Vera has on her riding “doggles,” cap and scarf, ready to hit the road for the Thanksgiving holiday – one of the busiest travel weeks of the year. Her owner, Norman Price of Pasco, WA, says the Boxer-Lab mix loves to go on car rides because Vera, a member of the AKC Canine Partners community, […]

Meet Officer Sammy of the Walnut Cove Police Department, Walnut Cove, NC Did you think all police dogs were German Shepherds or Belgian Malinois? Not so! A mixed-breed dog who was abandoned by his owner is a valued member of a police department in North Carolina. Officer Sammy was not always deemed law enforcement material. […]

More than 60 All-American Dogs will compete in the 2018 AKC National Agility Championship, which is right around the corner. The event takes place March 23 – 25 in Reno, Nevada. There is a total of 917 entrants. To qualify, dogs must have earned seven double Qs, meaning they must have qualified in both Masters […]

-- AKC Celebrates 125th Anniversary with a Look Back at First AKC Registered Breeds in History -- For the 18th consecutive year, the Labrador Retriever is the most popular purebred dog in America, according to 2008 registration statistics released today by the American Kennel Club® (AKC) But, while more than twice as many Labs were […]

The 2017 AKC Obedience Classic and the AKC Agility Invitational took place December 16-17, 2017 in conjunction with the AKC National Championship presented by Royal Canin, demonstrating the highest level of training and teamwork between dog and handler. Obedience and agility competitions for junior handlers were held for the seventh year, and an AKC Rally® […]

Finding your first family dog is a daunting process—one that's up there with dating and house-hunting. And like parenting, when it comes to raising a dog to be perfectly well-behaved, successful, and sociable, well, let's just say practice makes perfect. But, these breeds, while they appeal to different interests, are easily trained and friendly (especially with children), […]

We often hear dog shows accused of being nothing but “beauty contests.” In reality, they’re organized more like job fairs. At AKC shows, dogs are exhibited in seven groups organized by the original work the breeds were created to do. The dog judged best in each group becomes one of the final seven to vie […]

AKC GoodDog! Helpline trainer Hilarie Erb provides tips for starting a jogging program with your dog. It is important to do this safely and provide the proper training before you take off running! If you are a runner and think that your dog would be the ideal running partner, you may be right. However, there […]

If You Want a Friend in Politics, Get a Dog, an exhibition on loan from the AKC art collection, has been installed at the Pennsylvania Governor’s Residence, in Harrisburg. “The governor and I are thrilled to partner with the American Kennel Club to offer this rare art exhibition featuring man’s best friend,” says Pennsylvania first […]

The Westminster Kennel Club recently announced that Mr. Thomas H. Bradley III is scheduled to judge Best in Show at the club’s 141st dog show Feb. 13–14, 2017. A lifetime participant in the dog sport, Mr. Bradley competed in his first dog show as a teenager in 1955, showing his German Shorthaired Pointer at the […]

The 2015 Obedience and AKC Rally National Champions were crowned this weekend at the American Kennel Club's National Obedience Championship and the AKC Rally National Championship, held at Purina Farms just outside of St. Louis, Missouri. The Championships drew more than 500 of the most highly trained dogs in the nation. Pamela Manaton, AKC Director […]

Jane Kamp Forsyth—breeder, handler, all-breed judge, AKC Lifetime Achievement Award winner, and towering figure on the international dog-show scene—died on July 3. She was 86 years old. “The entire American Kennel Club mourns the loss of Jane Forsyth, and we send our condolences to Bob and Sioux,” AKC President/CEO Dennis Sprung says. “Janie was an inspiration […]

The Labrador Retriever has done it again. The intelligent, family friendly breed held onto the number one spot on the most popular list for the 24th consecutive year, continuing the longest reign as the nation’s top dog in American Kennel Club history. For the full list of breed rankings, click here. While the Lab holds strong, […]

There’s a story that nicely sums up the Boxer breed. One morning at the dog park, a group of neighborhood dogs were playing as their owners looked on. The life of the party was a male Boxer. With all the boisterous enthusiasm of a pup, the big fawn-coated bruiser was cavorting and careening, bouncing and […]

No velvet pillows, hair ribbons, or French pedicures for these big bruisers. These are the no-nonsense, punch-the-clock-and-get-it-done dogs of the AKC Working Group, the Ford pickups of the canine kingdom. Many factors go into breeding dogs that work hard for their feed. Let’s consider a few, and then watch some well-bred workers in action. Physical […]

The AKC Canine Health Foundation announced Jan. 6 the funding of a grant that is focused on further understanding hemangiosarcoma, an aggressive form of cancer in dogs. The project, titled "A Novel Approach For Prevention Of Canine Hemangiosarcoma," is funded by three groups whose breeds have been affected by this cancer, the American Boxer Charitable […]

It's the moment we've all been waiting for: Now that all of the Best of Breed Group Winners have officially been named, we're one step closer to crowning this year's AKC National Championship Best in Show winner. In case you missed our livestream on AKC.org, here's a recap of all of the commendable canines who […]

Those who watched the 2008 Westminster Dog Show will fondly remember Best in Show winner Uno prancing around the ring bellowing the trademark Beagle sound, “A-roo!” Each breed has its own distinctive bark (or in the case of the the African Barkless Dog, the Basenji, more of a yodel). To highlight each of those unique […]

Water was a common theme among this year’s photo-contest winners—images of dogs on beaches, at dock diving competitions, and in snow. Others showcased canine beauty in nature, silhouetted against a blazing sunset or bright blue skies. Then there’s one that made us all smile—a gray-muzzled retriever and a gray-haired man exchanging a glance through a […]

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 […]

By Flo Laicher, Putnam Kennel Club Delegate  By Flo Laicher, Putnam Kennel Club Delegate Wanting to serve the pets and pet owners in our community, members of the Putnam Kennel Club, Inc. (PKC) started a project to donate rescue mask kits to the fire departments in Putnam County, New York. This kit gives the fire […]

TEXT AND ILLUSTRATIONS BY RIA HÖRTER REPRINTED FROM THE CANINE CHRONICLE During war time, dogs have been used as messenger dogs, patrol dogs, guard dogs, mine dogs, Red Cross dogs or as draught dogs for the transportation of weapons, ammunition, food and medical supplies. No role at all Numerous dog books state that Greek and Roman […]

With so many events going on at the AKC National Championship Dog Show Presented by Royal Canin, how do you choose which ones to attend? Since 2014, a new exciting event has been added, and if you've never witnessed the intensity, grace, and sheer joy of a dog leaping off a dock to retrieve a favorite […]

Once again, the Labrador Retriever took Houston’s top spot in the 2016 ranking of the most popular AKC-recognized dog breeds in the U.S. The Labrador Retriever was also recognized as the #1 pup in the country, along with multiple cities including Seattle, Washington, D.C., and Denver to name a few. The French Bulldog jumped two spots […]

The annual AKC Breeder of the Year award honors those breeders who have made an impact on their breed and dedicated their lives to improving the health, temperament and quality of purebred dogs. This year, Helyne E. Medeiros was presented with the 2017 AKC Breeder of the Year award for her Seasyde Pointers at the […]

The AKC National Owner-Handled Series (NOHS) Finals celebrates the dedication and enthusiasm of owner-handler exhibitors and allows them to compete head-to-head against one another in the conformation ring. After incredible competition, this year's Best in Show honors went to GCHS CH Wigglesworth Aberlour's Pyt CGC, a Bearded Collieknown affectionately as "Ellee," owned and handled by […]

Each year, we are proud to recognize and celebrate the men and women who dedicate their lives to improving the health, temperament, and quality of purebred dogs. These breeders are the heart of our organizations and they deserve to be recognized for their incredible work. One breeder is chosen from each of the seven groups […]

They jump, they weave, they sit, and they stay. We're talking about the winners of the AKC Obedience Classic and AKC Agility Invitational at the 2017 AKC National Championship presented by Royal Canin, of course. Competition took place December 16-17, 2017 in Orlando, Fla. and it was an incredible sight to see. These competitions demonstrate […]

THE FOLLOWING DOGS HAVE EARNED VCD TITLES ON THE DATES LISTED BELOW: 8/20/2017 VCCH Webshire's Three Point Shot UDX3 PCDX OM4 BN GN GO MXS MJSRET-GOLD. Owned by: Susan Ruth Oviatt-Harris of CASTLE ROCK, CO. 1/7/2017 VCD1 CH Rolyart's Go Out On A Limb VCD1 BN RM RAE OJP RATO CGC TKISPAN-WELSPR. Owned by: Merrielle Turnbull/Shelley Traylor/Cindy Ford […]

On Friday, March 9, 2018, the Connecticut General Assembly’s Environment Committee is scheduled to consider several dog-related bills.  The American Kennel Club (AKC) encourages all concerned Connecticut residents to contact the committee members and respectfully share their views. House Bill 5355 – This bill seeks to amend several statutes regarding how a dog may be kept […]