Sorting Out Dog Registries

Q. I have a 13-week-old cream-colored French Bulldog. I would love to show him but I have no idea how to go about doing it. He is ACA-registered, not AKC. I was told ACA was better, but I never see anything about ACA. Will I still be able to show him? Any advice you could give me would be greatly appreciated.

A. I’m afraid you were misinformed about ACA being “better.” The reality is that the American Kennel Club (AKC) is the largest registry for purebred dogs in the country and holds the greatest number of conformation dog shows. It is a club of clubs, meaning its members are the parent clubs of all the breeds (like the French Bulldog Club of America) that are AKC-recognized, as well as all-breed kennel clubs, obedience, and agility clubs.

There are a great many private registries in the country, but few hold dog shows, and many are supported by breeders whose paperwork and records would not be accepted by the American Kennel Club. Think about it. Why would a responsible breeder of an AKC-recognized breed not register puppies with the largest, most visible and best-known registry in the country, but choose to go to some obscure, private organization instead?