Registered, and Ready to Go!

I finally got around to registering the girls with the American Kennel Club so they can compete in Rally Obedience – Meadow with Nick, and Leah with me. I started the registration process with Leah, and since she is a mix, I had to place her in their Canine Partners program – which is the AKC’s newest scheme to help them earn some extra bucks during dog shows from us mutt owners. Now our “All American” dogs can compete alongside purebred dogs in AKC sports…IF the trial is not being held at an event that also includes Conformation.

The best explanation I can figure for this is that they wouldn’t want our “All Americans” showing up any of their pricey purebreds in front of potential puppy purchasers. Why chance someone rethinking spending big bucks on a new Border Collie with Scottish bloodlines for agility when the Aussie mix from the shelter is stealing the show?

Regardless of how I feel about the reasons behind this new program, I went ahead and forked over some dough, since I’d really like a chance to go in the ring with Leah at my side.

Incidentally, the AKC did give us quite a few perks. Registration in the Canine Partners program includes a one year subscription to Family Dog magazine, an e-newsletter, a lifetime enrollment in the AKC’s Companion Animal Recovery program, and a sixty day trial with the AKC Pet Healthcare plan – something Leah really could have used last month.

Or, at least, it was something our bank account could have used.

But until last month, Leah did not have a spay certificate, and unspayed dogs are not eligible to enroll in the Canine Partners program. As it turns out, however, I didn’t even need that Seven Hundred Dollar Piece of Paper because the AKC now does everything on the honor system. Is your dog spayed or neutered? Yes? Okay, give us some money. Had I only known I didn’t need it, I would have registered her years earlier.

I mean, really, she’s nearly twelve – If she wasn’t spayed, I'm pretty sure she would’ve come into heat by now!

In any case, registering Leah online turned out to be really easy, especially since the AKC didn't require any photos of her in order to register her. I just filled out the online application, gave them my credit card number, and “Voila” – she was registered. Or, at least it should have been that simple. But a moment later, a message appeared, informing me that the name I’d picked, “Leah,” was already in use.

Instead, the computer suggested a few other names, including “Owczarek’s Leah” and “Leah VI.”

Deciding to be a little more creative, I came up with “Owczarek’s Sweet Senior Leah” and not surprisingly, no one else had chosen that name already. Yay! Leah was officially named!

Next came Meadow’s registration, which I chose to do by mail, because she had earned her Canine Good Citizen certificate with Nick over the summer at our annual Vizlsa Fun Day, and I wanted to send both pieces of paper in together so she can officially have the initials CGC after her name. I downloaded, printed, and began filling out her paperwork, which was slightly more involved than Leah’s. Since Meadow is undeniably a Vizsla, I needed to register her with the AKC Purebred Alternative Listing program (PAL), which is for registrable breeds that are unable to be registered because they have no papers.

Yup, Meadow’s a WOP.

Along with promising that she too was spayed, I needed to send them two photographs of her from different angles, and I had to document her height, weight, coat color, and even why I thought she was a Vizsla. Finally, I needed to pick a name. I nearly just wrote in “Meadow,” but then I figured what are the chances it wasn’t already being used? Instead, our redhead is now officially “Owczarek’s Little Miss Meadow.” Or, at least she should be, once her papers are approved. For some reason, I don’t think they will deny that she really is a Vizsla. Although someone did ask Nick and I once if she was a Whippet, (???) we're quite confident that the rescue crew of the Vizsla Club of Central New England knew what they were doing when they took her under their wings.

In hindsight, I wish I had thought to be creative years ago when I had sent in for my Labrador’s PAL number. Unfortunately, my yellow boy is just named plain old “Toby” on his paperwork. (Surprisingly, that name was not being used!). Knowing what I know now, I could have come up with something much better, like:

“Owczarek’s Toby LEAVE-IT!” or “Owczarek’s Here Comes Trouble Toby” or “Owczarek’s Patience Tester Toby,” or maybe even “Owczarek’s Jesus, why are you digging at the hardwood floor, it’s THREE AM, go Back to Bed before I KILL YOU Toby” – although I’m pretty sure that last one exceeds the AKC’s 36 character limit.

But, in the end, I probably would’ve chosen something a little kinder for my lovable Labbie, like: “Owczarek’s Gentle Goofball Toby”

Sadly, it matters not, because Toby can no longer compete in AKC Rally, since he is not allowed to jump anymore – retired two legs short of his Excellent Title. But don’t be too sad for him. He’s loving his new job learning K9 Nosework, and now it’s the girls’ time to shine in the ring. Look out Rally, here we come!

11/12/11 UPDATE: When I phoned to start up Leah's free 60 day pet insurance trial, I discovered that there are only two states that they don't offer the 60 day trial in, which are NY and CA. Figures....