All About the American Canine Association (ACA)

 Monday Sep 18,2023
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By  Lancaster Puppies

When buying and selling purebred puppies, registration with a national dog registry is a sought-after trait to advertise. The American Canine Association (ACA) is one of the national registries to track the pedigree and health of purebred puppies. Learn how the ACA came to be and how to register your litter with them.

What is the American Canine Association (ACA)?

Person training a small tri-color dogThe ACA was established in 1984 as the world's largest health-tracking dog registry and is the second largest registry in the U.S. They have a mission to improve the genetic health and lives of dogs around the world, provide educational seminars, protect the rights of breeders to provide healthy and socialized puppies, and protect the rights of the public to enjoy the friendship of dogs. They run the Star Breeder Program to encourage high-quality kennels to keep up their good practices.

If you have an ACA-registered dog, you’ll receive many benefits. There is lifetime genetic health tracking, free microchip registration, a lost and found tag service, and more. ACA-registered dogs also have the opportunity to participate in ACA dog shows and other fun events.

How Are Puppies Registered with the ACA?

To register a litter of puppies with the ACA, at least one parent must also be a member. If one parent isn’t, it must be a member of another registry and you’ll have to provide evidence of at least a three-generation pedigree.

From there, you’ll submit an application along with the number of puppies in the litter and each pup will be assigned a registration number. You can prepay for the puppies’ registration as an additional advertising selling point. Alternatively, you can simply provide the puppy’s registration number to its new owner to register and pay for it themselves.

If your dam and sire are not currently registered with the ACA, you can apply for dual registration, so long as you can provide three generations of pedigree through another organization, like the American Kennel Club (AKC). Once they’re registered, you’ll enjoy all of the benefits offered by the ACA.

List Your Litters Online

If you are a breeder of ACA-registered dams and sires, Lancaster Puppies is a perfect place to list your puppies for sale. Our classifieds website lists hundreds of breeds for sale, reaching a national audience. We offer a convenient way to list your entire litter all at once, with the option to showcase their registration with ACA, AKA, or other registries. Register your account today to start selling.