Conformation Resources Weekly Wins - Recent Best in Show and Group winners listed here AKC Gazette Counting Points Disqualification Reinstatements Conformation Executive Field Representatives FAQ Helpful Tips for Attending a Dog Show The Road to Best in Show Judging Information Points Schedule Show Secretaries Superintendents Explanation of All-Breed and Specialty Shows How to Get Started Showing Your […]

Several of the pointing breeds have a heritage of retrieving from water. These breeds are required to pass the AKC Water Test in order to be awarded field trial or hunting test titles. An ongoing issue that owners have faced is the lack of water tests. To address this issue, the AKC Performance Events Department […]

The Retriever Field Trial sport of today can trace its origin to the late 1920's to early 1930's when a small group of avid hunters devised a sport in which they could evaluate the performance of their hunting retrievers in a competitive environment and obtain Championships along with bragging rights. Today's modern Retriever Field Trial […]

Now that you’ve decided to enter your dog in a conformation dog show, you will need to decide which dog show class to compete in. Your dog will be eligible for some classes and not for others, so that should help eliminate some of the guesswork. Most dogs at a conformation dog show are competing […]

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Agility - Frequently Asked Questions   1. How do I find a local Agility training class for my dog? Look in the Yellow Pages under Pets or Dog Training for your local AKC club or dog school. Check this website for the training resources page and search for upcoming Agility Trials in your area.   […]

Want to participate in a program that will help you socialize and train your puppy, as well as provide an introduction to AKC events? One place to begin is to work toward earning your dog’s AKC Puppy of Achievement certificate. The AKC Puppy of Achievement (POA) program was created to help new puppy owners get […]

  Qualification Period: December 1, 2014 - November 30, 2015 All dogs that have met the following eligibility requirements for the Rally Novice, Rally Advanced, Rally Excellent or Rally Advanced Excellent class levels are eligible to enter when the event opens for entries. Dogs should be entered at the highest level class for which they […]

Did you know that more than 80% of show dogs are handled by their owners? To celebrate the dedication and enthusiasm of owner-handler exhibitors the American Kennel Club has created the new AKC National Owner-Handled Series. This non-titling competition will be held at select dog shows across the country. The AKC National Owner-Handled Series will […]

By AKC Field Representative Jim Odle Bassett Hound Field Trials are exciting and a lot fun for the hound and huntsman. These events date back to the 1930's. Basset field trials are designed and conducted for the purpose of selecting those hounds that display sound quality and ability to the best advantage. Shortly after the […]

The new Obedience Regional Competitions were developed to provide an additional avenue for exhibitors to qualify for the National Obedience Championship (NOC). These competitions will not replace the current qualifying methods as outlined in the AKC Obedience Regulations for the NOC, but are intended to give exhibitors and their dogs another avenue to qualify for […]

All-Breed Shows All-Breed shows are conformation events that are held for the more than 190 breeds and varieties of dogs recognized by the AKC to compete in, unless otherwise noted on the club's premium list. Also listed under All-Breed are the Group Shows, or shows limited to one of the seven AKC Groups: Sporting, Hound, […]

(c) 2007 Ernest Hartnagle and Jeanne Joy Hartnagle-Taylor Some historians propose Basques and their sheepdogs from the Pyrenees played an insignificant role in the history of the Australian Shepherd breed. Secondly, Basques did not to go Australia with their "little blue dogs" and then come to the U.S. with boatloads of sheep. Thirdly, the Basque […]

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); the North American Flyball […]

Big, boisterous, and affectionate, the Otterhound was bred in medieval England for the now-outlawed activity of otter hunting. This scarce breed is known for his dense shaggy coat, webbed feet, acute sense of smell, and affinity for swimming.

The Mountain Cur is a hunting dog with a good treeing instinct. It is a very courageous fighter and extremely intelligent, doing whatever job its master desires. The dogs were a crucial part of the cultures of early pioneers, settlers, and homesteaders.

Horton RAE ONYX CGC owned by Barbara Wojciak of Harpersville, AL Photo by Irene Cotter, Fur-Fetched Photography Horton has had a very exciting year of accomplishments. The formerly homeless dog earned his 20,000-point ONYX title in flyball in July 2014 from the North American Flyball Association (NAFA). Horton has been a member of the Dixie […]

MACH4 Bob’s Hundred Dollar Dawg MXB2 MJB2 T2B OF owned by Dr. Bob Potter DVM of Sussex, NJ, and Sandy Mainardi of Lincoln Park, NJ Ginger is a rescue originally purchased from a pet shop with papers that show her to be a mix of Shetland Sheepdog and Australian Cattle Dog.  The original owners bought […]

AKC Canine Partners congratulates the All-American Dogs and their owners who competed and won honors at the AKC Obedience Classic this past weekend, Dec. 13 - 15, in Orlando, FL. Two dogs placed in the top 10 in the Utility division, and a Novice level dog won the Parent Club Medallion for All Americans: Outland's […]

MACH Goodtime Charlie Griffith MX MXJ MXB MJB XF owned by Deborah Griffith of Newland, NC, recently earned the top title in AKC Agility – the Master Agility Championship (MACH). The honor requires dogs, once they reach the Masters level after advancing through three levels, to earn 20 Double Qualifying scores in both Standard and […]