Becoming a Dogs West Registered Breeder involves several important steps. The following guide outlines what you need to do:

1.  Become the Registered Owner of a Registered Pedigreed Dog or Bitch

You must be the registered owner of a dog on the Dogs Australia Main or Limited Register, with your name appearing on the Certificate of Registration and Pedigree to join Dogs West.

2.  Join Dogs West

You must be a financial member of Dogs West and maintain a minimum of 6 months continuous membership before applying for a breeder prefix.
To be eligible as a breeder, you must hold either:

• Ordinary Single Membership (for one person), or
• Ordinary Double Membership (for two people).

3.  To apply for a prefix, you must be the owner of a Registered Bitch on the Main Register.

• Any sire used for mating must also be on the Main Register.
• Any sire can be owned by either yourself or another financial Dogs West member, a Member of another Member Body of Dogs Australia or frozen semen which has been registered..

4. Apply for a Prefix and take the Breeder's Education Exam
After completing the required 6 months of membership, you may apply for a Breeder Prefix by submitting the following:

• Prefix Application Form
• Breeder’s Education Exam

Once you pass the exam, your preferred prefix names will be submitted to the National Prefix Register managed by Dogs Australia for approval.

• You must list eight (8) prefix name choices on the application form. If only a few choices are submitted and rejected, you will have two more opportunities to provide new options.
• Each name submission or resubmission can take 2–4 weeks for processing.

Important: You must hold an approved and financial prefix at the time of mating, whelping, and registration.

Breeding before prefix registration is strictly prohibited.

About Your Prefix

Your prefix will:

• Identify you as the breeder of all dogs you register
• Become the first word in each registered puppy’s name

5.  About the Breeder’s Education Exam

The exam includes:

• Section A and a mock Litter Registration Form – Must be passed with a score of 100%
• Section B – Overall pass mark is 90%
• If you do not pass, you may resit the exam at any time.

Required Reading:
•    ANKC Ltd Regulations Part 6
•    ANKC Ltd Guidelines for Breeders
•    CAWA Regulations – Section H
•    CAWA Regulations – Section R
Recommended Reading:
•    Canine Reproduction and Whelping: A Dog Breeder's Guide – Myra Savant-Harris
•    Puppy Intensive Care: A Breeder's Guide to Care of Newborn Puppies – Myra Savant-Harris
•    Canine Reproduction: The Breeder's Guide (2nd Ed.) – Phyllis A. Holst

6.  Planning Timeline
Careful planning is essential. Allow adequate time for:

• Studying and passing the exam
•  Prefix approval from the ANKC Ltd

Allow:

• 1 calendar month for each exam attempt and resubmission
• 15–20 business days for prefix approval after passing

7.  Rules, Ethics & Compliance
All Dogs West members agree to be bound by the following:

• The Rules and Regulations of ANKC Ltd
• The Constitution, Rules & Regulations of Dogs West
• The Code of Ethics of Dogs West
• Breaches of any regulations are referred to the Protests & Disputes Panel for investigation and appropriate action.