When scenthounds navigate the world around them, they follow aromas in the air, on the ground, and across the water. Meet the scenthound breeds!

Senate Bill 204 seeks to designate the Treeing Walker Coonhound as the official state dog of Kentucky. The bill recognizes that the Treeing Walker Coonhound is a native Kentucky dog breed developed in the 1800s by two Kentucky breeders. Kentucky dog lovers are urged to contact their state senators and representatives and ask them to […]

Plott Hound 'Q' is not your average agility competitor. Known for their noses, Q is competing at the AKC Agility Invitational and representing her breed.

Dru Shepherd of New Jersey may have started her show career with rabbits, but her Afghan Hounds have led her from the conformation ring to the opera stage.

Greyhounds aren't known for being water-lovers but dock diving enthusiast Shuggs is an exception. He is the only dog of his breed to title in Diving Dogs.

Spice, a 7-year-old Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen, competes in her third AKC National Agility Championship in 2023 and demonstrates true versatility.

“Is that a Labradoodle?” “No, it’s an Otterhound.” “A what? I never heard of them. What were they bred to do?” “Hunt river otters.” “Oh. My friend has a Labradoodle.” Probably every Otterhound owner has been part of a conversation like this. “Doodles,” whether “Labra–” or “Golden–,” are a popular trend, as are a number […]

The Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen came into prominence in the United States nearly 20 years ago. Although there had been a few PBGVs in the country as early as 1971, it was a puppy named Alexander that started the PBGV frenzy in 1983. Since then, the reaction to this scruffy little hound has gone from […]

 Traci Mitchell is an AKC Breeder of Merit Bronze, who breeds Black and Tan Coonhounds and an occasional Smooth Fox Terrier. The name Carlin is Irish Gaelic, meaning Little Champion in honor of her first Smooth Fox Terrier. She splits her time between southern California and southwest Iowa. She has lived in California all her […]

Somehow, it’s difficult to equate the endearing, low-key Basset Hound with speed. But Angelique, a 4-year-old, 34-pounder has defied expectations and has been on a fast pace since December 2020 at the American Kennel Club’s inaugural Fastest Dogs USA in Orlando, Florida. The Fast CAT competition, where dogs chase a lure in a 100-yard dash, […]

Sir Walter Scott referred to the Deerhound as “the most perfect creature of Heaven,” and breeders today likewise speak passion­ately of the breed. Those who know the breed appreciate its sterling attributes, in no small respect because of how those traits have withstood the test of time. Tracing Breed History The earliest clues to breed […]

This handsome silver-gray dog native to Scandinavia, is, by his own demeanor, an aristo­ crat among Northern dogs. The Norwegian Elkhound roamed with his Viking masters and served as a multipurpose guardian, herder, hunter, and protective companion for thousands of years before finding his way to the United States in the early 20th century. The […]

The covert’s utmost bound Slyly she skirts; behind them cautious she creeps, And in that very track, so lately stain’d By all the steaming crowd, seems to pursue The foe she flies. -William Somerville, The Chace, 1735 William Somerville’s lyrical descrip­tion of a hare sneaking around behind a pursuing pack of hounds and tracking them […]

The history of dogs might be very different without the people of Phoenicia. These seafaring traders sailed the Mediterranean from what is today Lebanon 2,500 years ago, During their trip, they did business in luxury items. As they went, it's assumed that the Phoenicians disseminated Egyptian hounds throughout the ancient world. The prevailing theory suggests […]

The combination of talents and physical traits has given the Beagle a singular spot in American culture. Read more about the history of this quintessential family dog.

Senate Bill 128 seeks to designate the Treeing Walker Coonhound as the official state dog of Kentucky. The bill states that the Treeing Walker Coonhound is a native Kentucky dog breed, developed in the 1800s by two Kentucky breeders.  Dog lovers in the state are urged to contact your state senators and representatives and ask […]

Every dog has a job. The job of hunting furred game over rough terrain or heavy brush requires, first and foremost, a great nose to find the scent of the prey. The dog needs to move on the trail at a speed that allows the hunter to follow on foot, and he must have the […]

"There between the graves, a beautiful red fern had sprung up from the rich mountain soil. It was fully two feet tall and its long red leaves had reached out in rainbow arches curved over the graves of my dogs. ... I had heard the old legend about the red fern. How a little boy […]

For decades after the Revolutionary War, America had been trying to secure a treaty of commerce with Turkey. In the spring of 1831, President Andrew Jackson sent an unlikely man to solve the problem. The proud and inflexible Commodore David Porter was a 50-year-old naval hero, who had fought in the First Barbary War, the […]

For millennia, the Cirneco dell’Etna has lived in the shadow of Mount Etna. Scrambling over the rocky, volcanic Sicilian soil in pursuit of rabbit, these small red dogs were invaluable sources of sustenance and protection for their peasant owners. But by the time the 20th Century dawned, the Cirneco was facing its own sunset of […]

Senate Bill 556, as introduced, seeks to expand and make changes to certain laws that govern trapping in the state.  As introduced, this bill could potentially increase hazards for dogs whose owners participate in field trials, Coonhound events, hunting, and training for these sports, as well as hiking, wilderness camping, and other outdoor activities with […]

If you want to impress owners of American English Coonhounds, call their dogs "English dogs." Learn about American English Coonhound history.

There’s a charming legend that says when it came time for Noah to select the dog that would board his ark and save the species from the Great Flood, he chose the Afghan Hound. As with most folklore, this story is best kept in soft focus. Sighthounds – which is what the Afghan Hound most […]

Each year, the AKC Humane Fund pays tribute to five dedicated, hardworking dogs for making significant contributions to an individual or entire community. One award is given in each of the following categories: Uniformed Service K-9, Service, Therapy, Search and Rescue, and Exemplary Companion Dog. No matter the environment, just about everyone who meets Stella thinks she’s “scentsational.” From lifesaver […]

The giant Scottish Deerhound coursing joyfully through a field is a glorious sight. This majestic and ancient breed has been prized since at least the 16th century for its endurance, courage, speed, and great skill at bringing down deer. In fact, the 'Royal Dog of Scotland' was so highly esteemed that, in early days, ownership […]

Dogs can teach us a nation’s history as surely as any textbook. Trace the history of the coonhound, for example, and you’ll find a master class on how our fledgling nation flourished. The very first Americans were British, and so too were their dogs. But as America’s hounds evolved, they changed dramatically, just like the […]

Mr. Sprung was also awarded a PET AGE ICON Award for 2020 The American Kennel Club would like to congratulate its President and CEO Dennis Sprung on being named a Lifetime Member of the Afghan Hound Club of America, Inc. and for earlier this month being awarded the Pet Age 2020 ICON Award. “It is […]

There is such a thing as being too good at your job. Just ask the Irish Wolfhound. As far back as Roman times, there were accounts of large Greyhound-like dogs in Ireland – called cú faoil in ancient Gaelic – revered for their size and ferocity. Some Irish chieftains and warriors even grafted the word […]

Joseph and Brenna Carlisle are AKC Breeders of Merit Bronze and AKC Bred with HEART breeders. Their kennel, Heritage Hounds, is located on about 80 acres just outside of Birmingham, Alabama. Brenna has bred and shown Standard Longhaired Dachshunds her whole life, and Joseph has bred Treeing Walker Coonhounds and competed in competition hunts with […]