Enhancing Breeder Services: AKC's Current and Future Focus

AKC President and CEO Dennis B. Sprung
You, our breeders, are a top priority at the AKC. The evidence is in the myriad programs and services we have launched to make doing business with AKC easier and more efficient. Last year, the AKC’s primary goal was to improve the registration process for both litter and dog registrants. We invested in a new registration system, and now registration processing takes only a day or two. This quick turnaround in litter registrations guarantees dog registration papers will be in your hands before owners pick up their new puppies.

Also in 2004, Customer Service and Registration began working hand-in-hand, and the benefits in accuracy and productivity have been great. By combining these two departments, AKC is able to handle customers’ most important issues more effectively. We realize when we focus significant attention on our customers, the rewards add up for everyone. AKC’s renewed focus and investment in Customer Service is a long-term commitment to our breeders that ensures a great experience with AKC every time you contact us. In a survey conducted earlier this year, longtime breeders told us that working with the AKC has gotten easier and faster in the last year. We are happy the advances we’re making are helping you.

Recently, AKC has made other significant enhancements to help our breeders, including:
  • Online Litter Registration: With about 40 percent of all litter registrations being completed online, Online Litter Registration has proven to be one of our most popular services with breeders. From saving time and stamps to having the ability to correct invalid data before the litter registration is complete, breeders everywhere are raving about this new service. (See it here.)
  • Online Dog Registration: With the success of Online Litter Registration, AKC extended online registration to include individual dog registration. In September 2005, AKC launched an improved version of Online Dog Registration, and early results have shown that the enhancements have made this online service as easy and convenient to use as Online Litter Registration. (See it here.)
  • AKC adds new resources
    for puppy buyers too
    In addition to developing services for breeders, AKC remains committed to meeting the needs of new puppy owners. AKC registration provides:
    • A collar tag and lifetime recovery service through the Lost and Found option at a nominal cost
    • The free AKC New Puppy Handbook
    • A 60-day trial of free health insurance
    • The free monthly electronic newsletter, YourAKC.
    AKC registration is truly for everyone —breeders, fanciers and pet owners.
    Online Form Status and Processing: Breeders can use this service to check the status of AKC applications and complete transactions that may have been put on hold. Online Form Status and Processing provides real-time access to information and allows quick resolution of application problems. (See it here.)
  • Reduction in the Supplemental Transfer Fee from $15 to $5: From vaccinations to health tests to choosing AKC registration, we recognize and appreciate the financial commitment our breeders make to each and every litter. In an effort to defray some of the costs, AKC reduced the supplemental transfer fee from $15 to $5. And, the fee has been removed completely for those registrants using Online Dog Registration. AKC remains committed to implementing additional cost-savings programs in the future.
  • Online Breeder Classifieds: With more than one-and-a-half million unique visitors to the AKC website each month, AKC Online Breeder Classifieds provides a great tool for breeders to reach out to local puppy buyers. The listings include the breeder’s contact information, breeder profile and details about litters (such as birth date, number of males/females, sire and dam names, titles, DNA and OFA). To date, almost 10,000 breeders have taken advantage of this great service. (See it here.)
  • Litter Certificates: AKC’s newest product for breeders, the official Litter Certificate, is a beautiful, multicolored document tracing three generations of a litter’s lineage. In addition to a gold-stamped, framable Litter Certificate, each breeder who orders the new product receives additional black-and-white copies for every new puppy buyer. A breeder can now easily add a copy of the Litter Certificate into the “puppy packet” of information to help educate new puppy owners. If you are interested in this product, you can order it either on your paper litter application or your online litter application.
You can expect to take advantage of more services for breeders in the near future. Our breeders are very important to us, and your support and loyalty have allowed the AKC to fund many great programs for dogs. Be assured, we will continue to investigate and implement services and programs designed specifically with your special needs in mind.
  Ronald N. Rella, director, Breeder Services
Theresa Shea, editor | Email: AKCbreeder@akc.org
Customer Service | Phone: 919-233-9767 | Email: info@akc.org

© The American Kennel Club 2005