The American Kennel Club created the Foundation Stock Service® (FSS®) to answer the needs of today's rare breed fanciers. The Foundation Stock Service® is an optional record-keeping service for all purebred breeds not currently registrable with the American Kennel Club.
Goals of the Foundation Stock Service®
The AKC is committed to taking the necessary action to ensure the continuation of purebred dogs. In accord with this objective, the AKC created the FSS® record-keeping service to allow rare breed fanciers to continue their commitment to the improvement of their breed.
One of the most serious concerns for any breed is the integrity of its pedigree and ownership records. For many fanciers, the ultimate goal is full AKC recognition. There are several criteria that must be met in order to achieve this plateau. Often, the biggest hurdle is creating and maintaining accurate records.
With the FSS®, the AKC staff of experts will maintain the pedigree and ownership records in addition to a stud book. The AKC has more than 100 years of experience protecting the integrity of registries for purebred dogs.
Fanciers who record their dogs with the FSS® can rest assured that the AKC will maintain quality stud books for their breeds.
The Benefits of Enrolling in FSS®
The Foundation Stock Service® allows purebred rare breeds to continue to develop while providing them with the security of a reliable and reputable avenue to maintain their records.
Foundation Stock Service® is a requirement for fanciers of a breed who want to achieve full AKC recognition.
FSS® breeds may now compete in Companion Events and in Performance Events that AKC determines to be applicable. Breeds must have dogs with three-generation pedigrees recorded in the FSS®, a breed standard, and an active breed club in order to compete. Recording your dog in FSS® can help catapult your breed into AKC competition.
While the recording of a dog in FSS® does not guarantee eventual full AKC registration, it does provide the avenue to compete in the exciting world of Companion and Performance Events.
Eligibility for Performance Events is subject to approval by the Performance Events Department upon review of the historical function of the breed or involvement in like events.
How Breeds Enter the FSS®
The American Kennel Club considers requests to enter FSS® from breed clubs or individual fanciers of a breed. Those wishing to pursue recording with FSS® must:
- Fill out a questionnaire for new breeds.
- Provide a written breed history documenting the distinct breed over a period of many decades. This should include details on any foreign and/or domestic organizations that register the breed. The source of the historical information must also be provided.
- Provide an official written breed standard, indicating the origin of that standard. If the standard differs from the official breed standard in the breed country of origin those differences must be specified.
- Provide photographs of the breed, including puppies and adults, as well as both dogs and bitches. If there are different accepted types in the breed, photographs of each type should be included and labeled as such.
The FSS® is not open to "rare" breeds that are a variation of an AKC-registrable breed or the result of a combination of two AKC-recognized breeds. This includes and is not limited to differences such as size (over and under), coat type, coat colors, and coat colors and/or types that are disqualifications from Conformation Events by AKC breed standards.
What is next? Guidelines For Registering a New Breed
If the goal for your breed is AKC recognition please consider the action items below after your breed is in the FSS®. The recognition process begins with admission of the breed to the Miscellaneous Class.
Form a strong national breed club and encourage fanciers nationwide to join and get involved. A national breed club with representative membership of about 100 active households is expected for a breed to be placed in the Miscellaneous Class. The amount of active households needed may vary depending on the number of dogs recorded in the FSS®.
- Create a breed standard that conforms to the Guidelines for Writing Breed Standards. Final approval is made by the AKC Board at the time the breed is approved for full recognition.
- Form active committees such as a rescue committee or a health committee, put on shows, and publish a quarterly newsletter. A committed AKC liaison is also keeping AKC updated on the club's various activities and provides documentation of the fanciers' dedication to full AKC recognition. Current officer and membership lists must be on file with the AKC.
- Encourage other fanciers to record their dogs with FSS®. A minimum of 300-400 dogs with complete three-generation pedigrees, owned by many different individuals residing in various parts of the nation, must be recorded as part of the criteria for approval to move to the Miscellaneous Class. The more dogs you record with the FSS®, the more committed AKC believes the fanciers are to achieving full recognition. If the national breed club has not submitted its breed registry for entry into FSS®, the club is required to do so when moving to the Miscellaneous Class.
- Stay in contact. The AKC moves forward with recognition of breeds whose fanciers want the breed to be recognized. Maintaining regular contact with FSS® staff will show your enthusiasm for and commitment to AKC recognition.
