How Can I Register a Dog Without Papers?

People often wonder if it is possible to register a dog without papers. Continental Kennel Club offers a couple of ways for you to register your dog if this is your situation. If your dog is not purebred, the “Non-Purebred Canine Registration Application” might be the correct app for you.  However, if your dog is purebred, and you would like to have it evaluated, you can use the “CKC Paw Application.”

In this video, we will explain what the PAW Program is, whether your dog is eligible, and how you can apply to it.

The Picture and Witness Program, or PAW Program, is a dog evaluation program unique to CKC. It was put into place to allow valuable lost genetic lines to be reintroduced to a breed population in an effort to combat dwindling gene pools and population bottlenecks found in many pure breeds today. 

Exemplary purebred dogs in which the registration paperwork was never properly executed or lost are eligible to apply. You can find our Breed Standards online at ckcusa.com/breeds.

The application must include at least three signatures to verify that the dog in question is purebred, consisting of the dog’s owner and two witnesses familiar with that breed or the history of that particular dog. 

In addition to this, the measurements of the dog’s height, weight, and body length are required. 

The application must also be accompanied by a minimum of five specific photographs of the dog that includes certain features of the dog. This is because the measurements and pictures will be used in the evaluation process for the dog. These photographs must be mailed into CKC and cannot be emailed.

Details on how to properly complete this application can be found on the form itself and in the supplemental videos found in the links below.

Evaluation is a stringent process. While our other applications have a quick five business day turnaround time, the PAW evaluation process can take up to thirty business days. Every part of the dog is measured against each line of Continental Kennel Club’s written breed standard. Unfortunately, not every dog is accepted for registration through the PAW program. 

CKC accepts only the best representations of certain breeds with the highest passing evaluation scores. 

The PAW program has enrolled thousands of dogs back into the breeding program that otherwise would have been lost forever. This includes dogs from the original country of origin whose family lines were never included in domestic breeding programs. This brings in critical fresh new genetics in order to keep breeding populations healthy. 

Thanks for watching this overview of the CKC PAW program. For more information on how to apply and take pictures of your dog, check out our other videos on the PAW program or visit: ckcusa.com/paw.

Visit: https://ckcusa.com/paw

How To Complete and Submit a PAW Application: https://youtu.be/LN-TVoWE4hs

How to Take Pictures for a PAW Application: https://youtu.be/fA9cuUmD-Vw