What is a Pedigree?

Most people are justifiably proud of that large, mysterious piece of paper with a list of strange sounding names, some of them printed in red ink. What exactly is this paper that seems so impressive? What does it really mean?

Very simply, a pedigree is a record of your Papillon's ancestors - sire (father), dam (mother), grandsire, granddam, great grandsire and so forth. Every creature, animal, plant or human, has a pedigree, but unless someone takes the trouble to write it down and keep track of it, the information is lost in the mists of memory and time.

The Kennel Club's registration system keeps track of pedigrees, recording your Papillon's name and details such as registered name, age, breed, sex, colour, sire and dam.

What a pedigree doesn't tell you is very important! Any pure-bred Papillon who meets The Kennel Club's requirements for registration may be registered and receive "papers". The papers can't tell you if the Papillon is of good quality or if it even looks like the breed it is supposed to be. All it can tell you is that the Papillon is registered and his records are kept on file. Most people misunderstand this important point! Many, many poor quality Papillons are AKC registered. You can't judge a Papillon's quality from looking at only his registration papers or pedigree.

With this in mind, you now know that a pedigree can only tell you who your Papillon's ancestors were - it can't tell you if they were of good quality, what they looked like or whether they may have had inherited health or temperament problems that they passed on to their descendants.

If your Papillon serves you well as a pet and companion, you may not care about finding out more about his family. However, if you intend to breed or show your Papillon, then getting accurate information about his background is crucial! You'll need to do much, much more than just memorise the names on his pedigree.

To find out more about the Papillons in the pedigree, you should see his sire and dam firsthand. The breeder should be able to tell you where to find your Papillon's grandparents as well. For information on Papillons further back in the pedigree, you may have to resort to books, magazines and newsletters. Contact the breed club to find veteran breeders who can give you the history on Papillons now deceased. Pictures can only give you part of the story. You need to talk to people who have first hand knowledge of what the Papillons were really like.

What does CH mean? CH is the abbreviation for Champion, a title that makes everyone's heart beat a little faster! A pedigree filled with champions, their names written in red ink, is an impressive sight indeed.

A champion is a Papillon who has defeated other Papillons at Championship shows to win the required number of "Challenge Certificates" to achieve the title. It can be easier to achieve the title in some breeds than others.

Is a champion a Papillon of exceptional quality? Sometimes - and sometimes not. A champion is only as good as the competition he beats. Having the title doesn't tell you whether he actually deserved it.

A championship title can't tell you if the Papillon was good breeding stock or if he/she had inherited defects that were passed on to its puppies. Only first hand knowledge from people that actually knew the Papillon can tell you that.

In short, a pedigree is a tool to help breeders produce better Papillons. It is a starting point for research. A pedigree by itself doesn't mean much. Without knowing what the Papillons in the pedigree were really like, a pedigree is just an impressive list of names!