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 […]

Every year, the AKC releases the list of most popular breeds. But which breeds were top 10 from 2000-2009? Find out here!

The only breed to rank in the top ten breeds every decade since the founding of the American Kennel Club became the nation’s top breed in the 1950s—the Beagle. Not coincidentally, Charles Schultz’s pet Beagle, Snoopy, made his illustrious first appearance in national newspapers on October 4, 1950, and swiftly became a pop phenomenon. The […]

No doubt spurred on by the famous Best in Show wins of My Own Brucie in the early 1940s, accompanied by this handsome dog’s likeness appearing on the cover of Life, the Cocker Spaniel became the country’s number-one dog. The breed enjoyed the number-one ranking for sixteen years, from 1936 to 1952. Although the Pekingese […]

  Atlanta's top 5 most popular breeds for 2013 "In keeping with the national trend, Atlanta loves its big dogs," said AKC Spokesperson Lisa Peterson. "Lovable large breeds clearly dominate the city's top five." Labrador Retriever Golden Retriever German Shepherd Dog Boxer Cavalier King Charles Spaniel * Registration data pulled from Atlanta zip codes as […]

The AKC Archives is arranged into four major groups: Clubs, including AKC Member Clubs and Parent Clubs People AKC Administrative Visual Materials In addition to the library book and periodical collection, there is also an assortment of photographs, pamphlets, clippings, pedigrees, and more in the Library & Archives vertical files. Contact the Archivist for further information on undescribed […]

  Welcome to the AKC . We have put together definitions for dog words that you may not be familiar with. If you have additional questions regarding the glossary, please contact our Special Services Department. A Abdomen The belly or under surface between the chest and the hindquarters. Acetabulum The concave lateral portion of the […]

By John Osborne Collier Citizen Angel, a recent addition at the Shelter for Abused Women and Children in Naples, sit in the lap of a staff member. The facility is one of very few that allows domestic violence victims to bring their pets along with them. Laura Torres/Citizen Correspondent Oftentimes, dogs are a woman’s best […]

New York, NY – The American Kennel Club is pleased to announce that Diana Wilson and Guy Fisher have been hired as AKC Executive Field Representatives.   Wilson will join the staff May 5, 2014 in the Denver, Colorado area, while Fisher will join the staff on June 2, 2014, working out of the AKC […]