Getting a springer puppy, how important is it that it is kc reg?

[applegate]

So we have done lots of research and are going to go for a springer spaniel, I have phoned about several litters to find out info and have narrowed it down to two that sounded like just what we are looking fro and we would like to go and see but..... one litter is 80 miles away, however sound lovely but only 2 puppies left and are more pricey. The other litter is 5 miles down the road, 7 puppies left out of 9 and are much cheaper; this litter is not kc reg. The lady said that although she had paperwork for mum she didn't send it off.
I am a bit torn, the money doesn't hugely worry me because I feel that this is a family dog that we will have for years so I won't worry in a year if it was £150 more or not, and we will not want to breed or anything. But should I be looking at one that is KC reg to ensure that it is a more reputable breeder and definitely hasn't had anything else bred into it??
Or am I being silly to worry and should just go and look at the closer ones?
Advice please?!

Well it does and doesnt matter. If you feel confident that the non-registered pup is healthy, mum is healthy, has a nice temperament and you like her, and the breeder is a small breeder and not a puppy farmer (seeing the mum is an important check on this) then it doesnt matter if the pup is registered with KC, unless you want to show and breed. And its normal to pay a little less for unregistered dogs. It doesnt matter at all if there is any other breed bred into the dog, unless you mind. Generally the Kennel Club encourages responsible breeding, and this is a reason to buy from them rather than Dogs4u or a similar organisation, or the back street puppy farms which are even worse. But if this other litter is from a family pet that just happens to have had a litter, chances are it will be fine. So pick the pup you like best and go with your instincts about the breeder. Hope that is helpful and enjoy your new pup!

I have a springer who isn't registered.

We weren't bothered as he was only ever going to be a family pet so we/breeder didn't bother registering him

I'd go and see them. We were able to view mum and dad and the breeder had all the paperwork for them