-- Board Planning Session Nurtures Ideas And Reviews Initiatives to Grow AKC’s Future -- In August the Board added a special “planning session” to the regular Board meeting to discuss a variety of topics including registrations, events, and brand imaging. On Sunday, Sept.12, AKC Vice Chairman Tom Davies, President and CEO Dennis Sprung, COO John […]

-- New Additions to the Grand Championship Program and AKC/Eukanuba National Championship -- Since the introduction of the new AKC Grand Championship title in April, we've had hundreds of dogs in nearly every breed complete the requirements for a Grand Championship title. Thus far, the program has fulfilled the hopes we had for it - […]

-- AKC’s 125th Anniversary Filled with Celebrations -- Our anniversary year has been filled with celebration, the marking of milestones, and new opportunities. In 1884, the AKC began its all-breed purebred dog registry with just 9 breeds. As of December 30, we will recognize 164 breeds with the addition of the Bluetick Coonhound, Boykin Spaniel […]

-- Happy 125th Birthday AKC -- New York, NY– This Thursday, September 17, 2009, marks AKC’s 125th anniversary. Since 1884, we have maintained the definitive registry of purebred dogs and governed thousands of annual canine competitions. We have always remained true to our original mission of promoting the sport and breeding for type and function […]

-- New AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Program -- The AKC Canine Good Citizen® program debuted in 1989, with 1,392 dogs taking the CGC test. Today, nearly 40,000 purebred and mixed breed dogs per year participate in all 50 states. To date, we have enrolled more than 9,000 official CGC evaluators in communities across the country to […]

-- AKC Canine Health Resource Center at www.akcdoghealth.com -- As I reported in my November 2008 Chairman’s Report we know that canine health remains a top priority for AKC, its parent clubs, and all responsible breeders. In that report I outlined the resources available to the responsible breeder from a variety of sources such as the AKC Breeders’ Department […]

-- Responsible Breeders Part of a Long Tradition of Presidential Pets -- Yesterday, America finally got their first peek at the Obama family settling in with their new AKC-Registered Portuguese Water Dog, Amigo's New Hope, affectionately known as "Bo." Since the first mention of a potential "first" dog many months ago, the Obamas have taken […]

-- Make Plans to Attend Meet the Breeds™ This October in New York City -- Building on the success of the annual Meet the Breeds event held at the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship each December, the American Kennel Club will be holding its first stand-alone Meet the Breeds™ October 17-18, 2009 at the Javits Center in […]

The American Kennel Club faces enormous challenges in reversing the continuing decline in registrations. Today, we are losing market share at an alarming rate, especially in the retail sector. We are being challenged competitively and financially. The declining registrations and associated core revenues, if allowed to continue, will fundamentally change our organization going forward. Make […]

-- Parent Club Breed Flier Valuable Tool to Recruit New Members -- The American Kennel Club recognizes the need for parent clubs to build a strong foundation of members in order to secure their breed's future in this country. Membership rosters should be a diverse list of knowledgeable responsible breeders, breed health enthusiasts, dedicated rescue […]