Lassie now has full AKC registration!
There hasn't been a formal announcement on the Lassie, the World's Most Famous Dog Facebook page, (the only Facebook page actually associated with Lassie), but here's the scoop on all the AKC registrations.
In the fall of 2013 it was announced that documentation was presented to the AKC through the ARR program to obtain registration for the litter that Bob's current collie Hammer is from and their father. The ARR program allows any owner of any unregistered dog to obtain full registration if it can be traced back to AKC registered stock. It is not required that every single dog be registered. You can skip individual dogs or entire generations but you must account for all the dogs in the pedigree as having the ABILITY to be registered. You can fully register dogs that are alive or dead. The dogs that are not registered are assigned a QR prefix to designate they are part of the verified trace but they are not fully registered.
It has been claimed on another Facebook page, not associated with Lassie now or in the past, that all of the previous Lassie's are now AKC registered dogs. This same Facebook page claims Lassie ended with Bob Weatherwax's retirement. While we try to ignore this page, these things are simply not true. Bob Weatherwax did not register all the previous Lassie's. In Hammer's pedigree there are four Lassie's, all with the QR prefix, which according to the AKC are for internal purposes of tracing only and are not registrations. Had the applications and fees been paid to register them, they no doubt would have gained full registration, but they were not. Here is a link for a copy of Hammer's AKC pedigree obtained from the AKC- http://www.lassie.net/hammer.pdf
The only dogs fully registered by Bob Weatherwax's documentation are Hammer, his littermates, and his father, none of which have ever been Lassie, had any association with Lassie, or who have worked professionally in the entertainment business to our knowledge. All were born years after Bob Weatherwax retired from Lassie. Bob was allowed to use the prefix of Weatherwax in their name as Bob & his daughter secured the kennel name 5 years earlier and had never registered any foundation dogs. Weatherwax Collies, like Weatherwax Trained Dogs, are not names that go back to Rudd Weatherwax, but are specific to Bob Weatherwax only. There is no Weatherwax Lassie kennel name.
The registration of Hammer is wonderful news for Bob and his daughter, and it clearly defines the branch off of Bob after his retirement from Lassie into new ventures, which could include anything since there is no longer a need to produce collies with the genetic colors and markings of Lassie. It will be interesting to watch and see what Bob's colors in the line will look like in a few generations and if they begin to acheive championships in the conformation ring.
Bob's securing of registration for his living dogs opened the door for any dog in the line that links to the same descendants, living or dead, to gain full registration, providing they can also provide the documentation required by the AKC and held to the same standards Bob had to meet.
In April, 2014, the one and only Lassie, the World's Most Famous Dog, became fully registered with the AKC by linking to his grandfather, Lassie VIII (aka Howard), who was part of the trace Bob provided to the AKC. Without the groundwork that had already been laid by Bob Weatherwax this would not have been possible as it was always thought the older records no longer existed and were destroyed in a fire on Rudd's ranch years ago. Still, it took months of work by a number of people both in and outside of the AKC, and lots of documentation, to prove that Lassie is indeed part of the same exact genetic line and linked to this long line of collies that have been Lassie through his father and grandfather. The one and only Lassie follows the same breeding protocol of Rudd Weatherwax. His father was Lassie, his grandfather was Lassie, his great grandfather was Lassie....all the way back. While Bob Weaeatherwax did register his new "Weatherwax Collies", the ONLY Lassie that was registered is the one that was done separately for the reigning 10th generation Lassie.
For years AKC registration of Lassie was thought to be impossible, even though breeding had always been done with AKC females, but thanks to the AKC ARR program, which started in 2008, it became more than possible, it became a reality.
For the first time in over 6 decades, Lassie, the World's Most Famous Dog, is again a fully AKC registered dog!
