Paperwork is very important

Non-KC registered puppies can be just as healthy and pure-bred as one that is registered. The problem with non-kc pups though, is that you have no proof that what you are buying is what the breeder says it is. KC registered pups have a registered name and number and the paperwork details the parents and their health tests. Of course, non-kc pups will sell for considerably less money than one that is registered, but at the end of the day you dont know exactly what it is you are buying.

KC registered pups will all be sold with a KC Registration Certificate. This is not to be confused with a pedigree. A registration certificate is basically the dogs "log book" and it details the registered name, the registration number, date of birth, parents name and parents health results. It will also state if there are any endorsements. (Endorsements may stop you from breeding your pup in the future or exporting to another country. Most breeders will endorse their pups with "Progeny not eligible for registration" until the relevant health tests are carried out in adulthood.)

A pedigree is the dogs family tree and shows the dogs parents and their parents and their parents going back usually five generations. If a puppy is stated as having a pedigree, it does not necessarily mean it is a "pedigree" dog, only the KC registration certificate can prove it is a Siberian Husky.

Usually a good breeder will also give you some sort of advice sheet, detailing the feeding regime of the pup to date and how to progress once you take the pup home.

Breeders normally also include a sample of food, so as to make the transition a little easier. Most breeders also include some sort of free insurance, so if anything should happen within the first six weeks, you will be covered for most eventualities.

If you have any doubts about the validity of any paperwork, then walk away, even if the pup has already won your heart. Dodgy paperwork, kc forms "in the post" are all tell-tale signs that a breeder is not all they make out to be.

---