Swarms of setters, hordes of herders, oodles of Poodles— with the seemingly endless variety of dogs gaiting around AKC show rings, you might assume every breed in creation is represented. Actually, hundreds of breeds from around the world are outside the AKC orbit. Here are just a few:   ESTRELA MOUNTAIN DOG Birthplace: northern Portugal Job […]

Got a minute? If so, you can learn the essentials of any breed. Not enough to call yourself an expert, of course. But in the time it takes to watch a TV commercial, you can pick up just enough breed knowledge to bluff your way through a conversation at the dog park. The average adult […]

Got a minute? If so, you can learn the essentials of any breed. Not enough to call yourself an expert, of course. But in the time it takes to watch a TV commercial, one of our “60-Second Seminars” can provide you with just enough breed knowledge to bluff your way through a conversation at the […]

The most infamous moment in the long relationship between dogs and presidents occurred on an April morning in 1964. While walking on the White House grounds with a group of visitors and his Beagles Him and Her in tow, President Lyndon Baines Johnson decided to encourage Him to bark for his guests. To do this, […]

Francis Redmond’s “Totteridge” Smooth Fox Terriers were a famous British line of the late 19th century. Redmond was a master dog man who did much to standardize his breed, and the Totteridge kennel was pivotal in the creation of the modern Smooth. It was the custom to immortalize dogs of such renown on canvas. These […]

Dachshunds are bound to pop up anywhere, doing anything. But who has time to keep track of all those Dachsie doings? As a public service, AKC Dog Lovers goes around the corner and around the world to bring you (cue deep-voiced announcer with lots of reverb) DACHSHUNDS IN THE NEWS! EL PASO, TEXAS—You never know […]

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 […]

Given the lifesaving work he does, his name seems ironic. "Killer" is a 5-year-old Belgian Malinois who works in South Africa's Kruger National Park tracking and apprehending armed (and very dangerous) rhino poachers operating in this massive 7,500 sq. mile park. With his handler, Amos Mzimba, Killer's success rate is astonishing: Over the last four […]

A new app called Fetch! uses artificial intelligence to analyze and identify a dog by its breed using a smartphone camera or photo library. The app, released through Microsoft Garage, is available for free in the App Store and through What-Dog.net. The app allows users to use an existing image of a dog or to […]

A Great Dane named George who is a service dog for 11-year-old Bella Burton is one of five recipients for this year's AKC Humane Fund Award for Canine Excellence, which honors dogs that have had a significant impact on their owners and communities. Bella, who suffers from the genetic disorder Morquio syndrome, received George a […]