Loyal, courageous, and always up for a good game, Boxers never shy away from showing off their silly side. Learn more about Boxer history.

The American Kennel Club recognizes many breeds, and each possesses a purpose-bred set of physical and behavioral characteristics. Purebred dogs within each of the seven AKC breed groups are expected to conform to a particular breed standard. One of the more identifiable elements of a canine breed standard is temperament. Temperament has been defined as an animal’s […]

After the airing of the popular special AKC Heroes: 2022 Awards for Canine Excellence on ESPN2, the AKC is excited to share the winners of this year’s AKC Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE). These annual awards celebrate loyal, hard-working dogs that have significantly improved the lives of their owners and/or communities. Five remarkable dogs […]

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 […]

He knew beforehand that it wasn't going to be your proverbial walk in the park. But when 31-year-old Will Ransom, of Unadilla, Ga., and his intrepid 6-year-old Australian Cattle Dog, Rhetta, finished the Appalachian National Scenic Trail hike last month, he confessed, "It was a bit more than I bargained for." Their trek began in […]

Along the Appalachian National Scenic Trail at Buzzard Rock, in Virginia, Rhetta overlooks an area she and owner Will Ransom passed through. This section of the trail gives hikers some of the best views of the highest peaks in the state. To reach this point, it is a moderate steady climb through woods and high […]

Thanks to technological advances and a robust economy in the years following the second world war, the modern media took off like a rocket—and the Westminster Kennel Club dog show took off with it. Of course, the big event at Madison Square Garden had been America’s most prestigious dog show since it began in 1877. […]

In the early 1950s, a stunning Doberman Pinscher came charging out of California to vanquish the best show dogs the East Coast elites had to offer. In the process, he became an international superstar. Among the treasures of the AKC Library & Archives is the Len and Shirley Carey collection of photos, clippings, scrapbooks, correspondence, […]

To understand just how respected Ellsworth Gamble was, let us eavesdrop at a 1967 dinner where the legendary judge gave a speech to the members of the Kerry Blue Terrier Club of Northern California. Gamble stood to address the assembled fanciers whose dogs he had judged earlier that day. Though he was a slight man, […]

The AKC® Humane Fund is proud to announce the winners of the 23rd annual AKC Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE). These awards celebrate five loyal, hard-working dogs that have significantly improved the lives of their owners and communities. The five winners were carefully chosen from a pool of over 600 impressive nominations. The […]