To earn an AKC Therapy Dog™ title, you and your dog must meet the following criteria: Certified/registered by an AKC recognized therapy dog organization. Perform the required number of visits for the title for which you are applying. For your convenience in helping you track your visits, you can use the Therapy Dog Record of Visits […]

The moment a volunteer with a therapy dog walks into a room, you can instantly feel a change in mood. All eyes focus on them, as smiles spread across everyone’s faces. Therapy dogs are NOT service dogs. Service dogs are dogs who are specifically trained to perform a task or tasks to assist a person […]

This program allows for the recognition of breed-specific Parent Club Performance Programs. Approved Parent Club titles are recognized on AKC records after title application is submitted. These performance programs allow breeds to be acknowledged for successfully performing the functions for which they were developed. A Parent Club will administer their own program in which their […]

You can literally feel the anticipation in the air as the dogs line up and wait for a Flyball relay race to begin. As soon as the gun fires, each dog dashes over a line of low hurdles to reach a box. Once there, they use their paws to push a spring-loaded pad and release […]

Children and teenagers are the future of the sport of dogs and responsible dog ownership. The more they learn, the more they will grow in dog sports and as a person. The values, attitudes, and responsibility learned while competing as Juniors serve children throughout their entire lives. Junior Showmanship Junior Showmanship offers children between the […]

  By: Stephanie Kennerley “Just how fast is my dog?” Many owners have found themselves wondering that at one time or another. The FAST CAT®, one of AKC’s newest events, offers an answer. Launched in March of 2016, the FAST CAT® is a variation on the Coursing Ability Test. In the FAST CAT®, dogs chase […]

FAST CAT is a 100-yard dash for dogs. The FAST CAT Ranking is a list of handicapped speed standings for the top 20 dogs in each breed based on FAST CAT races for a given year. It's a performance-driven way of answering questions about how fast a dog is or can be. FAST CAT is […]

[accordion] [accordion_panel title="Adding Junior Membership to AKC Member Club Bylaws (November 2022 Board meeting)"] The Board VOTED to permit existing clubs to add “Junior” as a membership option to their club Bylaws without AKC reviewing and approving each club’s Bylaws. The Board will receive notice from Club Relations of the clubs that have added “Junior […]

Chapter 3 A. First Meeting: First organizational meeting select/elect Chairperson and each committee's leadership. Determine scope of event and necessary work force. Make a list of preferred judges, possible event facilities, dates and livestock contractors. Timeline 12 to 18 months prior to event: Have organizational meeting B. Chairperson: Communication is important to conducting a successful […]

The AKC Club Relations Department handles the accreditation, licensing and member club approval process for all AKC clubs and administers the development of new clubs so they may qualify for the holding of sanctioned matches, mentored and licensed events. TABLE OF CONTENTS PART I General Information PART II Organization  PART III AKC Accreditation  PART IV […]