–Award Presented at AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin – David Fitzpatrick was presented with the 2021 AKC Breeder of the Year award for Pequest Pekingese at the AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin on Sunday, December 19, 2021.  The annual award honors those breeders who have made an impact on their breed […]

Welcome back to Orlando. The Board and the Staff are thrilled to have us all together in person again. We appreciate, as always, everyone’s commitment to keeping our gathering safe and productive so that we can celebrate the beauty and function of our dogs and experience the excitement of our Sports. There was a movie […]

  Happy Holidays from the Government Relations team! As we wrap up the year, we want to thank you again for all the energy you have put into making 2021 a great success. While still battling a new pandemic-induced landscape, the GR team continues to work across the United States to fight legislation and equip […]

News from the State Capitols Here are some highlights of state-level issues AKC GR is currently tracking. Connecticut – Deputy Speaker Mushinsky has met with two state agencies regarding legislation for therapy dog recognition. A bill is expected to be re-drafted and re-filed for next year. Connecticut – In an October 28 Connecticut Post opinion, […]

Here are some highlights of state and federal regulatory issues AKC GR recently addressed.  Visit AKC’s Regulatory Resource Center for more information on these and other significant regulatory issues addressed by AKC Government Relations. Federal – CDC Temporary Ban on Dog Imports: In June, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a temporary suspension of the importation […]

AKC Government Relations continues to monitor the US Congress for issues of interest to dog owners. Visit our 2021 Legislation Tracking map and click on “Federal Bills” on the map to get the latest updates on federal bills currently being monitored by the AKC. Highlights of issues we are currently addressing on the federal level include:  U.S. […]

As the fastest Dachshund in the nation, Nugget was invited to compete in Fastest Dog USA. The event will be broadcast on ESPN2 at 12 p.m. ET on December 25. Owner Anne Rosenberg shares Nugget's journey to becoming the speediest of his breed. As a child, I had a Beagle named Peanuts. Then, after I […]

Many breeders require anyone who purchases one of their dogs to sign a contract. To some buyers, especially first timers, a contract may feel invasive; they might think that for the money they spend, they should have total control over what they do with their puppy. Explain to buyers that your contract is meant to […]

2021 is rapidly drawing to a close. This year, I achieved a few of the things on my 2021 New Year’s resolution list! My first pledge for 2021 was to walk into the year with an open heart, mind and spirit of kindness towards every person and to do it with my dog by my […]

Dogs offer an unconditional type of love we don't always experience in our human relationships. When it's time to say goodbye to such an integral part of our families, it can be a traumatic experience. Not everyone respects grieving the loss of a pet the way they would a human family member—there isn't always the […]