On AKC Litter registration Applications, BOTH the AKC Registered owner of the SIRE, as well as the AKC Registered owner of the Dam - MUST have agreed to and have knowledge of such a breeding - as well as having signed and dated this document and certify WHEN the mating took place.

If the Breeder has not done this, and does not have ALL legitimate signatures, then this was NOT a legal AKC breeding, and as such any puppies produced by this breeding shall NOT be recognized by the AMerican Kennel Club.

BEWARE! There are some registries that will register a dog, regardless of whether or not that dog has been forbidden AKC registration expected to the manner in which the dog was acquired - i.e. limited registration, etc.

With any puppy being presented as being AKC Registerable,  the Breeder should produce BEFORE asking for any monies,  the AKC Registration Certificates of BOTH Sire & Dam for viewing!!!    DO NOT buy a puppy from any breeder that wants money BEFORE they will divulge the AKC's registered names of Sire & Dam AND the date their Dam was bred to the Sire, & the exact whelping date of the puppies! INSIST on that Breeder showing you all AKC documents backing up their claims!

The Breeder should produce BEFORE the sale the puppies own recorded AKC DOG REGISTRATION APPLICATIONS for viewing!

Each puppy's AKC DOG REGISTRATION APPLICATION document has printed on it  information such as:
Date of Birth
Sire's name & AKC #
Dam's name & AKC #
Breeder's name
Litter owner's name & address
& the puppy's AKC Registration number
The last two numbers on a Dog's AKC Registration # denotes the number of puppy's placement in a litter - Example: If there are twelve puppies whelped in a litter, the ending numbers for each of the puppies in this litter would be somewhere "01" thru "12".

Most of the time a breeder's "pick of the litter" puppy's AKC number will end in "01" or "02".

Is that Sire & Dam that was used in producing the puppies you are looking at -  themselves worthy examples of healthy, genetically sound Parson Russell Terriers???

If the breeder claims that the documents haven't been sent by AKC yet, DO NOT buy that puppy! The breeder has had many weeks after the puppies were born to complete an AKC Litter Registration Application & to get an AKC Dog Registration Application back from AKC for each puppy - don't be fooled by promises of "we'll send you the *papers* later".

The term: *papers*, does NOT always mean AKC registration!

Make sure the "papers" the breeder produces, are indeed AMerican Kennel Club registration documents!!!

If the Sire and/or Dam are themselves AKC registered "LIMITED" - puppies produced are NOT AKC registerable!

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An example of what OFA reports look like.
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Hip Dysplasia is a fact of life in many of the "puppy mills" & "back yard breeders", where no testing is done.  Some breeders might claim to have done "prelims" or OFA certifications on hips, but just can't seem to find their OFA papers. A puppy that develops Hip Dysplasia will cost you in heartbreak, and thousands of dollars at the veterinarian.

A "free" or "inexpensive" puppy that develops Hip Dysplasia will become VERY expensive.

NOTE:  A word about show breeders/show handlers

Just because a breeder is showing dogs and is active in the show ring - that does NOT automatically mean that show breeder/show handler should be breeding their dogs and selling puppies!  You, in becoming an informed buyer - should be just as alert when buying from a show breeder/show breeder as you would with any other type of breeder.

Even if a Breeder is showing their dogs in AKC confirmation dog shows, there is no guarantee that breeder has done tests on Hips, Eyes, etc. prior to producing a litter! Ask always to see true copies of any certified documents/tests on Hips, Eyes, etc. Insist on seeing such documents BEFORE paying any money for the puppy!

As you would be wise to do with any type of breeder, ask the show breeder/show handler to produce proof of any testing (OFA on hips, yearly ACVO eye exams, etc.) on the Sire & Dam of the puppies.

Ask the show breeder/show handler how frequently that Dam has been mated during it's life, how many litters, and at what age that Dam started being bred.  If the answer is almost every heat cycle, and/or way before the age of two years - this "Show" breeder is most likely NOT producing puppies because they care about the health and well being of the dog!

Breeders of AKC registered dogs are REQUIRED by AKC to have on their premises some type of record keeping of the dogs they own/co-own - such as Dog Ownership and Breeding Records.

Ask the show breeder/show handler if they are currently a member of any AKC recognized Parson Russell Terrier Breed Club - & then go to that Club's website & verify.

A LIST OF AKC CLUBS

There are some breeders that show dogs,  that might not want to be a member of any AKC recognized Parson Russell Terrier Breed Club. AKC does not require membership in a Parson Russell Terrier Breed Club,  of any breeder - whether that breeder shows dogs or not.

The showing & handling of dogs does NOT guarantee a breeder acceptance into an AKC recognized Breed club. Membership applicants must be approved by a club, voted upon for membership. Membership is a privilege, not a right. Most AKC Parson Russell Terrier Clubs have a code of ethics members must abide by.

Any breeder that is mating a female almost every heat cycle, or well below two years of age, most likely would NOT be allowed membership in an AKC recognized Parson Russell Terrier CLUB.

ALL-BREED CLUBS:

Not every Dog Club has a code of Ethics. Such a club could conceively have a member on occasion that has a puppy-mill mentality. If a member/breeder is breeding their females every heat cycle, using the same in house stud dog over and over on their own female - they are not doing so because they care about the dogs health!

So there might be a few breeders joining some LESS DEMANDING clubs as a forum to breed and sell as many puppies as than breeder can, using the gravitas that belonging to a "club" might give them in their pursuit to breed and sell lots of puppies. A way to hide-in-plain-site , away from home.

Ethical breeders would NOT be breeding their Dam every 7 or 8 months (every heat cycle)! Also, not all "show" breeders do genetic testing such as OFA on Hips and YEARLY ACVO/C.E.R.F  PRA testing of eyes- on both the SIRE and the DAM:they use.

Although Breeders may on occasion breed their Dams using a Stud dog they themselves own/co-own,  breeders should be looking always for the best Sire for their puppies. 

Does the breeder almost always use Stud dogs the breeder themselves owns/co-owns, being bred to the Dam the breeder also owns/co-own? Is the breeder looking for the best mate for her Dam, or just using her own in-house Stud to avoid Stud fees? What was the prime motivator in that breeder producing puppies from such a in-house gene pool?

Even if a Breeder is showing their dogs in AKC confirmation dog shows, there is no guarantee that breeder has done the necessary tests on Hips & Eyes prior to producing a litter. Ask always to see valid copies of any certified documents/tests on Hips, Eyes, etc. Insist on seeing such documents BEFORE paying any money for the puppy. Beware of any Breeder insisting on being paid for a puppy BEFORE allowing you to examine any pedigrees, documents, certified tests, etc. they claim to have done!

Beware! Not all breeders are the same, regardless of whether or not they "show" their dogs.

An ethical "show" breeder that cares about the best interest of the dog & breed, would NOT bred their Dam every heat cycle!

An ethical "SHOW" breeder ALSO does genetic testing such as yearly ACVO/C.E.R.F, and OFA on Hips upon reaching two years of age. These tests should be done on both SIRE & DAM:producing a litter. 

As with any interest/profession in life, not every show breeder is what they present themselves to be!

Examine for yourself - do you feel the breeder truly cares about their Dogs, or cares more about producing puppies?

Is that "show" breeder using the show ring as a forum in order to sell their puppies away from home?

Examine breeder's records of yearly vet care, vaccinations, OFA & C.E.R.F documents, and DNA, on Sire and Dam. The puppy's DNA should match to the DNA of the purported Sire & purported Dam.

Owners of AKC registered dogs used for breeding, are REQUIRED to keep an AKC "OWNERSHIP RECORD OF INDIVIDUAL DOG (Male or Female) on each AKC registered dog they own/co-own.
This record also includes the FULL breeding record of the breeder's dog being bred (how many times, how often, who that dog was bred to, etc.)

Ask to see the breeder's "AKC Ownership Record/Breeding Record of Individual Dog", that persons owning AKC registered Bitches/Dogs must have available on premises for random AKC inspections

BEWARE of any Breeder insisting on being paid for a puppy BEFORE allowing you to view any pedigrees, documents, & certified tests they claim to have done.

Ask the breeder to verify Sire's & Dam's OFA's on Hips (X-rays examined by the breeder's veterinarian is NOT proof); Yearly eye exams by a veterinarian ACVO Optometrist  (also check out the OFA/C.E.R.F history of the siblings of the Sire & Dam, as well as Grandsires & Granddames). Verify with OFA! 

Ask the breeder if they own more then two breeds of dogs. Go online, search engine their name, their email addresses, their phone numbers, and their Kennel name(s). Find out how many different types of animals the breeder has. 

Inspect where the puppies have been raised. If the breeder does not allow you to see the inside of the home where the puppies have been raised & socialized, and the backyard where the puppies have been allowed exercise - it might be to your advantage to look elsewhere for your puppy!

Not all puppy-mill situations are easy to spot from outside. Look closely at the whole environment! Some breeders might be "collector" types  - having many different species of animals & breeds of dogs. Any breeder should be motivated in having yearly vet exams on the their Dams to help ensure a healthy Dam, & litter. Not all breeders do this!

Ask if the breeder ever took the puppies to see their veterinarian for a health checkup - if the answer is yes, ask to see a copy of the veterinarian's report. 

Ask the breeder just how many litters have been whelped with that Dam, how many in each litter, and the age the Dam was FIRST use to whelp puppies. Ask again in person to help gauge truthfulness for yourself. Ask to see the Dam. Breeders of AKC registered dogs are REQUIRED by AKC to have on their premises some type of record keeping of the dogs they own/co-own - such as Dog Ownership and Breeding Records.

BEWARE! Some breeders might be breeding the same Dams almost every heat cycle (usually 6 - 8 months), and/or well before two years of age! A Breeder that truly cares about their Dam and the puppies, would NOT be breeding her like that.

If a breeder is mating the same female almost every heat cycle, they are not doing it out of concern for the Dam's health - but to produce puppies!

Not all breeders are looking out for the best interest of the breed, or the dog.

Not all breeders that have a puppy-mill mentality are easy to spot - until it is too late!

I have discovered browsing the internet a few breeders that claim they so HATE puppy Mills but fail to disclose that they themselves are breeding their own females every six months; are using the same at-home male on all in-home females every breeding; have their dogs living in small 6x6 or 6x12 pens. Might even claim they bring their dogs in every night, after having them outside all day in their little pens.

Use your own judgment on the truthfulness of any such claims being made. If the breeder claims that during the day they have their dogs living outside in small pens, yet claim that they bring those dogs inside their home at night - look to see if that seems plausible to you - how many dogs? Does the breeder have different breeds?). At what time do these dogs ever get to run around outside and exercise? Does it sound pausible that a breeder would bring their large number of dogs into the house after a long day in which their dogs received no excesise outside the dogs pens????

Look closely at the breeder's own contract of sale BEFORE signing it. Has the breeder made representations that they have not included in their contract? Do NOT rely on verbal representations being upheld, verbal representations are open to "misinterpretation."