The Canadian Kennel Club is a national non-profit organization that registers dogs and regulates dog shows and competitions. The CKC promotes breed betterment and owner education. They work to educate the public on important dog issues and dog welfare.

A dog registered with the CKC will fetch a higher price than a dog not registered with CKC. This does not mean that the breeder is endorsed by CKC or that the breeder engages in practices endorsed by the CKC. All that the CKC registration lets you know is that the dog is in fact the breed that the breeder says it is.

Finding the Right Breeder

You will need to do the rest of the work in order to find a good breeder. Visit any breeders you’re thinking of getting a dog from and tour their facilities. Observe where they keep their puppies and how many of them there are.

Ask the breeder as many questions as you can think of. You might even try to exhaust the breeder with your questions. A good breeder will have a well thought out answer for almost any question you can ask. A bad breeder will become impatient and may even try to ridicule you into stopping. A good breeder will take note of the fact that you are thorough in your questioning and view this as a merit. Breeders will ask you many questions about your lifestyle, family, other pets and home and you should respond in kind. A good breeder will appreciate your attention to your new pet.