-- The True Essence of AKC Breeders -- Eleven years ago, Ron Menaker, Dennis Sprung, and the good folks at Eukanuba created the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship and made celebrating our breeders an integral part of the event. In 2003, they added the Best Bred-By-Exhibitor competition and every year since then, many of our sport's top […]

-- A Commitment to Serving Our Customers -- Shortly after the end of World War II, a family purchased a dog and registered it with the American Kennel Club in their daughter’s name. That registration decision was certainly a nice way of saying to their daughter, “This dog is yours to keep, care for, and […]

-- Relentless Positive Action -- In my August Chairman’s Report, I introduced the concept of “relentless positive action” as a driving force in delivering new programs, new events, and new outreach. That philosophy is one that most certainly drives our best breeders in their determined quest for constantly improving their lines, and subsequently, their breeds. […]

-- AKC Breeders a Labor of Love -- One of the founding fathers of the American Kennel Club was William G. Rockefeller; his family is featured prominently throughout the history of the AKC. The Rockefellers had a family creed that formed their guiding principles. Visitors to New York will find it carved in granite at […]

-- Join With the AKC to Protect Responsible Small Breeders -- Outside the Johnson County Courthouse in Warrensburg, Missouri, stands a statue dedicated to a Foxhound named Old Drum - commemorating a famous trial held there in 1870. Old Drum was shot and killed when he wandered onto the neighboring farm. His owner’s only recourse […]

--A Shared Agenda for Success-- President John F. Kennedy’s address to a special joint session of Congress on May 25, 1961, was both an historic and a defining moment for the United States. It was during that speech that he announced a plan to put a man on the moon before the decade was over. […]

--"Keep On Keepin’ On"-- In his insightful and highly acclaimed biography of Steve Jobs, Walter Isaacson chose to capture a defining characteristic of Jobs by giving him the last word on his own life. Jobs, who proved to be a good student of singer-songwriter Bob Dylan’s philosophical insights, used a Dylan lyric to explain his […]

-- Together We Are Truly the Dog’s Champion! -- At the Delegates Meeting in June, we spoke of the proposed new regulations to the Animal Welfare Act and the onerous impact on AKC Fancy breeders, like you and I. We were determined to act quickly and with great purpose to address this issue. And we […]

-- 2012 AKC Pointing Breed Gun Dog Championship Attracts Best in Bird Dogs -- Later this month, the 2012 AKC Pointing Breed Gun Dog Championship will take place at the Ames Plantation near Grand Junction, Tennessee. The event has drawn an entry of 124 dogs, which includes 105 Field Champions.  This is the largest number […]

-- AKC Canine Partners Program Celebrates Several Milestones -- I’d like to share an update with you on the AKC Canine Partners program. Since the program’s inception, cumulative trial entries have topped 30,000. Last year, 85% of the events that were eligible to allow AKC Canine Partners listed dogs did invite them to enter. That […]