Accepted into AKC in 1885, the Saint Bernard swiftly rose to the position of the most popular dog of the 1890s. To this day, it is the only giant breed to secure the country’s top position as well as the only number-one breed to never appear in the top ten again. In later decades, two […]

After nearly two full days of competition between more than 100 dogs, one Golden Retriever came out on top: Baker. Registered name OTCH12 High Times Shake 'N Bake UDX8 OGM SH earned a score of 517/520 and was handled by owner Kori Bevis of Cannon Falls, Minnesota. On Saturday, July 9, each dog competed in eight […]

Training dogs has been a way of life for Roxane Dutson since she was a teen. She taught the family dogs tricks and then became involved in competition through an obedience training group. “My love for working with dogs became stronger as my husband and I got our first Labrador in 1996,” Dutson says. “From […]

Each of the AKC registered breeds are assigned to one of seven groups representing characteristics and functions the breeds were originally bred for. Current as of June 1, 2023 [accordion] [accordion_panel title="Herding Group"] HERDING GROUP The Herding Group, created in 1983, is the newest AKC classification; its members were formerly members of the Working Group. […]

For the most updated statistics, check out the latest rankings of America's most popular dog breeds. Is your dog’s breed winning popularity contests this year? Now you can find out! The most popular dog breeds of 2020 were released on March 16, 2021, based on American Kennel Club registration statistics. America continues its love affair […]

The AKC uses registration data to collect the most popular breeds of the past year, and for the first time in history, the French Bulldog takes the #1 spot

The American Kennel Club (AKC®), a not-for-profit organization, the world’s largest purebred dog registry and leading advocate for dogs, is pleased to announce the winners of the AKC Agility League’s third season. The AKC Agility League is brought to you by Purina Pro Plan, the Official Dog Food of Agility League, Official Sponsor YuMOVE and […]

Sometimes, in the name of ideology, families get torn asunder. During the Civil War, brothers faced each other across Union and Confederate lines. After World War II, the Berlin Wall separated families, and fates. And in dogs more than a century ago, we had a similar philosophical divide between the fighting dog known as the […]

What kind of dog would prompt an acclaimed food critic and writer to open one of his last bottles of very expensive French wine? If the critic is Jim Harrison, the answer is simple: an English Setter. I remembered that on this very day a friend had sent afresh foie gras ... I ate it […]

As the American Kennel Club’s 200th fully recognized breed, the Bracco Italiano became the Sporting Group's latest member in 2022. Its AKC recognition was a huge milestone for the organization’s mission in the preservation of purebred dogs. After all, it's been a long time since America's oldest dog registry recognized its first breed, the Pointer, […]