Each year during the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, magnificent show dogs are recognized for their adherence to the breed standard, and well-trained purebreds and mixed breeds alike show off their skills in obedience and agility competitions. But this year, during the final day of the annual dog show, the American Kennel Club is shining […]

ACE Awards In 1999, The American Kennel Club took action to express its time-honored respect for the extraordinary canine-human bond, as well as its appreciation for the innumerable ways in which dogs meaningfully contribute to our lives. That initiative gave rise to The AKC Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE), which celebrated its first […]

  Want to get involved with AKC sports and events -- but your dog is a mixed breed? No problem! Here at the AKC, we embrace all types of dogs – purebred and mixed breeds alike. Our Canine Partners program is our enrollment program for mixed breeds and other dogs not eligible for AKC Purebred Registration. When […]

Find the right AKC department, program, or service for your question. You may also visit our AKC Telephone Directory. On This Page Customer Service & Registration Events & Competitions Clubs & Community Training & Education Breeders & Compliance Judging Education & Operations Advocacy & Outreach Media & Publications Research & Archives AKC Departments Customer Service […]

Senior Rescue Dog Starts Dog Sports Career Roger had a sad life before he was turned into a shelter in southern California. He has gunshot wounds and was suffering from a serious respiratory illness. Shelter staff did not expect him to live long when they sent him home with a foster for a “hospice” stay. […]

Nominees in Conformation Michael Canalizo Michael Canalizo has spent many years in the Dog Show World as a Breeder/Owner, Professional Handler, turned Judge. His first exposure to his primary breed: the Afghan Hound came in 1961 as a member of “the typical Hobby Breeder family” with their purchase of “Babu Bamn of Grandeur”. He showed […]

The AKC works with non-AKC service and sports organizations to recognize the titles that AKC-registered dogs earn in their programs. This includes the AKC Therapy Dog program and the AKC Search & Rescue program. AKC also recognizes titles of the Barn Hunt Association (BHA); North American Diving Dogs (NADD); the North American Flyball Association (NAFA); […]

[video width="640" height="360" mp4="https://www.akc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Video-for-4H-website.mp4"][/video]     Preview of 4-H Dog Project Presentations for 4-H Leaders About the 4-H Dog Project The 4-H Dog project is a wonderful way for youth to explore working with dogs. They can learn about raising and training dogs, starting in sports and events, health issues, basic first aid, and careers […]

About the Award AKC Public Education seeks to recognize AKC- licensed and member clubs that have made positive contributions to educating the public about AKC dog sports and events, purebred dogs, responsible dog ownership, and safety around dogs. By highlighting these efforts, AKC Public Education aims to support the club’s ongoing outreach and inspire others […]

The Nederlandse Kooikerhondje is lively, agile, self-confident, good-natured and alert. The breed is faithful, easy-going and friendly in the home. Outdoors he is a true sporting dog being keen, swift, tough, attentive and energetic. With sufficient perseverance and stamina, he enjoys working and does so with a cheerful character.

The Welsh Springer Spaniel is a vigorous, medium-sized bird dog of happy disposition, known for versatility in the field, companionability at home, and dashing good looks anywhere. The Welshie is among Britain's oldest sporting breeds.

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel wears his connection to British history in his breed’s name. Cavaliers are the best of two worlds, combining the gentle attentiveness of a toy breed with the verve and athleticism of a sporting spaniel.

You will have a smile on your face after watching this cute video starring Lili, an adorable mixed-breed who is smart too! Mixed-breed dogs, like Lili, can join in AKC sports and programs through the AKC Canine Partners program for all dogs, including mixed-breeds and rescues.

You do not have to have a set of agility equipment to get your dogs started in this fun sport. Mixed-breed dogs, Chuckles and Samson, have a lot of fun in this homemade backyard course! Mixed-breed dogs compete in AKC Agility through the AKC Canine Partners program for all dogs, including rescues.

We know you will enjoy this wonderful video of rescue dog Murray’s Road to the AKC Master Agility Championship! https://vimeo.com/104271983. MACH Paved With Good Intentions MXB MJB XF owned by Tamar Fuhrer & Jon Faria of Culver City, CA Tamar and Jon adopted Murray in March 2011 from LA Harbor Shelter. He had already been […]

Think your dog is an A+ student? Are your friends and family jealous with how well you’ve trained your dog? Then you might want to take things to a new level by participating in Obedience competitions (known as "trials"). Developed in the 1930s, Obedience is one of the AKC’s oldest sporting events, and it's open […]

We are pleased to announce the AKC FIT DOG Program for instructors. CGC Evaluators can become AKC FIT DOG Instructors by completing a new three-level course in AKC Canine College at: https://www.caninecollege.akc.org/visitor_class_catalog/category/100594 The purpose of the course is to teach instructors who are AKC CGC Evaluators how to teach a basic canine fitness class. The […]

All-Breed Shows All-Breed shows are conformation events that are held for the more than 190 breeds and varieties of dogs recognized by the AKC to compete in, unless otherwise noted on the club's premium list. Also listed under All-Breed are the Group Shows, or shows limited to one of the seven AKC Groups: Sporting, Hound, […]

Melinda was about to step into the ring at her first-ever Agility trial on a September day when two-year-old Silver Miniature Poodle Tate alerted for an oncoming aura migraine that would cause Melinda to lose vision temporarily. Agility trials are nerve-wracking, high-stress environments. It takes hours and hours of training to prepare for a trial […]

Virtual titling opportunities have made dog sports significantly more accessible to everyone, especially those who are geographically isolated or are living with disabilities. They're also great for people whose dogs have behavioral issues like reactivity or anxiety that might struggle in a traditional show environment. But while the virtual competition is a good way to […]

During the week, Billie might be taste-testing goodies at Three Dog Bakery in Kansas, but on the weekends, she's excelling in dog sports.

Canine athletes come in all shapes, sizes, and levels of physical abilities. When people think of dog sports, they often think of the highest energy...

The world of dog sports has grown rapidly over the past few decades. Training for dog sports can create a great bond between an owner and their dog through improved communication and trust.  As a bonus, puppies can learn to channel their excessive energy into something useful, rather than into unwanted behaviors. As a breeder, […]

Karen Powell of Frankfort, KY, has three rescued mixed-breed dogs that compete very successfully in AKC Agility, AKC Rally, and Barn Hunt: Stella CD RAE7 AXP AJP NFP RATN Biggie RAE2 MXP MJP XFP RATN Cody RAE MXP3 MXPB MJP4 MJPB OFP T2BP RATO She started taking classes with her dogs in 2006 because of […]

Dog sports offer herding breeds a fun outlet to redirect their instincts, expend physical energy, challenge their intellect, and bond with their owner.

  Dogs experience the world differently than humans do. With a sense of smell that is between 10,000 and 100,000 times as acute as ours, they get the majority of their information about their environment from smell, rather than sight as we humans do. But in our busy human world, we don’t often let dogs […]

Shelters have many dogs with sad stories. But Roger was the one of the most heartbreaking cases Vicki Brown had ever seen.

Loyal, intelligent, and courageous, Rottweilers gives off an air of nobility and self-confidence.  In fact, they've attracted people for millennia.

Assessing quality of life and end of life decisions is difficult for any dog owner, and can be even more challenging for owners of canine athletes.

Kori Bevis and her Golden Retriever, 'Baker,' have had an incredible obedience career together as a team. Upon Baker's retirement, they made history.