Sent to the SHCA Membership September 18, 2026
SHCA Statement on Pedigree Accuracy, Genetic Testing, and Crossbreeding
In the course of the year and a half since the “Comparative Population Genomics of Arctic Sled Dogs...” study (Smith, et al.) describing evidence of impure breeding in some racing Siberian lines was published, the SHCA Board has taken a comprehensive look at the findings and their potential ramifications within the breed. This includes revisiting the presentation previously provided to the Board by two of the study’s authors, asking for input from the club's Health & Genetics committee, and consulting with both the club's lawyer and the American Kennel Club.
The study provides evidence of genetic admixture in some Siberian Huskies, with the strongest and most consistent evidence occurring among the racing-line dogs included in the study. The study also identified a small number of dogs in the show and sled-show populations with some evidence of European introgression. These findings underscore the importance of maintaining accurate pedigrees and exercising care in breeding decisions.
The SHCA Board believes it is important for members to understand the distinction between AKC registration, pedigree accuracy, and genetic ancestry. An AKC registration establishes a dog's registration under AKC rules; it should not be interpreted as a guarantee that every historical ancestor represented in a pedigree has been genetically verified. Likewise, the presence of an AKC pedigree does not eliminate the importance of responsible breeding practices or maintaining accurate parentage records.
In light of what we have learned during that time, the Board would like to report to the membership what the SHCA can and cannot do to address the impure breeding history that characterizes some Siberian pedigrees.
The SHCA Board believes it is important to clarify what the club can and cannot do, while also providing guidance to members regarding responsible breeding and pedigree accuracy.
The SHCA is a member club of the AKC. The AKC is our governing body, not the reverse. As a member club, we have agreed to follow the rules and regulations established by the AKC.
The AKC considers a 3-generation pedigree sufficient to designate a dog as purebred. The AKC does not accept a commercial DNA breed test as a valid reason to remove or withhold registration.
The AKC legal department will only approve removal of registrations or withhold litter registration on dogs genomically proven to have inaccurate pedigrees through AKC direct-parentage DNA analysis exclusion.
The AKC does not allow a breed parent club to retain individual stipulations for registration that differ from any other breed parent clubs. In other words, the SHCA cannot prescribe rules for registering Siberian Huskies to the AKC.
Neither the AKC nor the SHCA are Race Giving Organizations (RGOs); therefore, they cannot dictate rules for entering the purebred classes at a race. For example, they cannot tell an RGO that they must require every dog entered in a purebred class to have a valid DNA breed test. Any changes to an RGO’s class requirements need to come from the membership of those organizations.
The Siberian Husky Club of America unequivocally condemns all crossbreeding of the Siberian Husky. All breeders should strive to breed to the AKC standard.
The fact that a dog is registered with the AKC does not make crossbreeding an acceptable breeding practice, nor does registration by itself provide genetic assurance that no historical crossbreeding exists within a dog's ancestry. The SHCA therefore encourages breeders to consider not only the registration status of prospective breeding animals, but also the accuracy of their pedigrees and the genetic information available to them.
The SHCA Board recommends that individuals obtain an AKC DNA profile and parentage verification on dogs they intend to breed or import, where appropriate, as a means of helping maintain accurate pedigrees.
DNA testing can serve different purposes, and it is important not to confuse parentage testing with commercial breed-ancestry testing. An AKC parentage test is intended to verify parentage and pedigree accuracy and is the type of DNA analysis recognized by the AKC for registration purposes.
Commercial breed-ancestry tests are not accepted by the AKC as a basis for removing or withholding registration. The SHCA does not endorse or recommend commercial breed-ancestry testing services. Members who choose to pursue such testing should understand that the results are not determinative of AKC registration status or, by themselves, proof that a particular dog is or is not a purebred Siberian Husky.
The SHCA has historically provided members with information and resources regarding genetic health testing affecting the Siberian Husky. Members are encouraged to utilize appropriate, scientifically supported testing and to consider available genetic information when making responsible breeding decisions.
Breeders who have concerns regarding the accuracy of a particular pedigree or parentage should consult with the AKC regarding the appropriate parentage testing process rather than relying solely on a commercial breed-ancestry test.
The SHCA recognizes that the genetic history of the Siberian Husky is complex and that our understanding of the breed will continue to evolve as additional genomic research becomes available. The Smith et al. study provides important information regarding genetic diversity and admixture within different Siberian Husky populations, but it does not establish that all Siberian Huskies, or all dogs within any particular breeding population, have been affected by crossbreeding.
Our responsibility as the Siberian Husky Parent Club is to provide members with accurate information, encourage responsible breeding practices, and support preservation of the Siberian Husky as a distinct breed.
The AKC will notify all member parent clubs in the future if there are any changes to the registration process.
Sincerely,
Stephanie Barnhill, SHCA President