Just to give you a customer perspective.....when I was looking for my last two Yorkies, I did not even go look if they were not AKC registered. I am looking into possibly showing/breeding sometime in the future and they need to be AKC to participate in conformation at any AKC event.
(CKC in all of the following is referring to Continental Kennel Club -- CKC when meaning Canadian Kennel Club is entirely different. )
I am sure there are very ethical and loving breeders that are using CKC registry but.... I think too many of the early CKC people were malcontents and short-cut takers who could not abide by AKC's rules for animal health and safety. I am glad to hear they have stopped the picture verification registration -- I have seen MANY mixed breeds that could "pass." But what about the next generation? I imagine that is how we get some of these cute dogs that look nothing like the Yorkie standard -- but their owners swear they are pure-breds. Unfortunately the CKC gene pool is FULL of these picture-verified dogs that go on to dilute the lines.
Being AKC registered does not guarantee -- but at least this registry has put a lot of restrictions in place and does not easily allow registration of mixes. It is no coincidence that the puppymills are now steering away from AKC -- there are plenty of them that use CKC and APRI. Some puppy mills have even started their own registries. Some registries are little more than paper mills for puppy mills.
Here is a good article on registries:
http://www.wonderpuppy.net/kc.htm It also goes on to explain what to look for in a good registry and what to look out for in the not so good registries.
If I was looking for a pet only, that I intended to spay or neuter -- and if I knew the breeder or was very aware of their reputation, then I might consider a CKC registered dog. But I would not send in the money to register the pup. I do not want to add money to an organization I believe was founded to support puppy mills.