Im looking into buying a puppy.

some of them are 1,000 because they say that they are "AKC registered".

what dose that mean?

It means a breeder registered a puppy or a litter with the AKC. The AKC registers purebred dogs of about 200 breeds.



AKC registration should NEVER be a sales point, a guarnatee of health (puppy mills breed AKC dogs), or anything that you pay extra for.



In a Maltese, the breeder needs to be a breeder affiliated with the American Maltese Association, should have extensive health tests on the parents (OFA, CERF, etc), and should be breeding high quality show animals with titles. http://americanmaltese.org/ can help you find a responsible Maltese breeder. Responsible breeders are not found on puppy selling sites, on kijiji, on craigslist, or in the newspaper. http://www.pbrc.net/breeding3.html



+ Just an added note. AKC registration does NOT guarantee that a dog is purebred. It means the dog was registered as purebred. A lying breeder can lie on papers and then lie to the buyer.

Registration means you give money to the American Kennel Club and they give you a certificate and you can enter in their shows and events. Your dog has to be purebred with a traceable pedigree to be registered, but when buying a dog, AKC registration means little. Since the AKC registers any purebred dog that fits it's standards, puppy mills and terrible breeders can easily register too. Not to mention that AKC standards are meant for form and not so much for health ie a pug's short muzzle or a dachshund's long body and short legs.

It means they are Registered with the American Kennel Club. It proves they are truly Pure Bred BUT just because a dog is Registered does not mean it is worth 1000 dollars. There are a TON of registered dogs out there, and it means nothing in the way of health or conformation, nor does it mean that the dog meet the standard. So, if you plan to buy a 1000 dollar dog, be sure to look at the pedigrees and be sure that there are Champions in there!

Well it is NOT a guarantee of quality!!

It simply means that both parents can trace their ancestry back to other Maltese.

MANY BYB sell AKC registered pups! Find a reputable breeder who obtains titles on their dogs and guarantees them for AT LEAST two years.

Contact the Maltese Club of America for a breeder referral.

it means its registered by the american kennel club.



but remember Registration itself is neither a guarantee nor even an indication of quality,



always look for health tests, eyes clear, hip scores, ect. these are an indication of a well-bred healthy puppy.

AKC mean that they are registered in the American Kennel Club (:

AKC yorkie owner:)

means that they parents are registered with the american kennel club and they can trace their parents back to all maltese.