Our Breeding Program is AKC Inspected
We got our first AKC inspection today and did very, very well. Since this is our first time being inspected, we did not know what to expect. According to the inspector, we had everything in perfect order from the health of our dogs, to the cleanliness of our home and good record keeping. The Inspector was impressed by the large indoor space we provide our dogs with. Since our cane corsos sleep in the house and not in a Kennel, they have access to their own private 1300 sq ft dog lounge. The central air unit for their area is very powerful and we find they enjoy staying in their apartment more than playing outside when its very hot or too cold.
Inspection from AKC
See a copy of our from in PDF file.
My wife and I both feel that AKC inspections are a great way for AKC to ensure to the public that a breeder is who he/she says they are and upholding the breed standards and values.
When we received an email we were a little unsure why we were getting inspected, since we have such a small breeding program. However, it soon became clear that if you register litters with AKC and have as little as three or more in a year, then you can be randomly selected to be inspected.
Keeping your facility very clean is just a way of life for us and we would not have it any other way. My inspector was courteous, professional, and friendly. When he arrived he placed coverings on his shoes to prevent any spread of infection, since germs can affect young puppies.
My AKC Inspection Experience
The inspector was thorough and very organized. He checked our breeding records and inspected our home. He mentioned to us that he was not sure if we had any dogs because he was talking to us at our Kitchen table and there was no barking. When we brought him down to the 1300 square ft basement, (complete with whelping areas and their own refrigerator), he was met with some barking and was very impressed with the setup.
I am very impressed that AKC is extremely concerned about breeders maintaining accurate records. They also provide forms and have an online system of record keeping to make the process easy. The AKC wants to ensure that when a breeder registers a litter of puppies from a particular dame and sire, they can be assured that the puppies are truly the offspring of these dogs. I read that apparently an alarming number of cases of questionable parents are filed each year with the AKC about breeders.
AKC has great tools for keeping track of breeding, whelping, and litters. Disorganization can lead to record keeping problems and AKC provides all these solutions for breeders.
Our Inspector was very professional and he had a laptop, he asked questions about each dog. Much of the information he asked me was already in his laptop database, he wanted to be sure my records corresponded with his, and they did.
My inspector checked outside where are dogs runs free, making sure that we meet the standard of cleanliness and well being for our dogs as well as access to water. AKC is not an enforcement agency for animal cruelty or neglect, but can contact local authorities if they suspect abuse or neglect.
Permanent identification on the dogs is also necessary such as tattoos or microchips. Some of our dogs are micro-chipped and registered with AKC, and some have tags, so we were compliant.
He looked at a litter we currently have and was very impressed with the pups and the cleanliness of the whelping room.
During an AKC Inspection, they check for:
Appearance and health of the dogs
Dog Ids (Microchips, tattoos, or other means of identification)
Litter Records of puppies
Paperwork that includes records of litters, adult dogs, breeding histories, and layout of the facility
Disaster Plan, this is something I was not aware of , however, since my wife is very organized she already had one written on our wall, complete with dog sitters, 24 hour Vet as well as day Vet. We even have all our cell phones listed on the paper.
The entire AKC inspection visit lasted less than 1 hour. One thing that our inspector told us was that he was very impressed with our plot of land and the extensive area where dogs can run and play. He was very pleased with our strategies on breeding and told us we are on the right track to evaluate breeding stock. He said we have the perfect facility for our amount of dogs. I was very happy to hear this especially from a Senior inspector, since we work so hard to provide a good life for our dogs.
Thank You AKC and all the support you give to breeders and to protect the public who adopt dogs each year from AKC breeders. It is obvious AKC is not just interested in their fees they charge breeders, but also in holding the positive values that make us proud to register our dogs and litters with AKC.