[accordion] [accordion_panel title="Adjunct Approval (April 1994 Board meeting)"] When a new breed becomes eligible for championship competition, there is one three-month window of opportunity for judges to submit applications under the adjunct system. [/accordion_panel] [accordion_panel title="AKC Board Household Judges (July 2000 Board meeting)"] A household member of a Board member may submit a judging application […]

  [accordion] [accordion_panel title="AKC Educational Requirements Policy and Recommendations (April 2024 Board meeting)"] As an additional step in creating a safe and respectful sport environment for all, the AKC Board of Directors approved the following educational requirements policy and recommendations.  Effective immediately: AKC Board of Directors, Inspectors, Field Staff across all sports, AKC Registered Handlers, […]

Click the links below to learn about AKC's Foundation Stock Service® Program. Foundation Stock Service® Program Home FSS Checklist - updated April 2025 (PDF) FSS Acceptable Domestic Registries FSS Pamphlet (PDF) FSS FAQs FSS News Parent Club Best Practices First Certificate of Merit Earned for Miscellaneous Breeds How to Count Certificate of Merit Points in […]

In its ongoing pursuit to recognize outstanding members of the fancy, The American Kennel Club Lifetime Achievement Awards were created and first awarded in 1999 to honor our very best. The purpose of the awards is to celebrate those individuals whose many years of dedication have led to significant contributions to our sport on a […]

The American Kennel Club (AKC®) honored recipients of the AKC® Lifetime Achievement Awards at the annual Delegates Meeting Luncheon, in conjunction with the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship. The winners received an engraved silver Revere bowl. A larger Tiffany and Co. bowl, engraved with the names of all recipients past and present, will remain on permanent display […]

Scheduling Conformation Events General Questions Points Schedule Formulation Specialties Held With All-Breed and Group Shows Classes and Entries Submitting Results Awards and Titles Judges and Judging Junior Showmanship Sweepstakes Trophies, Prizes, and Ribbons Club Membership Upload Tool Scheduling Conformation Events AKC recommended Best Practices to hire and assign judges, leading to an efficient schedule. General […]

Is your dog considered a rare breed? Do you want an informal way to get some event experience under your belt? A Foundation Stock Service (FSS) Open Show is a perfect way for you and your dog to practice before an official event without any pressure, and is a must-do for anyone new to competing. […]

4-6 Month Beginner Puppy Regulations (effective September 1, 2017)  AKC Puppy of Achievement Press Release Frequently Asked Questions Breeders of Merit are Key to New Involvement in Conformation

You already know that your puppy is the absolute cutest. So why not share his adorableness with the rest of the world? Enter him in an AKC 4-6 Month Beginner Puppy Competition. It’s a relaxed, stress-free way to make your debut in the dog show world. Plus, it gives both of you a fun way […]

Monitoring your dog's urination is one of the most important things you can do. In fact, it can be the difference between life and death. If your dog is suddenly repeatedly pawing to go out, peeing in the house, straining to pee, or dribbling urine, these may be signs of urinary retention. Signs of urinary […]

Parvo is every new puppy and dog owner’s worst nightmare. In a matter of days, a perfectly healthy puppy can go from playful and active to fatally ill. Parvo in dogs is a preventable disease, however, all new puppy owners and breeders need to be aware of the risks of parvo, how to prevent it, […]

With a registered name like DC Jewels Peridot & Pearls MLC SAR-W, the dog you'd expect to see might be a prissy homebody that lavishes attention on people and strolls about in elegant attire. Not this little blonde dynamo, believed to be the first of her breed to earn an AKC search and rescue (SAR) […]

For John Buddie, owner-breeder of the prolifically successful Tartanside Collies and the 2015 AKC Breeder of the Year, there was never any doubt about his breed of choice. “My grandparents emigrated from Scotland and Ireland and Collies were the only dog they’d have,” he recalled. “Then one day, when I was about 12, I was […]

The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) and Royal Canin are pleased to announce the judging panel for the 2016 National Championship to be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida on Saturday, December 17 and Sunday, December 18, 2016. The 2016 event will showcase the top national and international dogs and will also […]

I’m not a fan of country music, but as I begin writing this column, from the radio in the next room the song “The Gambler” is crooning, “The secret to survivin’ is knowing what to throw away, and knowing what to keep.” Choosing a brood bitch is a bit of a gamble. Whether acquiring your […]

  You didn’t want your lowlife cousin to come to the party, but he came uninvited with your sister. Dog breeding can be like that. Some relatives can’t be avoided. Genotype, the genetic makeup of a dog, involves the extended family. My mentors taught me that linebreeding, the practice of breeding dogs who are somewhat […]

We get a lot of questions from dog owners each week asking why do their dogs behave in certain ways. One of the most common questions we get is 'why does my dog bark so often or all the time?' There could be lots of reasons why this might be happening, sometimes it is that […]

There is a general movement within the dog world that has breeders and their clubs looking for new ways to make breed improvements. This is occurring because of the growing arsenal of tools available to breeders and their clubs. Given these conditions, the opportunity for making improvements is well within the reach of most clubs […]

by Joan HarriganReprinted from: The Canine Chronicle We’ve all seen Rin Tin Tin’s acts of heroism on the silver screen or read about heroic dogs rescuing drowning victims or finding lost children. But it is not every day that one hears about a puppy -- less than 4-months-old -- prompting his owner to seek medical […]

The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) and Royal Canin are pleased to announce the judging panel for the 2016 National Championship to be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida on Saturday, December 17 and Sunday, December 18, 2016. The 2016 event will showcase the top national and international dogs and will also […]