplasia and specific hereditary eye disease. If you have reason to suspect your AKC registered dog's parents are not the sire or dam listed on the pedigree, the AKC may investigate further, using photographs of your dog, visits to the breeders, and perhaps DNA analysis.
To register a dog with the AKC the registered owners of the sire and the dam must provide signed documents verifying parentage. If a dog sires more than three litters in a year or seven in a lifetime, the owner is required to submit DNA samples. There are mandatory inspections of large kennels and may be spot inspections, with random DNA testing, of any kennel.
Most of the puppies sold in pet stores in the United States come from large breeding farms. Puppy mills. When the AKC, Canadian Kennel Club, and United Kennel Club instituted more stringent requirements a few years ago, including DNA testing, the puppy mill breeders were outraged and even instituted a boycott of the AKC, ostensibly because of the one time $35 fee for DNA testing of sires. (Not that they would dream of fabricating or enhancing pedigrees.)
The result was a proliferation of alternative "registries" for puppies. At http://winddreamer.net/labfiles/alternative_dog_registries.html you can find a list of more than twenty of them.
Typically, to "register" a litter, the breeder makes a list of puppy names, fills out their own "pedigree," and sends some money. At least one registry has a more stringent requirement - the breeder must get two witnesses to sign a statement that they think the dogs are purebred and of the indicated parentage.
The bottom line is, if you want a purebred dog, insist on registration papers from the AKC, the Canadian Kennel Club, or the United Kennel Club. If you want help evaluating the papers or pedigree, or the quality of the pup, most veterinarians can hook you up with some one who has experience with one of those registries.
If you don't care about a purebred dog, go to the animal shelter, contact other rescue groups, or shop around for pups from a "backyard breeder." Look at the home environment, the dam, and sire, if possible. Make sure the puppies have lots of quality human contact so they are well socialized. Before you buy, or right afterwards, on the way home, stop at your vet for a thorough physical exam.