Welcome to the American Kennel Club's new redesigned web site. We will cover some of the new features and how to navigate the site.
Homepage: The top navigation links will help you move from each portal section of the web site. On the homepage you can also find the main portal links (About AKC - Store) in the left navigation. The homepage is divided into four sections. 1) World of AKC: We can focus on one to three items that are of importance to the AKC and the world of purebred dogs. Currently we are showcasing the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship. 2) AKC News: Here we show twenty news items. If we have an important item, it will be listed as a top story and placed at the top of the news block. 3) Features of the AKC: In this section we highlight important items. There can be more than three items, so when you refresh your browser, you may see different selections. 4) Inside the AKC: This area randomly focuses (just like the Features section) on each portal section. You will see links from Breeds to Online Services in this section.
Above the top navigation links you will see the AKC logo and a rotating breed image. You can always click on the AKC logo while navigating our site and it will return you to the homepage. We have breed images for all AKC recognized breeds and Foundation Stock Service recorded breeds. You can click on any of the breed images and you will be directed to the main page for that breed. To the right of the rotating breed images you will see a sidebar section. You can view this section throughout the web site. In this section you can sign up for the "Your AKC" eNewsletter and learn about other online newsletters and e-mail updates. Click on AKC News and the links expand to several options. Legislative Alerts will take you to links covering current legislative issues. The last link will allow you to translate pages to Spanish, French or Dutch.
Primary Navigation: We will cover each section from left to right (Breeds - Kids/Juniors)
- Breeds: The Breeds portal page is broken into three sections. Items in these sections can change, like Breed Spotlight, but for the most part will stay the same. We also have a Photo of the Month section. When you look at the links in the left navigation, we have organized four ways to get to breed pages under the Breed Lists heading. For AKC breeds you can choose Breeds by Name, Breeds by Group and Complete Breed List. Foundation Stock Service breeds can be reached from the FSS Breeds link and the Complete Breed List. Breeds by Name, Group and FSS Breeds have thumbnail images of each breed. You can click on those images to go to the main page for that breed. Under the Breed Contacts section you will find links to the National Breed Club search, Breeder Referral, Online Breeder Classifieds and Breed Rescue.
When you navigate to a breed page you will see breed specific links in the left navigation, along with the same links on the Breeds portal page under Breed Lists and Breed Contacts. The breed specific links will be in between those two sections in the left navigation. From there you can access links covering history, did you know and video. A photos page is new to our web site and we have included history information for all breeds. If you are on a breed page that has varieties, you will see a different rotating breed header image for each variety (example: Dachshund - smooth, wirehaired and longhaired). They will display randomly as you refresh the page or when you go to different pages within the section for that breed. - Events: The Events portal has three sections. The Information on Events section provides links to Event and Results search. In that section you can look up events by state and search for results to previous events. There are also links to the Club Search section and the Event Photo Coverage page. The Getting Started section lists events that we are currently focusing on. Upcoming Events lists televised AKC events and links to events that will be covered on akc.org.
- Breeders: In this portal section we cover items that pertain to breeders. From here you can learn how to register a litter, read some Responsible Breeding Steps and find links to other educational items. Under the Registration heading in the left navigation you can find links to Online Dog Registration and Online Litter Registration. A new feature under this heading is the AKC's Online Form Status/Processing service. This service is used to check the status of AKC applications you have submitted, or to complete transactions for which you have pending fee issues. Under the Breeder Education heading you will find a link to the AKC Library. A new feature in the Library section is the Online Catalog. The Public Education link can take breeders to resources that can help educate new dog owners.
- Dog Owners: In this section we focus on items that would be useful to dog owners. You can find a link to Training Clubs and learn about the AKC's Canine Good Citizen program. If you have an AKC-registerable dog, you can click on the Why Register With AKC? link to find out more about registering your purebred dog. A link to AKC Magazines can be found under the More Links heading. Dog owners can subscribe to the AKC Gazette, AKC Family Dog, AKC Events Calendar and AKC Awards. All of these publications offer a variety of information to dog owners.
- Future Dog Owners: The three main sections include: Before You Buy a Dog, Contacts and Inside AKC. The Before You Buy section provides links to information that will help future dog owners make their decision. Under the Contacts heading you will find links to the Breeder Referral page, Breed Rescue contacts and the AKC's new Breeder Classifieds. Future dog owners can also find a link to the Event Search. Attending an AKC event is a good way to get familiar with a variety of AKC breeds and provides an opportunity for future dog owners to talk to breeders. Under the Inside AKC heading, future dog owners can find a link to FAQs that cover a variety of questions and answers. Also, a link to AKC Rules and Regulations which cover matters from registration to specific AKC events.
- Clubs: In the Clubs section you will find a link to the various club searches. There are searches from National Clubs to Training Clubs. Under the Club Services heading in the left navigation you will find a variety of club related links. Information that is now available on our site is the AKC Parent Club Breed Flier Program. National breed clubs interested in creating a flier can contact AKC for more information on reaching new dog owners. Other services useful to clubs are available in this section. Those include Online Plans, Parent Club Specialty Site Locator, Club Insurance, the Banner Program and more. All of the helpful information under Club Communications can also be found in this portal section.
- Kids/Juniors: This portal section covers information on Juniors and educational information for kids. Kids can learn how to get started in Junior Showmanship, see titles earned by Junior Handlers, request a Junior Handler number, learn about careers in dogs and more. A link to Activity Sheets provides a variety of reproducibles that are fun and educational for children. Kids can also learn about health issues covering items from aging dogs to winter care for canines. Kids can also learn about being a responsible dog owner in this section.
In the left navigation you will see links to each AKC Event and Online Plans. If you wanted to learn about Retriever Field Trials, you would mouse over Field Trials and click on Retrievers in the pull right. Under the More Links heading we provide links to other event related pages. You can find a link to the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship, go to the Downloadable forms page and print an application, locate upcoming seminars and more. Judges can access information by clicking on the Judges link. From there the Judges navigation will list items like the Judges Directory and Study Guides. When you click on a link in a portal section, you will see a "Back to" link at the top of the left navigation. You can click on that image to go back to the portal section you just came from. Conformation "Weekly Wins" can be reached from the Conformation section or from the Event Related link under the More Links heading. The Handlers Program can be reached under the More Links heading and the Conformation link. New to this section is the ability to locate handlers by clicking on States in the map of the United States.
- Press Center: In the Press Center you can access all the News features. You can search the archive or read press releases related to a specific AKC event or program. You can also reach the Canine Legislation section of our web site from this portal. In the Reaching Out section you can view television ads and Public Service Announcements. Inside the Press Center puts you in touch with the Communications Staff and provides informational Facts and Statistics. You can also find links to AKC minutes and reports, which can also be found in the About AKC portal section.
- Store: From this link you can reach the portal section for the AKC Store. The portal is broken into three sections: 1) AKC Store - where you can access the Store and view new products; 2) Gift Shops - unique dog related gifts like DOGNY, Agility and more; 3) Free Online Services - services provided free of charge and services requiring store login.
When you click on the Store link in the top navigation, you will notice that the sidebar has changed. You have the ability to enter your username and password. You will then be logged into the Store. - Contact AKC: Anyone wanting to reach the American Kennel Club can go through this section for information. General inquiries can be sent online to a specific department, registration questions can be submitted online and you can view the online telephone directory. Technical support for the AKC web site can also be found in this section along with some useful information regarding our hours of operation. Visitors can also find Employment information under the Helpful Links heading in the left navigation. AKC Affiliates and Programs can be reached from this section. Those include AKC Companion Animal Recovery (CAR), AKC Canine Health Foundation (CHF), the AKC Museum of the Dog and more.
- About AKC: Under Minutes and Reports you will find links to Board Minutes, Delegates' Minutes, Chairman's Report, etc. Under the Inside AKC heading in the left navigation you will find a variety of links that will help you learn more about the American Kennel Club. There are specific links relating to the AKC Board of Directors and AKC Delegates. Like the Contact AKC portal section you can find links to Employment. DOGNY is featured in this section. There are one hundred rotating DOGNY images that rotate at the top of DOGNY pages. You can view the Organizational Chart, read about AKC History and our Mission Statement. The Awards and Honors section focuses on awards given to individuals and dogs.
- Registration: This portal section covers all issues concerning registration. Under the registration heading you can find links to Online Dog Registration and Online Litter Registration. Also, new features under this heading include the AKC's Online Form Status/Processing service and the Online Breeder Classifieds. Under the More Links heading you can find links to DNA, Artificial Insemination, FAQs, Downloadable Forms and more. Other registration options in this section include links to Foreign Registration, Open Registration and information on ILPs. You can view an example of a certified pedigree and an online pedigree in this section.
- Online Services: This section covers a variety of AKC services that are available online from the AKC Judges Directory to the AKC Store.
