diff --git a/nipype/interfaces/ants/registration.py b/nipype/interfaces/ants/registration.py
index fd7459436a..f9240e5204 100644
--- a/nipype/interfaces/ants/registration.py
+++ b/nipype/interfaces/ants/registration.py
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ class RegistrationInputSpec(ANTSCommandInputSpec):
         requires=['metric_weight'],
         desc='the number of bins in each stage for the MI and Mattes metric, '
         'the radius for other metrics')
-    sampling_strategy_item_trait = traits.Enum("Dense", "Regular", "Random", None)
+    sampling_strategy_item_trait = traits.Enum("None", "Regular", "Random", None)
     sampling_strategy_stage_trait = traits.Either(
         sampling_strategy_item_trait, traits.List(sampling_strategy_item_trait))
     sampling_strategy = traits.List(
@@ -390,9 +390,9 @@ class Registration(ANTSCommand):
     >>> reg5.inputs.sampling_strategy = ['Random', None] # use default strategy in second stage
     >>> reg5.inputs.sampling_percentage = [0.05, [0.05, 0.10]]
     >>> reg5.cmdline
-    'antsRegistration --collapse-linear-transforms-to-fixed-image-header 0 --collapse-output-transforms 0 --dimensionality 3 --initial-moving-transform [ trans.mat, 1 ] --interpolation Linear --output [ output_, output_warped_image.nii.gz ] --transform Affine[ 2.0 ] --metric CC[ fixed1.nii, moving1.nii, 1, 4, Random, 0.05 ] --convergence [ 1500x200, 1e-08, 20 ] --smoothing-sigmas 1.0x0.0vox --shrink-factors 2x1 --use-estimate-learning-rate-once 1 --use-histogram-matching 1 --transform SyN[ 0.25, 3.0, 0.0 ] --metric CC[ fixed1.nii, moving1.nii, 0.5, 32, Dense, 0.05 ] --metric Mattes[ fixed1.nii, moving1.nii, 0.5, 32, Dense, 0.1 ] --convergence [ 100x50x30, 1e-09, 20 ] --smoothing-sigmas 2.0x1.0x0.0vox --shrink-factors 3x2x1 --use-estimate-learning-rate-once 1 --use-histogram-matching 1 --winsorize-image-intensities [ 0.0, 1.0 ]  --write-composite-transform 1'
+    'antsRegistration --collapse-linear-transforms-to-fixed-image-header 0 --collapse-output-transforms 0 --dimensionality 3 --initial-moving-transform [ trans.mat, 1 ] --interpolation Linear --output [ output_, output_warped_image.nii.gz ] --transform Affine[ 2.0 ] --metric CC[ fixed1.nii, moving1.nii, 1, 4, Random, 0.05 ] --convergence [ 1500x200, 1e-08, 20 ] --smoothing-sigmas 1.0x0.0vox --shrink-factors 2x1 --use-estimate-learning-rate-once 1 --use-histogram-matching 1 --transform SyN[ 0.25, 3.0, 0.0 ] --metric CC[ fixed1.nii, moving1.nii, 0.5, 32, None, 0.05 ] --metric Mattes[ fixed1.nii, moving1.nii, 0.5, 32, None, 0.1 ] --convergence [ 100x50x30, 1e-09, 20 ] --smoothing-sigmas 2.0x1.0x0.0vox --shrink-factors 3x2x1 --use-estimate-learning-rate-once 1 --use-histogram-matching 1 --winsorize-image-intensities [ 0.0, 1.0 ]  --write-composite-transform 1'
     """
-    DEF_SAMPLING_STRATEGY = 'Dense'
+    DEF_SAMPLING_STRATEGY = 'None'
     """The default sampling stratey argument."""
 
     _cmd = 'antsRegistration'