The Kennel Club of India is India’s foremost authority on dog breed standards, maintaining the only verifiable registry on all purebred dogs. The Kennel Club of India is the only Indian member of the Fédération Cynologique Internationale(FCI), an international organization which has been successfully maintaining breed standards since the early 1900s. The FCI is also the largest international federation of Kennel Clubs, with member clubs in 98 countries.

The Kennel Club of India issues pedigrees for purebred dogs and their litters, being the only recognized certification in India, related to breed standards. They also hold annual shows around the country, giving breeders a chance to show off their dogs in contests and dogs shows.

It’s important to know how the registration process works for dogs through KCI, prior to purchasing a puppy. Having no prior information on this matter will open you up to being scammed by unethical breeders running puppy mills. For dogs bred in India, KCI permits a few options, based on the considerations of the origin, age, and lineage of the puppy. 

Litter Registration

To be eligible for this form of registration, the litter must be sired by 2 dogs that have  both been registered with the KCI, and have microchips that have been approved by the KCI. In the event that either one of the dogs are not registered, move onto the next option. 

To register your litter, fill in the following forms - ‘Form A’ & ‘Litter Registration Form’ and  draw a demand draft in the favor of “The Kennel Club of India” payable at “Chennai”, within 4 months from the DOB of the puppy. The pricing for registration (per puppy) is as follows - Rs.562 for puppies aged 60 days or less, Rs.843 for puppies 61-120 days old. If the litter registration form isn't received by KCI within 90 days or 4 months of the puppies' birth date, the puppies will be listed as having unknown parentage. 

Registration for a single dog 

If the sire and dam of your puppy comes from unknown lineage, this is the registration process you should be looking into. An authorized person, by providing a Certificate of Opinion, must certify the dog for single dog registration. The process of registering dogs will reveal that their parents are unidentified. Even if you are aware of the dog's true ancestry, the certificate cannot reflect it under this method because the breeder neglected to register the puppy as part of the litter registration process. 

But what is a Certificate of Opinion? The KCI has granted all judges and a select group of individuals the authority to certify that a specific dog is suitable for registration as a specimen of a breed in addition to the standard form for single dog registration. The following are some essential considerations for this process: 

• The dog must be older than a year. 

• The dog must be microchipped.  

• If a male dog has been neutered, he cannot be certified. 

• The dog must qualify for the title of "Champion" in its breed from a recognised club. 

The Certificate of Opinion procedure is fairly clear-cut and easy. Submitting an application does not ensure that your dog will be registered via this method. The rigorous guidelines guarantee that this won't develop into a money-making scheme.

Should you register your dog?

If you are looking to purchase a dog from a breeder, it is always advised to get a puppy that has been registered with KCI - always ask for the KCI papers of both parents, along with the puppy registration form that the breeder would have submitted to get their pup verified. This way you may cover all your bases, and ensure that you really getting the breed of dog that you desire. In the event that you have a puppy at home that isn't registered with the KCI, or if your dog is giving birth to a litter you may ask yourself if any of the 3 following points are relevant to you:

1. Entry into dog shows: In India, entry into the majority of reputable dog shows requires a registered dog. An unregistered dog without documents, a birth record, or a pedigree won't even be considered for registration. 

2. Laws imposed by the government: In order to breed dogs, this certification is necessary. If someone with immense love for dogs decides that being a breeder would be a fulfilling job for them, then in order to do that they must have KCI certification. Breeding unregistered dogs is banned. 

3. Information recovery: If your dog is ever lost, a scan of the microchip can be used to retrieve the necessary details about the dog's owner. This would make it significantly easier to locate your dog in case of an emergency. 

After your dog is registered, KCI will send you documents bearing your identity as the owner and a microchip. Any veterinarian would be capable of administering the injection, containing the microchip. You receive a letter from KCI within a month that includes information about your dog's lineage, name, and microchip. Dogs that are unregistered and whose pedigree is unknown can also be registered.