He is Alaskan Malamute/Siberian Husky/Lab cross.
And you can still tell what he is.... and can learn something about him from those traits he brings from those breeds.
The answer is ~not~ to randomize all dog breeding into the same kind of generic lab terrier mutt.... how boring is that?
There is strict regulation in the form of AKC registration and recordkeeping. More regulation would do what exactly? make all people make good decisions?
Folks, this is just part of the dirty, unpredictability of life.... we need to stop thinking that with the right rules in place we can fix all problems.
Oh, and the only thing Lab about Harm are his ears. The rest is all Malamute/Husky. He hates water, loves snow, and I have to keep the house cold at all times for him to be comfortable. My baby does not howl at the moon, either.
Hardly. The AKC makes a bundle of money selling phony papers to all kinds of breeders, including puppy mill operators. Al that's required to get AKC papers is to be the owner of record per AKC of a female dog (even if the dog died years ago, or you've never even seen the dog, but paid the owner of record to transfer the papers to you) and mail in forms claiming she had a litter of X number of male and female puppies, and the father was registered dog X -- and remember to enclose the check.
One Pennsylvania puppy mill was shut down by the state Dept. of Agriculture for all sorts of horrific violations. A few months later, the AKC was right back to selling huge numbers of papers to the mill, which had illegally resumed operations at the same address, only the "breeder" listed was now the husband of the offender -- same last name.
While failing to police itself, and the breeders who financially support it, the AKC has energetically opposed legislation which would make it easier to crack down on puppy mill operators.