There are champions, and then there are champions. Every year, the American Kennel Club acknowledges the most accomplished dogs in a trio of sports – Agility, Obedience, and Rally – by hosting championship competitions to which the nation’s top-ranked dogs are invited. A handful of these top winners then run, jump, weave, heel, or retrieve their […]

The top dogs in the nation were crowned from an overall combined entry of more than 1,800 dogs this past weekend at the AKC National Agility Championship, AKC Preferred National Agility Championship, AKC National Obedience Championship and AKC Rally National Championship. Competitions were held March 15-17th, 2019 at the Built Ford Tough Livestock Complex and […]

On Saturday, March 16, the top 50 of 118 dogs advanced to the next day of competition at the National Obedience Championship. The winners and top four dogs in each of the eight groups were also announced. Sporting Group Beacon the Golden Retriever, handled by Kathy Rasinowich This is Rasinowich's 17th NOC. "Beacon is like Clem […]

The 143rd Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, presented by Purina® Pro Plan® awarded one dog in each of the seven groups Best in Group. Some of these winning breeds, like the Wire Fox Terrier, have won their group 23 times. Yet others, like the Schipperke and Havanese, won their groups for the first time. Best in Terrier Group Best […]

It’s good to be King. On Feb. 12, the Wire Fox Terrier Grand Champion Kingarthur Van Foliny Home was crowned Best in Show at the 143rd Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, presented by Purina® Pro Plan® at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The victory was nothing if not dynastic: Wire Fox Terriers are the […]

Among the marvels of human ingenuity is the way various breeds of dog were developed, mentally and physically, to tackle specific jobs. Consider the farmer’s eternal war against rodents and other burrowing mammals that devastate grain stores, raid henhouses, tear up fields, dig away riverbanks, and carry disease. As their number-one weapon in subterranean warfare, […]

The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) is pleased to announce the judging panel for the 2019 AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin to be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida on Saturday, December 14 and Sunday, December 15, 2019. The 2019 event will showcase the top national and international canine athletes […]

The following breeders have met the requirements for the Breed and Levels recorded at the time of the application. The American Kennel Club is pleased to recognize these breeders for their contribution to the sport and maintaining the tenets of the Breeder of Merit program. (current as of  7/15/24, last updated 7/17/24) [accordion] [accordion_panel title="Platinum"] […]

Breed Rank Retrievers (Labrador) 1 German Shepherd Dogs 2 Retrievers (Golden) 3 French Bulldogs 4 Bulldogs 5 Beagles 6 Poodles 7 Rottweilers 8 Yorkshire Terriers 9 Pointers (German Shorthaired) 10 Boxers 11 Siberian Huskies 12 Dachshunds 13 Great Danes 14 Pembroke Welsh Corgis 15 Doberman Pinschers 16 Australian Shepherds 17 Miniature Schnauzers 18 Cavalier King […]

Breed Rank Retrievers (Labrador) 1 German Shepherd Dogs 2 Retrievers (Golden) 3 Beagles 4 Bulldogs 5 Yorkshire Terriers 6 Boxers 7 Poodles 8 Rottweilers 9 Dachshunds 10 French Bulldogs  11 Doberman Pinschers 12 Pointers (German Shorthaired) 13 Siberian Huskies 14 Shih Tzu 15 Great Danes 16 Miniature Schnauzers 17 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels 18 Pomeranians […]