The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) is pleased to recognize breeding programs from the Sporting, Hound, Working, Terrier, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding groups as 2019 AKC Breeder of the Year group honorees. “The breeders honored with this award have made important contributions to the sport and future of purebred dogs,” said Dennis Sprung, AKC President and […]

In 1939, a million Americans a year paid admission to attend AKC shows exhibiting over 100,000 dogs across the country. The mightiest events, Westminster and Morris & Essex, reported record-setting entry numbers during the 1930s that have still never been topped. Savvy publicity efforts and new AKC publications brought the formerly closed-circuit world of purebred dog breeding and exhibition to the American public, who clamored for more. […]

Kay Finch produced well over 100 Afghan Hound champions At the same time, Finch excelled in creating ceramics, including 20+ Afghan Hound sculptures One dog, 'Johnnie,' won the Hound Group at Westminster in 1954 and 1955, and was the first dog on the cover of Sports Illustrated. When it came time to celebrate their 25th wedding […]

Love dogs? Love stocking up on back-to-school essentials? Then this is the shopping list for you. From lunch bags and backpacks to pens and pencils, here are some of our favorite supplies perfect for letting your — or your child's — pet-loving personality shine. 1. “Best in Show” Pencils for Dog-Lovers U.S. Toy Dog Pencils […]

The AKC board of Directors formed the AKC Detection Dog Task Force in 2016 to explore and implement solutions to the shortage of American-bred explosives detection dogs. Currently, the demand for US-bred and born detection dogs far exceeds available supply, while reliance on foreign-bred sources introduces many risks. The US government currently purchases 80-90% of […]

Can They Really Get Along?   The AKC Offers Tips to Cat Owners On Introducing a Dog to Your Home  The age-old phrase “fighting like cats and dogs” does not have to be the case. Despite popular belief, canines and felines can, in fact, live together in harmony.  If you’re a cat owner looking to add […]

The AKC currently registers 200 dog breeds. The chart below lists all AKC recognized breeds and the year they first became registrable with the AKC.  DATE – BREED 1878 – Pointer  1878 – Retriever (Chesapeake Bay)  1878 – Spaniel (Clumber)  1878 – Spaniel (Cocker)  1878 – Setter (English)  1878 – Setter (Gordon)  1878 – Setter […]

How much do you know about what goes on in your pup's head? Do you believe it's all pretty simple in there? Just thoughts about dinner, the cat next door, and more dinner? Think again. Dogs have been known to learn hundred of words, do arithmetic, and guess what people and other dogs are thinking. […]

An undated video shows Anne Rogers Clark grooming a Poodle In the not-so-long-ago dog world, there used to be two kinds of fanciers: Those who knew the revered judge Anne Rogers Clark well enough to call her “Annie,” and everyone else, who, in a kind of verbal genuflection, referred to her simply as “Mrs. Clark.” […]

Barbara Lundy owns Patchwork Pet Resort in Marshall, Texas. She has traveled the world showing her champion Bedlington Terriers, but her true love is the Bichon Frise. She has spent her career caring, grooming, training, showing, boarding and breeding four-legged furry children. AKC: How did you get started in breeding dogs? Barbara: I began working with German Shepherds when I was 9 years old. My […]