I was born in California! My mom is a beautiful yellow Lab Golden cross. Her name is Kim lV. And my dad is a very handsome black Lab. His name is Ivan V. 

Service dogs can be a variety of different breeds. The organization where I come from, Canine Companions, breeds Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, and a combination of the two. 

With my mom being a Lab Golden cross and my dad being a full Lab, my mom was curious to know the percentages of how much Lab and Golden I had. She submitted a saliva sample to Embark for DNA analysis. 

I am happy to say that I am 81% Lab and 19% Golden. This didn’t surprise my mom because she thinks I look very much like a Lab. Although she can see a few Golden traits as well. Especially with my personality!

As you know, my mom did dog sports with Buffy. And showed her in AKC competitions. Buffy is a full Labrador Retriever.

AKC has a registering program for purebred dogs whose parents had not been registered. This is called the Purebred Alternative Listing. So my mom was able to register Buffy as a Lab. And get her PAL number.

In recent years AKC has added another type of registration known as AKC Canine Partners. This is for dogs who are mixed breeds. Meaning that their lineage is not from purebred dogs.

Some, like me, might be the crossing of two purebred breeds. And others might be a mixture of many breeds. This gives people the opportunity to register their dogs with AKC. And compete in events like rally, obedience, agility, and trick dog.

Napping while my mom is busy!

When registering a dog, you can choose a name that is simple or more complex. Maybe one with special meaning or significance. It can include the dog’s call name. Although it doesn’t have to.

With purebred dogs, the registered name will often include the kennel name from the breeder. And there may be a litter theme. 

My mom used CCI for the beginning part of Buffy’s name. Much in the same way as breeders begin a registered name with their kennel. Although it could be anywhere within the name. CCI is the abbreviation for Canine Companions for Independence. 

Next, she put Buffy. This was because she wanted to include her name. And to finish it off she used Assisting Me. This was to signify the help she provided to my mom. So Buffy is CCI Buffy Assisting Me!

My mom thinks I am very handsome!

My mom followed the same format as she did with Buffy, for my registered name. But decided to not use CCI because it often got printed incorrectly in show catalogs. So my registered name is Canine Companions Clint Assisting Me!

Some fun facts about me – 

1. I was born on May 7, 2018
2. My mom is Kim lV – a Lab Golden cross
3. My dad is Ivan V – a black Lab
4. I was the second puppy born
5. My collar color was blue – my mom’s favorite color!
6. There were ten puppies in my litter 
7. I have four brothers and five sisters
8. We were the “C” litter so our names all begin with C

Years ago, before my mom was disabled, she was actively involved with breeding and showing Golden Retrievers. Back then, she loved coming up with unique registered names, reading pedigrees, and learning about genetics. And still does now. 

So learning more about me has been enjoyable for her. And has brought back many memories from her past!