Cavalier Talk

Affix: The process of attaching a registered kennel name to a registered dog’s name when it is being registered. If a kennel has registered their affix with the registries that they are registering the dog under, the adoption family must honor the kennel name request being added to the dog’s name. The breeder will sign off on the registration papers showing that they approve of their kennel name being used in the dog’s registered name. The affix is usually placed at the beginning of the dog’s registered name. If the breeder has not registered their affix with the registry, but have included their kennel name then normally it is proper ettiquette to allow the kennel name to remain, but the adoptive family does have the right to remove any kennel name that is not properly registered. (Cruisin’ Cavaliers is a registered kennel name for the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breed with both AKC and CKCSC dog registries so “Cruisin” will appear at the beginning of all registered names bred by Cruisin’ Cavaliers.) Family names are no longer recognized by AKC and CKCSC for affix registration. When I first began breeding I was using “Rackler Cavaliers”, which of course was my personal last name and later I discovered I could not register the Rackler name with the dog registries. It is possible to find personal name affix’s, but those affix’s will be breeders who were grandfathered in and had their affix before the personal name was omitted from recognition. When I adopted my first Cavalier, AKC Ch Crystalridge’s Cruisin Rackler I added Rackler in the name as well as the affix from Crystalridge still appearing at the beginning of Cruiser’s registered name. Adding an additional affix after the breeder’s affix is permitable. Affix’s in a pedigree are very important and if several dog’s in a pedigree share the same affix that can also be a good kennel name to research and see what accomplishments that breeder has made within their breeding program and for their breed as a whole. Pedigree’s that show many different affix’s or no affix’s at all I would be very leary of adopting a puppy from without research.

For more information on abbreviations used in the dog world please visit our website at http://www.cruisincavaliers.com/dog-world-abbreviations.htm