I’ve recently bought a KC registered Cocker and I’m really pleased with the pup.
It seems that 75% of all litters being advertised were not KC registered and yet they were going for the same price. why would anyone buy a non registered pup.
Why are you proper breeders not shouting from the rooftops about the benefits of a KC registered pups. If you did, your prices would go up and the non registered prices would go down.
Every KC breeder should list all the benefits at the bottom of their advert....if everybody did that, people would ‘get the message’ and most would only get a Registered dog. This would help stop puppy farm breeders and those just after a quick buck.
Thoughts?

We do try but when you get 'buyers' saying I don't want to show or breed, I only want a pet, so to them it doesn't matter.

The cost of registering a puppy is £17(£15 for assured breeder) per puppy. This is a very small cost, compared to other costs, in rearing puppy properly but to some its a cost they don't need to incur(those who see £ signs in their eyes). There are a whole host of reasons why a breeder(as they still are, even if they only have one litter) don't register their puppies!

I always say that there is no good reason to not register a purebred litter.

Most often the parents are unregistered, have breeding restrictions, not owned by the breeder (even stolen). The bitch may already have had too many litters.

So yes a pedigree should be KC registered as a start.

Then they should have ALL breed appropriate Clinical and DNA health testing, and have acceptable results, and mated to appropriate partners based on DNA test results.

Sadly KC registration of itself is no guarantee of quality, as it only means bith parents were registered, and had no breeding restrictions and the bitch was within age parameters, not had 4 litters or was sister or offspring, or mother of the sire.

Those signed up for their Assured breeder program may have to do some basic health testing for their breed and will have had their premises and record keeping checked.

It's a bit different for working gundogs, because they don't need to be KC registered to fulfil their job descriptions and work on shoots. For someone who has no intention of competing and just wants a dog to beat with or pick up, in their eyes there is no reason to pay extra (it's usually more) to get a KC reg dog.

And whilst it's true there are often no good reasons not to register a litter, that is assuming that the parents are KC registered. If the parents are not KC registered because they come from generation after generation of non-registered dogs for one reason or another, then the litter can't be registered either - because the parents aren't.

You only have to look at the popularity of sprockers (which can't even be registered as they are not a KC breed and are a crossbreed) to see how many folks don't care about KC registration when it comes to working gundogs.

I did refer to a Purebred litter.

Also few unregistered dogs go through Health testing, their lack of pedigree hardly makes them immune to hereditary health issues.

I'm not arguing in favour of it. I'm answering the OP's question:

>why would anyone buy a non registered pup.

Pure and simple - greedy people wanting to make a quick buck and breeding from their un-health tested bitch and owners who can't be bothered to do some research into the breed etc as they have to have it now!  A case of demand and no legislation to stop anyone breeding from a pet bitch

Due to the car crash state of the new KC website, breeders have been finding it “difficult” to register litters and have given up.

Going by what I've seen of late, mainly from the advertisements of my now two breeds on  that website, it apparently makes not a jot of difference whether the puppies are KC registered, or not - price-wise at least.  From the photos however, it certainly does in terms of quality.

Looking at the latest litter of working type cockers on CDs “Show/working” bred, well over priced and the breeder hasn't any knowledge of colours. Bitch riding on the back on the minimal health tested sire!

We try to educate people. My website has info about the health testing our breed should have and why, I list all the testing I do and the results. Our breed club talks about these health issues as well and explains the tests breeders should do and requires its members to do. There are many breed/dog groups on Facebook for various breeds,crosses or dogs in general with information.  But the problem is to many puppy buyer just don't care, they want their cute puppy and don't want to do any research or wait. Many think as they want 'just a pet' they don't need one from kc reg tested parents.
I once saw a commercial breeder website where they listed all the health testing they don't do because they breed pets not show dogs.

Also not all kc reg puppies are from good breeders, puppy farms and quick buck breeders do also kc register.

This page https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/health-and-dog-care/what-we-do-for-dog-health/brachycephalic-dogs/ on the Kennel Club website says that 70% of dogs are NOT Kennel Club registered.

Every KC breeder should list all the benefits at the bottom of their advert

A lot of us don't advertise.