Dear Filing: Your first set of papers will depend on where you purchase puppy. If you are getting your new addition from a reputable breeder – which is your best option – then she should provide you with most of the paperwork you will need to keep for your records. If you get the puppy from a pet store, they too should provide you with some documents, including a bill of sale.

This first packet of papers from a breeder should include a sales contract, an American Kennel Club registration form, a microchip enrollment form, the early health records, written instructions on feeding and care, possible resource lists and maybe a membership application for a breed club or all-breed club in your area.   

Purebred Orientation

Let’s go over the initial packet of papers before we look at future forms. The sales contract is an agreement between you and the breeder. It has information on the litter, the dog, the purchase price, on any breeding restrictions and should include a return policy. Both you and the breeder will sign it. Keep this as the ultimate proof of your ownership of the dog.

Your puppy should also come with AKC registration papers. These must be filled out and returned to the AKC for your dog to be guaranteed as a purebred. For more information on individual registration, go to the AKC website at www.akc.org under registrations.

If your puppy has a microchip implanted between his shoulder blades for identification, then you must also enroll in the AKC Companion Animal Recovery (CAR) database, so that if the puppy is ever lost, they have your contact information. The breeder should give you a small barcode form with the microchip number on it and an enrollment form. Keep the number in your records and once you are enrolled keep the CAR certificate as well. CAR’s web site is www.akccar.org.

The rest of the health paperwork should become the foundation of the pup’s ongoing medical records. These documents can be very important if the pup should ever get sick and you need a complete medical history or your current vet has a question about prior medical treatment, especially if you change vets over the pet’s lifetime.

Rabies Certificate & Dog License

The first important health certificate – which is a required legal document – is your puppy’s rabies certificate. Your veterinarian will issue you the certificate after the pup’s first booster. You will need this slip of paper, not the little tag hanging on her collar, when you go to get her dog license from the town clerk.

Laws vary from state to state, but in Connecticut all dogs over the age of six months must have a rabies vaccine and be licensed in their town. Again, you will get a dog license tag to put on your dog’s collar, but it is the actual certificate from the town clerk that legally shows you have licensed your dog, since it has the description of the dog, whether it’s been spayed or neutered and your address.   

Scrapbook Binder

The best method for keeping everything you need in one place is a three-ring binder with all the paperwork, vet receipts, certificates, pictures, awards, photos, news clippings or whatever about your dog. Over the years, it creates a permanent record of your time spent together.

Use plastic sheet protectors to keep papers and photos in order. Add tabs for medical records, photos, mementos, however you want to creatively divide up the information. Keep the binder in your home office where it will be at your fingertips should the dog warden ever pay you a visit. If records are ever needed in a legal sense, the binder will demonstrate your commitment to being a responsible dog owner.

And at the end of your dog’s life, you can put all the sympathy cards and letters into the binder. This can be a very powerful closure tool after your dog’s passing. This wonderful tribute, of a dog’s life well spent, is a great comfort to look back on as a testament to your human-canine bond experienced with purpose and pleasure. 

Lisa Peterson, a long-time breeder of Norwegian Elkhounds, is the Club Communications Manager at the American Kennel Club. Contact her at ask@lisa-peterson.com  or Dogma Publishing, P.O. Box 307, Newtown, CT 06470.