Why Designer Kennel Club Exists
The Problem We're Solving
Millions of dogs in America have no registration path.
The American Kennel Club was built for purebred dogs — dogs with documented lineage going back generations. That works for a Labrador from a registered breeder. It doesn't work for the 40% of dogs in American homes that are designer breeds: Goldendoodles, French Bulldogs, Cavapoos, Bernedoodles, Pocket Bullies, and hundreds of others that the AKC does not recognize and will never register.
These aren't lesser dogs. They're often healthier, better-tempered, and more deliberately bred than many AKC-recognized purebreds. They just don't fit a system that was designed in 1884.
The result: their owners have no official documentation. No registration papers. No proof of breed. No record that their dog exists as a recognized companion animal.
Designer Kennel Club was built to fix that.
What Designer Kennel Club Is
Designer Kennel Club (DKC) is the first national registry purpose-built for designer breeds and foundation dogs — dogs whose value comes from deliberate crossbreeding and responsible ownership, not from a pedigree that predates the Civil War.
We register dogs, not bloodlines. Any dog — regardless of whether it has AKC papers, prior registration, or documented lineage — can be officially recognized through DKC's Foundation Dog Registration program.
We cover 200+ recognized designer and mixed breeds. We issue official registration certificates. We maintain a permanent national database of registered dogs and their owners.
Since launching, DKC has crossed 2,000 registrations — a milestone covered by USA Today, Yahoo Finance, Business Insider, and The Globe and Mail.
The Story Behind DKC
Designer Kennel Club was founded in Houston, Texas in 2020 by Linh Hoang — an entrepreneur with a singular mission: to establish designer breeds as a recognized category of purebred dog in America.
The existing system wasn't built for what dog ownership looks like today. The AKC was founded in 1884 to document working and hunting breeds with documented European lineage. It was never designed to recognize the deliberate, generation-over-generation crossbreeding that produces a Goldendoodle, a Cavapoo, a Fluffy French Bulldog, or a Pocket Bully. These aren't accidents — they are purpose-bred dogs with consistent traits, predictable temperaments, and devoted ownership communities. They are, by any honest definition, purebred. They just aren't purebred in a way the AKC was built to recognize.
Hoang's position is straightforward: a Goldendoodle bred with intention and documentation is a purebred designer dog. A Cavapoo from a responsible breeder is a purebred designer dog. The breed is the cross — and the cross, when bred consistently, produces a breed. Designer Kennel Club exists to register those dogs and to establish "Purebred Designer Dog" as the official designation they deserve.
DKC spent its first years building the infrastructure — a breed database covering 200+ recognized designer breeds, a national registration system, and an official certificate program — before scaling nationally. Since going public, DKC has crossed 2,000 registrations, a milestone covered by USA Today, Yahoo Finance, Business Insider, and The Globe and Mail.
The registry is open to any dog, regardless of prior documentation. If your dog doesn't have AKC papers — or if your dog is a designer breed the AKC doesn't recognize — DKC is the official registry built for them.
What Registration With DKC Means for Your Dog
A DKC registration is an official document. It includes:
- Your dog's registered name and breed designation
- Your name and ownership record in the DKC national database
- A unique DKC registration number
- An official DKC certificate suitable for framing or filing
Registration is permanent. Your dog's record does not expire. If you ever need to prove ownership, establish breed identity for insurance or housing purposes, or register a litter, your DKC registration is the foundation.
Registration starts at $65. Most registrations are processed and issued the same day.
Press and Recognition
Designer Kennel Club's work has been covered by:
- USA Today — "Designer Kennel Club of America Expands Nationwide Registry" (August 2026)
- USA Today — "Designer Kennel Club Surpasses 2,000 Registrations" (September 2026)
- Yahoo Finance — "The $5 Billion Designer Dog Market Has a Registration Problem" (September 2026)
- Business Insider — "The $5 Billion Designer Dog Market Has a Registration Problem" (September 2026)
- The Globe and Mail — "Designer Kennel Club Crosses 2,000 Registrations as Designer Dog Ownership Hits Record Highs" (September 2026)
- MSN — "Designer Kennel Club Recognized as the Best Designer Breed Registry"
Register Your Dog Today
If your dog doesn't have AKC papers — or if your dog is a designer breed the AKC doesn't recognize — DKC registration is the official path forward.
It takes less than five minutes. Your certificate ships the same day.
Register Your Dog — $65: https://www.designerkennelclub.com/register-foundation-dog
