The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) is pleased to announce the judging panel for the 2018 AKC National Championship presented by Royal Canin to be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida on Saturday, December 15 and Sunday, December 16, 2018. The 2018 event will showcase the top national and international canine athletes and will also […]

The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) is pleased to announce the judging panel for the 2019 AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin to be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida on Saturday, December 14 and Sunday, December 15, 2019. The 2019 event will showcase the top national and international canine athletes […]

- Entries Open August 3rd- The American Kennel Club (AKC®) is pleased to announce the judging panel for the second AKC Virtual Top Dog Challenge. This virtual conformation competition is open to all AKC recognized breeds including Miscellaneous breeds. Entries close on August 10th at 12pm ET. Heading the panel as Best in Show and […]

Puli Takes 'Best in Show' The American Kennel Club is happy to announce the winner of the second AKC Virtual Top Dog Challenge. The event garnered 400 entries. GCHB CH Cordmaker Boys Will Be Boys PT NAP NJP, a Puli known as “Archie,” was awarded Best in Show by AKC Judge Dr. Donald Sturz, Jr. of New […]

-Entries Open Today-  The American Kennel Club (AKC®) is pleased to announce the judging panel for the third AKC Virtual Top Dog Challenge. This virtual conformation competition is open to all AKC recognized breeds including Miscellaneous breeds. Entries close on October 12th at 12pm ET.   Heading the panel as Best in Show and Best […]

The American Kennel Club® (AKC®) is pleased to announce the judging panel for the 2020 AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin to be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida on Saturday, December 12 and Sunday, December 13, 2020. The 2020 event will showcase the top canine athletes and will also […]

National Champion Beats Out More Than 4,000 Dogs GCHP CH Pinnacle Kentucky Bourbon, a Whippet known as “Bourbon” triumphed over more than 4,000 competitors to earn a $50,000 cash prize and the title of Best in Show at the AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin, held December 12-13, 2020 in Orlando, FL. “Bourbon,” owned […]

In a typical day, Ryan Arens sees one dozen dogs along his Bozeman, Montana route. There are office dogs in the morning, and ranch dogs in the afternoon — sometimes as many as five or six dogs on one property. After 14 years with UPS and six years on this route, he knows them all […]

The AKC Museum of the Dog will feature Constance Bannister's work starting July 9. The new exhibit is titled "Women & Dogs in Art in the 20th Century" and will highlight several female artists. That great comedian and curmudgeon, W.C. Fields, warned of the perils of sharing the stage with animals or children. Both, he […]

There was a time not long ago that nearly every advertisement featuring a child with a dog seemed to include a Lab or a Golden Retriever, consistently among the most popular dog breeds in America. Today, there’s a bit more variety in the breeds being photographed with children for commercial advertising. Perhaps the public perception […]

By April 2019, Bryan Bailey was a desperate man. In September 2018, he and his wife Kira had welcomed a Siberian Husky puppy into their lives. Tikaani was beautiful—solid black with white paws—reminding Bryan of the sled dogs from his childhood in Alaska. But Tikaani was wasting away. Almost as soon as he arrived at Bryan and […]

Louis Murr was a renowned Borzoi owner, breeder, exhibitor, and judge. Most authorities of the time considered Murr's Ch. Vigow of Romanoff to be the greatest Borzoi ever bred on American soil A tragic event cut Vigow's career short Murr died in 1978, two years after retiring from judging, at age 84 Never mind Rasputin's […]

Love puppies? Love to see them strutting their stuff? Then you’ll really love a new event at this year’s show, the AKC Royal Canin National All-Breed Puppy and Junior Stakes. The event is open to all AKC-registered breeds, including Miscellaneous Class breeds and is divided into classes by age. You’ll see puppies as young as six months up to 18-month […]

Alexis Chism is a third-generation breeder of Afterhours German Wirehaired Pointers in Reddick, Florida. She has spent her entire young life of 17 years with the breed, attending dog shows with her mother from a very young age.  AKC: How did you get started in breeding dogs? Alexis: My grandparents acquired their first German Wirehaired Pointer after raising Boxers and […]

"Cancer" — that dreaded word that nobody wants to hear. But as a leading cause of death in dogs, it's a reality all too many owners may have to face. Sadly, many cancers have a genetic basis, meaning there's not much owners can do to avoid it in their dogs. Yet there are certain choices […]

At the 2018 Brittany National Specialty, Paige Giebel and her Brittany, Turbo, were awarded the People's Choice award. "I was so honored to know that Brittany breeders and Brittany lovers chose Turbo as their 2018 People's Choice winner," says 16-year-old Paige. That moment was the highlight of the teenager's dog show career so far. Half […]

Eleven-year-old Audrey Boyer goes by another name: Whippet Girl. For people that know her, this isn't surprising. Not only does she have three Whippets (Disco, Yoshi, and Major) but they are her passion. She competes with her dogs in Conformation, Rally, Obedience, and Dock Diving. Her Facebook page, Whippet Girl, is dedicated to helping educate […]

Heroism during wartime can propel an average Joe into the spotlight. Just ask the Airedale Terrier. Called the “King of Terriers” because he is the largest in that family of earth dogs, the Airedale is believed to be the result of crossing various terriers with another British original, the Otterhound. That shaggy-haired hound contributed not […]

Though we often don’t think about them in this way, dogs are really about people — those long-ago (or, sometimes, not so long-ago) figures who developed particular breeds for particular tasks. Some breeds — like the Doberman Pinscher, Teddy Roosevelt Terrier, and Cesky Terrier — owe their existence to just one visionary person. Other breeds were brought into being […]

One day in 1938, soon after Nazi Germany annexed Austria, Adolf Hitler sent a car to his hometown of Linz to pick up Rudolphina and Rudolph Menzel. The Jewish couple – a psychologist and physician, respectively, who were also internationally known dog trainers – knew what their destination would be if they complied. It would […]

Thousands of dogs, representing the best in their sports, competed at the 20th AKC National Championship presented by Royal Canin and related AKC events. The competitions took place Dec. 11 – 13 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. More than 4,000 dogs competed in the conformation dog show. The overall show totals, […]

With their chiseled features, muscular bodies, and square jaws, Boxers are the movie stars of the dog world. These handsome pups are known for their loyalty, quick wit, and protective nature, but these charming characteristics also mean Boxer pups have a few special considerations when it comes to training and socialization. We spoke with several […]

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

Competition/Titles Update We have some big news to report about All-Americans succeeding at earning the top titles in Agility, Coursing Ability, Rally, Obedience and Tracking. This past quarter delivered an All-American Dog winning a division of the AKC National Agility Championship and the first ever Versatility Companion Dog Level 3 (VCD3)! AGILITY AKC National Agility […]

Late Start in Agility Does Not Slow Down Joelle Joelle, formally known as Ma Belle Joelle MX MXJ MJB XF T2B CA BCAT DM CGC, is an 8-year-old rescue dog who did not start taking agility classes until she was nearly 4 years old. Her owner, Ali Park of Williamsburg, Virginia, thought she was getting a laid-back Mastiff when she […]

Breeders of Merit participants are committed to registering 100% of the puppies in their litters. The AKC recognizes and congratulates the Breeders of Merit who have achieved 100% AKC dog registration for their litter during the month the litter was 100% completed.  BOM has achieved 100% AKC dog registration for all their AKC-registered litters (lifetime) […]

Competition & Title Updates  We have some big news to report about All-Americans succeeding at earning the top titles in Agility, Coursing Ability, Rally, Obedience, Scent Work, and Tracking, including another Champion Tracker! Agility AGCH Congratulations to this dog for earning the Agility Grand Champion title: AGCH MACH3 Tuckman Of San Francisco MXC PDS MJB2 […]

We have some big news to report about All-Americans succeeding at earning the top titles in Agility, Coursing Ability, Rally, Obedience, Scent Work, and Tracking. Many of you have had great success taking advantage of AKC’s Virtual Titling programs too!   Agility Master Agility Championships (MACH)  Multiple Master Agility Champions Congratulations to these dogs who have earned more MACHs: AGCH […]

We have some big news to report about All-Americans succeeding at earning the top titles in Agility, Coursing Ability, Rally, Obedience, Scent Work, Tracking, and Trick Dog. Many dogs are also having success in AKC’s Virtual Titling programs! AGILITY AGCH (Agility Grand Champion) AGCH MACH2 Rosie La Bella MXC PDS MJC PJS MFG TQX T2B5 […]

The American Kennel Club (AKC®) is pleased to announce the judging panel for AKC Virtual Top Dog Challenge III. This virtual conformation event is open to all AKC-recognized breeds and Miscellaneous class breeds. Best in Show and Best Puppy Michael Canalizo   Regular and Puppy Groups SPORTING Mr. Douglas A Johnson HOUND Mr. Eugene Blake […]